Kiva had nearly convinced herself the afternoon would pass in peaceful silence. The thought barely had time to settle before the forest answered otherwise. Her ears flicked first, catching the quick rhythm of approaching pawsteps long before she saw their owner. Whoever was coming wasn’t attempting to hide their approach. If anything, they were charging straight toward her with all the confidence of someone who knew exactly where they belonged. She remained seated.

A dark figure burst through the trees only moments later, bounding across the forest floor before coming to an abrupt halt a respectful distance away. Amber eyes blinked once as Kiva took him in. Oh. He was younger than she’d expected. Dark fur framed bright blue eyes that regarded her with unmistakable suspicion as he lifted himself to his full height, every inch of his posture declaring himself far larger than his size suggested. There was something almost endearing about the determination written across his face. Kiva felt the corners of her mouth threaten to curl upward before she quickly softened the expression into a warm smile. Laughing at someone trying so earnestly to protect their home didn’t seem particularly kind.

“Who’re ye?”

“My name’s Kiva,” she replied easily, dipping her head in greeting while making no move toward the border. “Just Kiva.” Her gaze drifted briefly toward the old inn nestled among the pines before returning to the young wolf standing before her.

“I hope I didn’t worry anyone. I caught the scent of the herb garden from farther down the trail and couldn’t help following it. It reminded me of home.” A quiet chuckle escaped her. “By the time I realized someone actually lived here, I had already wandered close enough to find your scent markers.” She glanced toward the invisible border beneath her paws with an easy smile.

“Old habits die hard. You don’t spend years traveling between territories without learning to respect a scent border.” Her tail rested comfortably behind her, posture loose and open. “So I figured the polite thing to do was wait and see if someone came along before getting any closer.” For a moment she simply looked around again, taking in the ivy climbing the weathered inn, the herbs flourishing beneath the windows, and the towering pines sheltering everything beneath their branches.

“It’s beautiful here,” she admitted, genuine admiration warming her voice. “Peaceful.” Her attention settled back on the young wolf, amusement flickering gently across her expression. “You made it out here awfully fast.” She tilted her head ever so slightly. “I take it this place is important to you?”