The forest seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. Kiva had long since stopped trying to remember which way she’d come from. Every towering trunk looked much like the last, every patch of moss blended into another, and every unfamiliar scent only reminded her how little of this world she truly knew. She was beginning to suspect that admitting she was lost might actually be easier than pretending she wasn’t. Not that she intended to admit it. Instead, she wandered with deliberate confidence, nose drifting over the scents that lingered beneath the cool forest air. Crushed, fallen leaves. Damp earth. The faint sweetness of wildflowers hidden somewhere beyond the underbrush. It was peaceful enough that she almost forgot, for a few precious moments, how alone she was.

Almost.

A fresh scent drifted across the breeze: wolf. Her ears shot forward. Not old, nor faint. Recent! Without realizing it, her pace quickened. Excitement bubbled up before caution had the chance to catch it. She had spent the last several days meeting strangers, but each familiar scent still brought with it the same spark of relief. Every wolf she found made this place feel a little less impossibly large. She slowed as she followed the trail, making an effort not to charge blindly ahead. Whoever this was moved differently than most wolves she’d encountered. There was purpose in the scent’s path. Few unnecessary turns. No lingering. They weren’t simply wandering.

“They know where they’re going,” she murmured to herself. Lucky. Her amber gaze swept between the trunks until movement finally caught her eye. Dark fur slipped almost silently through the oak trees ahead. Kiva’s tail gave an involuntary wag.

“Oh! Hi!” The greeting escaped before she’d fully considered whether announcing herself was the smartest idea. Realizing she had probably just startled the stranger, she immediately slowed to an easy walk, leaving several body lengths between them. “Sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile. “I promise I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you. I’m actually terrible at sneaking.”

Her ears tipped sheepishly to the side. “I was just excited to see another wolf.” She glanced around at the endless forest surrounding them before looking back. “This place has a way of making you feel very small.” The words slipped out a little more honestly than she’d intended.

A soft laugh escaped her as she rubbed the back of one foreleg against the other in an awkward habit she’d never quite outgrown. “I’ve been trying very hard to look like I know what I’m doing.”

Her eyes flicked briefly toward the trail the stranger had been following. “I’m guessing you actually do know what you’re doing.” Curiosity shone plainly across her face, though she resisted stepping any closer.

“I’m Kiva.” There was no expectation in the introduction, only an open invitation. “If you’re busy, I won’t keep you. I just thought I’d say hello.”

Serrune