Reluctant to move on from this locale until he further gained his bearings, Fuxiao had lingered within the area. Until they had some mark or goal, he was content to remain here and gather his wits. Of course, wherever Yuèshí went, Fuxiao would follow. He had already lived a lifetime of diligence. This one would be for leisure.

The sound of a body hitting the water alerted him immediately. Hesitant to stray from his friend's side, he was still bound by duty, and so his body moved instinctively toward the sound. The she-wolf had already made her way to shore by the time he came upon her. Fuxiao approached with a graceful, friendly posture, although it may have seemed rigid and stiff.

Are you alright? he ventured to ask. Where had she fallen from, he wondered? The sound he had heard suggested it had been more than slipping off of the shore.