The sweat that had started behind the svelte contours of my beloved's ears was not caused by the physical exertion we had just completed. It was as if it dripped behind my own ears, such was the intensity of our bond - the sensation was shared among us, the fear that swelled within her tried to invade my own space too.

But I did not fear them. I was curious, that was certain. I was also a canine, and we all shared a very similar manner of communicating - they did not threaten me nor my bonded, and neither did I threaten them. My beloved little cloud was scared, yes, but she did nothing more than look politely and perhaps shiver a little bit on the spot - not from cold. I moved closer to her, out of instinct, and felt satisfaction grow within me as my nearness slowly melted away the tension within her. They will not harm us, I murmured, though I don't think she quite heard my words, more than simply felt what they implied.

The largest of the canines before us spoke then, in my beloved's own tongue, and the little dragon suddenly became much less scary as it danced above us in a way that could only be read as joyful. A smile etched its way along one side of my little cloud's maw, amusement at the dark smudge of a lizard allowing her usual lax nature to peek out from behind the tension and fear. As the colourful song reached our ears, I heard her musical laughter tumble from her lips, as she returned the dragon's little call with her own soft, gentle melody. Finally she refocused upon the introductions of the remaining pack mates (for what else could they be?), and slowly her posture began to change, as she felt less trapped in these circumstances and more like she was simply meeting a new soul.

My little cloud was very adaptable, and I think it is simply a result of being born in these lands of magic and mystery. 'Normal' to my beloved was a state that was never achieved, or perhaps that simply was her definition of the notion. The smile upon her lips became more sure - it even slowly began to evolve into something so confident as to call it a smirk - as Osiris concluded his introductions. The Grey she recognised, for the Throat had lent them their power of arms when they intended to take over the nearby Foothills, but other than that, she knew very little on the matter.

"The pleasure's mine." Her cherubic voice spoke curtly, her gaze travelling between the large patriarch before her and the three wolves that roamed alongside him. I stepped forward then, my posture displaying my cautious curiosity, as I hoped to acquaint myself with those who were my own height for a change. I hoped to greet Osiris himself first, my nose reaching out to perhaps brush against his, my senses alert and flooded with information. My attention then turned to the female, Kaya, smelling the dominance of the rank she surely held, and respecting it as I hoped to make my own canine greetings to her.

"I'm not sure if he's met any of his own kind before." I heard my beloved's voice speak, feeling her gaze upon me, feeling the cautious happiness that flowed from her towards me as she urged me to befriend those of my own kind while the opportunity was there. It was interesting for me to note that she now stood with a hind leg cocked, her wings folded to her sides, apparently abandoning the notion of leaving any time soon, as her interest in this new soul grew within that brilliant mind of hers. "We're from the Dragon's Throat." She added, almost like it was an afterthought, raising her gaze to meet that of Osiris' again. With a somewhat sheepish grin, she looked to the little dragon present, wondering what he must have thought of the namesake of her home.

"Not Comadre's throat, though. It's named because when the Sun is up, it's sands can burn as hot as the fire that comes from a dragon's maw." My little cloud was still nervous, perhaps, but at least she was able to converse in a way that made some sense, most of the time.