12/8/2025, 11:39 PM
Strange hearing their peoples' tongue from the mouth of a wolf, but Cecil laughed, took it in stride.
"Well then. Tódik'ǫzhi nishłį́ Lók’aa’ Dine’é bá shíshchíín Tábąąhí dashicheii Dibéłizhiní dashinalí." A grin. "Nizhónígo ałhééhosiilzįįd. I'd offer you a handshake if we had the hands, but... you'll have to imagine. A little's still more than most. Glad to find someone else who can speak, and with such a talented tongue at that." The grin widened. Not the pronunciation of someone who'd grown up with it, but really, you had to speak it from the moment you figured how to talk to get it just right.
The mirth faded quickly. Could be a fragile subject these days, blood. They couldn't remember a time where it wasn't.
They cocked their head, watched the crow nip at Nate's ear and cheek.
Weren't something they'd be willing to do, put it all behind them. Might've lost what they had and lost was relative, but they were here on all fours and a coat of coyote fur, so they knew full well there was no walking back home unless they woke up human again. Home and family, though... too valuable to let buried. Even if it stung, realizing they'd never have it back.
But they were no fool. Not that much a fool, any rate. Didn't take a proper answer to know his past wasn't the same as theirs. They'd seen it themself, lived it themself- knew what he was talking about even if they hadn't felt it the same way. They kept their thoughts on his pa for their own ears.
Least the crow knew better than either of them did.
"Alright," Cecil said. "Ain't for me to decide. Can be a new slate, easy, if that's what you want it to be." They gave a little hum, glancing up towards the winter-blue sky, thinking he might not want to be looked at just now. "Your people ain't mine, but we're all family of a sort. You want to talk, I got an ear. That's all."
The corner of their mouth drew into a lopsided smile. "Don't mean to impose, so don't feel obligated. Feel like introducin' me to your friend, though, or at least givin' me directions? Rather not walk off and find someone more like to put me on my back than answer a question."
"Well then. Tódik'ǫzhi nishłį́ Lók’aa’ Dine’é bá shíshchíín Tábąąhí dashicheii Dibéłizhiní dashinalí." A grin. "Nizhónígo ałhééhosiilzįįd. I'd offer you a handshake if we had the hands, but... you'll have to imagine. A little's still more than most. Glad to find someone else who can speak, and with such a talented tongue at that." The grin widened. Not the pronunciation of someone who'd grown up with it, but really, you had to speak it from the moment you figured how to talk to get it just right.
The mirth faded quickly. Could be a fragile subject these days, blood. They couldn't remember a time where it wasn't.
They cocked their head, watched the crow nip at Nate's ear and cheek.
Weren't something they'd be willing to do, put it all behind them. Might've lost what they had and lost was relative, but they were here on all fours and a coat of coyote fur, so they knew full well there was no walking back home unless they woke up human again. Home and family, though... too valuable to let buried. Even if it stung, realizing they'd never have it back.
But they were no fool. Not that much a fool, any rate. Didn't take a proper answer to know his past wasn't the same as theirs. They'd seen it themself, lived it themself- knew what he was talking about even if they hadn't felt it the same way. They kept their thoughts on his pa for their own ears.
Least the crow knew better than either of them did.
"Alright," Cecil said. "Ain't for me to decide. Can be a new slate, easy, if that's what you want it to be." They gave a little hum, glancing up towards the winter-blue sky, thinking he might not want to be looked at just now. "Your people ain't mine, but we're all family of a sort. You want to talk, I got an ear. That's all."
The corner of their mouth drew into a lopsided smile. "Don't mean to impose, so don't feel obligated. Feel like introducin' me to your friend, though, or at least givin' me directions? Rather not walk off and find someone more like to put me on my back than answer a question."
english | navajo