Blue-toed paws moved silently across the dew-covered grass. At least, the wild dog was fairly sure she was silent. She had learned over the years how to move quietly. It was fitting, in her opinion, that she would move as such. After all, her world has always been a quiet one. Silent. Peaceful. At least, that's how she viewed it.

Saoirse scanned the dark night, eyes sparkling as she gazed at the flickering stars above. She was grateful that she still had her sight at the very least. She wasn't sure what would have happened to her had she not had access to both.

Well, her parents may very well have just left her for dead if that had happened. Not a very pleasant thought.

Shaking her head, the wild dog let out a huff, her ears flopping against her head. There was no point in dwelling over that. Her father had taken the time to teach her how to survive, how to speak, how to read the world around her - despite her deafness and her mother's insistence that she would not last in the wild. She was forever grateful to him for that.... and she had long since left them. She had no idea what has become of her family now.

A brown ear perked up, while the other stayed flopped across her head. She saw no reason in keeping them upright when she couldn't even use them. She really only kept them up on occasion to monitor the vibrations in the air.

And on that note....

Saoirse froze when the air almost seemed to shift. The faint, almost nonexistent bumps of paw steps reverberated up her paws from the ground. There was someone else nearby. Lowering herself down to the ground, her eyes flitted back and forth, trying to find its source.

Harakhty was exhausted, but he pushed himself to keep walking. Call it a hunch, but he felt like he was close to finding a new home. Or maybe he was just being overly hopeful. Or desperate. Either way, he felt too restless to stop now.

The night was beautiful anyway. The moon's light reflected beautifully against the wet grass. Perhaps that was a sign that he was going in the right direction.

The black lion had his head pointed upwards, which perhaps had something to do with why he didn't even notice the brown form until he almost stumbled over it. With a yelp, he scrambled back and fell on his tail. Looking this creature over, he realized quickly that it - she - was a wild dog. Not something he came across often, nor by themselves. And he'd almost stepped on her, he realized with a cringe.

"Um," he cleared his throat, "sorry. I didn't see you there." His ears flattened against his head, embarrassed that he'd almost stumbled over her. She was so small too! He could have really hurt her!

It was only thanks to him moving so suddenly next to her that she realized he was there, and he was lucky that she was staring right at him when he spoke. Years of living like this had taught her how to read body language and mouth movements, which is why she knew that he was apologizing. Tilting her head, Saoirse slowly lifted her head and eyes him blankly for a moment. This lion didn't seem like a threat. In fact, she thought his awkwardness was rather funny.

A soft, yet thin, smile grew on her face, and she shook her head. "It's fine." She tried to limit how much she spoke. After all, she had no guarantee that she was even speaking right to begin with. So far, no one had called her out on it, but... she didn't want to take her chances.

It wasn't, in his opinion, but he didn't want to push the moment on her. She seemed stiff around him, and he didn't want to make it worse. He shuffled his paws for a moment, unsure how to approach the situation now, before deciding that the silence was stifling.

With a deep breath, Harakhty sat up straight and bowed. "Even so, I hope I didn't startle you." Cocking his head, he glanced up at the moon again and then back at her. "I wasn't expecting anyone else out here at this time of night."

The wild dog blinked as he bowed, not quite catching what he said when he did that. She was going to assume he was apologizing again. Goodness, he was a polite one. Really, it was fine. She was quiet most days, it was unsurprising that he hadn't noticed her. She should also have been more aware of her surroundings. She couldn't afford not to.

When he looked up at the moon, she did manage to read his lips, and his words made her smile a little less stiffly. True, she also had not been expecting anyone else either. Not many would simply be taking a walk out in the middle of the night. Or maybe the middle of the morning? She wasn't sure what time it was now.

Looking up at the moon as well, she hummed noiseless tone. Maybe it was her canine instincts, but something about the moon always resonated excitement through her veins. She felt connected to it.

Tilting her head, she glanced sidelong back at the lion, "I came to walk amongst the moonlight." She paused, "What brings you?"

Harakhty blinked, almost missing what she'd said, with how quiet she was. She had such a soft, gentle voice, he was surprised it hadn't grown hoarse with misuse. But he was polite enough not to point it out to her. He didn't want to make her self conscious.

"The moonlight, huh?" He chuckled a bit humorlessly, "I've just been restless. Too many sleepless nights... too many lonely nights...." He frowned, a little bitter that he hadn't found a new home yet. There just wasn't anywhere he felt connected to. What was he going to do if he found nowhere? Would he just have to settle?

He sighed and shook his head, "But it is a beautiful night. The moon in gorgeous." He smirked again, "It's so bright. I almost wonder if it's trying to tell me something."

Saoirse was silent as he spoke, watching the wistful look break across his face. He certainly seemed lonely. A lion that should be in a pack. Or whatever it was a group of lions called themselves. She didn't really know. Either way, he seemed like he was suffering for it. Rolling her eyes back to the sky, she watched it for a moment before deciding that... maybe the moon had led him to her for a reason. It worked in mysterious ways, after all.

And while she wasn't sure if she could help his loneliness... she did know of a few nearby lion packs. And speaking of the moon....

"Well, the moon has always been a stalwart guide for us wild dogs. When it shines so bright, it's usually trying to tell you something." She turned back to him, "Perhaps it is leading you somewhere. I know that there is a lion pack a little ways away which follows the moon. It could be trying to lead you to them."

A... pack? Did she mean a pride? From the way it was phrased, she must have. More importantly though, a pride that followed the moon? He's never heard of that before, but he did always seem to get restless and want to travel at night, when the moon was at its fullest....

Harakhty gazed intently back at the bright orb in the sky. Could this moon god be trying to guide him to this pride?

.... He would probably never know for certain, but it couldn't hurt to visit them regardless. They may even be the home he was looking for. Somewhere where he could belong, and didn't THAT thought send a shiver up his spine.

Yes, it couldn't hurt.

With a smile, the male nodded, "You may be right." He stood back up, "Do you know which direction they're in?"

Truth be told, so intent was she in staring at the moon, she actually missed his first sentence. However, she snapped her head back towards him when he stood back up, and thankfully caught the end of his last sentence.

"Direction..." She lifted a paw, and (after taking a second to look around her) waved it back the way she'd come from. "That way. They live within a vast plain, situated near those mountains."

Harakhty gave a brisk nod, and then gave a grateful smile. "Thank you. I'll go and see for myself if that is a good place to settle." He chuckled, "And hopefully won't run over anyone else in the process."

Pushing off with his back legs, he started off in a trot, excited to see this moon pride for himself. Maybe the moon really was trying to lead him there. He'd always been fascinated by it, preferring the night so he could hunt and prowl without worry of his dark fur giving him away. It was just a matter of seeing them for himself.

He glanced briefly back at the wild dog. She was a bit... strange. Almost seemed out of it. It wasn't any of his business though, and what did he know of wild dogs and their habits? She was helpful nonetheless, and he was grateful for it.

Saoirse, meanwhile, stayed to watch him walk away. He certainly seemed to have gained a spring to his step, so hopefully she'd sent him off in the direction. Oh well, at least he was friendly.

She wished him luck though. Nobody deserved to be without a home.