-& and we will cross the o c e a n wide

The soft approach of paws reached Ballerine's alert ears, but not before the wolf scent grew and flooded her nostrils. Ballerine watched for the alpha of the land to approach. It was not long before he revealed himself.

The young Chinese Hairless assumed a submissive posture; she sat down, curled her tail close to her legs, lowered her head, and respectfully averted her eyes so that her gaze drifted aimlessly along the ground. Her heartbeat quickened, and the wolf could no doubt hear that, but Ballerine was almost as excited and hopeful as she was terrified. She lifted a paw slightly from the ground to reinforce the idea that she truly meant no harm. She decided to wait for him to speak before saying anything. Ballerine had learned how to show respect from her human owners, but the majority of her actions here was instinct - powerful instinct that acted like the only map in a whole new territory.

She lifted her head a little and politely embraced the wolf's touch. She was grateful that he seemed to be in a patient mood. Her tail wagged slightly at his kindness and the progress of a non-violent first-contact. She quickly contained herself again, though. She was not accepted into the Ebony Breeze pack just yet, and though she so badly wanted to hope, she tried not to get her hopes too high.

The alpha wolf addressed her in kind tones, and Ballerine could feel herself relax. Her eyes brightened eagerly. She gave a humble nod and replied in a high-pitched and soft voice, "I am alone, and have been like that for some time; I have not brought anyone with me. I have come in the hopes of seeking a new home and the protection of a pack." It was obvioius just at a glance that she had not done well on her own out in the wild. Her bones showed clearly, and her tangled fur was speckled with ticks and fleas. Ballerine was not a particularly appearance-concerned dog, but still... her transformation from a diva-like accessory into a wild rogue was startling.

Ballerine considered speaking again, but decided that she should only answer anything the alpha said. She had answered both of his questions thus far, so she would wait for him to make the next move.

At the wolf's inquiry of her name, the little Chinese Crested replied humbly, "Ballerine - Ballerine's my name." She had not heard anyone call her by that for so long, it felt strange to utter it. Her mind refused to drift back to old memories for long, though; this was a new life she was facing, and she was ready to face it. No looking back allowed, or wanted. When the wolf threw at her a playfully teasing comment, a snicker managed to sneak out from Ballerine's throat. She cautiously looked up from the ground at the wolf's face, and Ballerine saw that his expression was kind and sparkling with playfulness. Ballerine's tail twitched a little as it threatened to wag, but she was determined to remain controlled. The last thing she wanted to do was to make some sort of bad impression, and surely being too submissive and cautious could do her no harm. Being careless, though, potentially could. But the wolf seemed to be inviting her to be relaxed and comfortable. It made her pause in uncertainty of what to do. She decided to lower her slightly-tensed shoulders. She felt that that was a fair response; she could appease him by relaxing a little, yet she could still remain comfortably cautious. She let her gaze fall back to the ground in an almost obsessive manner. Remaining silent hardly seemed like enough, though. Ballerine could not help but throw a small remark back at the engaging wolf. "I'm sure there's an army of small dogs somewhere, but my ego was too big to want to join them." She briefly flashed a grin, and then abruptly fell silent with anxiety in the hopes that she did not step over any boundaries.

The alpha then asked her a question, which was a testament to his kindness. It was impossible to dislike this wolf or remain on-guard around him for long. His concerned question had brought a glimmer to Ballerine's eyes. She loved how kind he seemed - no, how kind he was. No one could doubt this wolf's caring heart. "I ate a couple days ago," Ballerine replied. There was no way she could not remember the last time she had tasted meat. The smells and tastes were too delightful for her to forget. She even remembered the time of day in which she had last eaten. She found herself salivating a little in memory of the rodent she had caught those couple days ago.

To her surprise, the wolf hurriedly went around in search for something. What just happened? Did she say something? She pricked her ears forward and watched him disappear for a moment. Ballerine sat with an awkward stillness. What... was she supposed to do now? She should wait, she supposed. When the wolf returned, he had a healthy hare in his jaws. Ballerine's large eyes widened, and she abruptly stood with shock as he set it down in front of her. Ears tilted forward, she locked her gaze on the hare.

The wolf ordered her to eat it. Ballerine knew better than to disobey orders, and at that moment, the growl from her stomach was louder than her heart pounding in her ears. She had no idea how to express adequate gratitude to the alpha, but shse did know one thing: it would be foolish to disobey him. Besides, how could she?

At first, she gingerly bit into the hare, but before long she found herself eating joyfully and quickly. Every guard she had kept up shattered. Gladness filled her heart, and at that moment, she wanted to hug the wolf and never let go.

Before long, she had eaten her fill. The size of her stomach had shrank, so she could not eat much without feeling full. But for once, she was not shaking or growling from hunger. It felt like bliss. Replaying the alpha's words in her head, Ballerine answered, "I'm good at hiding. Well... at least mostly." She tilted her damaged ear forward and chuckled gently. "But I managed to avoid hungry dogs for a couple months on my own by sneaking around, so that should say how good I am." She was hardly afraid to boast about her skills. The tones of her voice had obviously changed, same as her demeanor. She was no longer soft-spoken with crouched back and fleeting gaze; instead, her voice was quick and glad. She sat with a straight back and a tail curled up happily, and she looked at the wolf's face. "I'm small, so that helped me with my stealth. I'm also clever and quick on my paws, and I've had a track-record of being creative in tricky situations. I know how to sneak away undetected. I also used to be very loyal to my human masters." Ballerine felt pride swell up inside of her as she listed off her talents.

"So that is what I have to offer, Alpha Antiseptic." She added an inquisitive, playful emphasis on his name as a way of silently asking how he had earned it. Despite being confident in his presence, she knew better than to be a fool and outright ask it, incase it was a sensitive subject.