Post by Therdde on Jun 10, 2009 22:43:28 GMT -5
Characters:
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Heath - Female Adolescent Wolf
Abel - Male Wolf Pup
- Hilltop Vista -
The pups are almost fully weaned now. They still nurse occasionally at bedtime, but not often, and it has given Skel even more time to explore the areas surrounding their new home. With all of the pups napping, and Ashen there to watch over things, that is what she has decided to do now. There are no trees here to block out the sun, and with its current position, just barely past its halfway point, she can see a great distance as she reaches the top of the hill and begins back down again, heading northward.
From the west, clearly able to be seen against the open flatlands of the lawn -- not to mention by her light coloring -- is a young she-wolf, her rusty-golden brush of a tail swinging back and forth as she meanders her way along through the clover. Slowing to sniff at some of the tiny purple blooms, and the underlying scents among them, she seems to be angling herself towards Skelaghe - or perhaps just the hill in general. Her friendliness is apparent, a little bounce in the adolescent's gait, and as she draws nearer the faint feminine tones of a hummed melody can be heard.
The light-colored wolf does not go unseen, even though Skelaghe's gaze is primarily to the north. All it take is one glance in the direction of the humming that reaches Skelaghe's keen ears for her to spot the wolf that stands out from the bright flowers and deep green grass. At no point does the older wolf seem unfriendly, when she spots Heath. Her tail raises, but she wears a happy grin as she barks out a greeting, announcing her presence on the chance that she was not seen. After barking, she stops her descent, which would have taken her away from this newcomer. She may be more cautious now than she once was, but she has lost none of her social nature.
The humming stops as soon as the greeting bark is heard, the young female's angled ears and piercing eyes alert and focused on the other she-wolf up on the hill. The rusty femme's tail lifts in a single wag before it drops accustomarily, and her maw spreads in a genial smile as she stares up at the other lupine. "H'lo. I'm Heath. This your hill?"
Skelaghe turns to face Heath fully. Her own smile remains, and as though any reassurance is needed, with how relaxed she is and her friendly demeanor, she says, "It is, but you are most welcome, Heath. I am Skelaghe, and this is Ute territory." Helaku and Teketa are almost off doing something, and though this female is not full-grown, she is older than any of Skelaghe's constant companion. Is it any wonder that the female alpha is eager for more companionship?
"Territory... I thought I smelled a couple of you around," Heath responds, encouraged by the pleasant welcome by the older female - enough to start treading lightly up the hill, if cautiously so. "Um, do you know if any other wolves came through here recently?" It may seem like a bit of a random question, but the adolescent appears genuinely interested in the answer.
There is a brief pause before Skelaghe answers. During that pause, she sits, a deliberate move done to hopefully ease the younger wolf's caution. "None who aren't members of Ute, until you. Might I ask who you're looking for?" Skelaghe doesn't know a great many rogue wolves. Mchawi is about it, and she has not seen him in... Ages. She does now wolves of other groups, though. Of course, she only assumes that Heath is, in fact, looking for someone.
Heath nods at the reply, with the air of one having expected such an answer. "Um, just a few other wolves I was travelling with. We weren't really a pack, just a bunch of stragglers with nowhere else to go. But we got separated and I lost track of them. It's okay," she shrugs it off, glancing around before she decides to settle down onto her haunches now that she's at a comfortable distance from Skelaghe. "I'm kinda just looking for any sort of company, really."
"Well, you are welcome to find that company here. Indeed, I would enjoy it." Surely, Helaku would be here with all sorts of questions about whether Heath was followed and all sorts of questions about her past, but if Skelaghe ever becomes /that/ cautious, she will have lost a big chunk of who she is.
The sun is shining and Abel pokes his nose out from the den with an enthusiastic outlook. He takes several steps outside, sniffing at his friend Ashen. His eyes close shut as they cross the line of shadow and brilliant sun. Turning his head before reopening his eyes, he spots his mother just as she was passing the pinnacle of the hill, going down the other side. The pup knows well he's being watched by Ashen, though he still hasn't completely caught on to the fact that the cub is blind. He at leasts acknowledges something isn't right. After several moments of stretching and otherwise acting innocent, Abel eventually sneaks away from where he is more or less supposed to be and begins climbing up the hill. It's an excited, enthusastic, sprint to catch up with mom. Slowing as he too reaches the top of the hill, he looks down and sees mom! ... and another wolf he isn't familiar with... Abel freezes, examining this newcomer.
Heath smiles at the offer, crystal eyes glimmering happily in the sunlight, tail thumping briefly against the ground in a rather juvenile manner. "Well, thank you. I hope we can become good friends." But then the sight of another approaching catches Heath's attention, and her expression lights up at seeing the little wolf. "Oh! You have pups!" she observes aloud, grinning broadly up at the small furry bundle. "Hello, little one!"
Skelaghe's ears flick toward Abel, but before she has a chance to look, she already knows who it is, at least generally. It's one of her pups. It takes looking at him before she knows which one, though. They spend so much time with one another, she could not possible pick the scent of one of them from the scent of another, but she can see the differences very easily. She speaks first to her son, her voice not at all upset. "Abel. Come here, puppy, and meet Mommy's friend." She keeps her eyes on the cautious pup as she then says, to Heath, "Heath, this is my son, Abel."
Abel claws at the ground, cautious about the visitor, but anxious to be with mom. He takes several low, slow, steps forward, then suddenly takes off as fast as he can the rest of the short distance down hill to Skelaghe. He quickly contacts her and sits down at her side. Abel points a nose at the adolescent, curious and at the same time very hesitant. Skelaghe's son has proven to be quite playful and energetic, but also rather shy. The puppy whines, retreating his muzzle.
Heath continues to make little fawning noises as she lowers her chest to the ground, then her muzzle as she looks up at the adorable little wolf, trying to make herself appear as non-threatening as possible to the young one. "Hi, puppy," she coos softly, trying to coax him out of hiding at mommy's side. "My name's Heath. Do you have any brothers or sisters, Abel?"
Skelaghe is more than pleased to hear that Heath obviously likes pups. She hasn't seen it, though, as she continues looking at her son. His reaction causes her to chuckle silently, but at no point does she do anything to make him feel bad. How could she ever be upset because her children want to be with her? As Heath asks a question, scoots back and lowers her head to nudge at Abel. It' a very gentle movement, and if he isn't prodded forward by her nudging, she'll leave it be, and simply try to encourage the boy to answer Heath, since she won't answer for him.
Abel does obviously like the wolf being down lower, or at the same level as himself. He lifts a paw, then puts it back down, then the other, then puts it back down. Again the son points his nose, trying to sniff at Heath. Though he doesn't speak, he still is clearly is excited to see a visitor and really, if mom trusts her, that's good enough for him. He takes a step closer, then another, then the remainder of the distance between them. Abel presses his puppy nose on the adolescent's, then her muzzle, her ears, then neck all the while wagging his tail. Just as quickly, he runs back to Skelaghe and stands at her side again. "...I'm Abel."
Heath barely suppresses a childish giggle when the pup's cold, black nose is pressed against her own, then going on to snuffle at the other parts of her head and forequarters. Her tail wags absentmindedly behind her, swishing along the grass as the pup gets to know her scent. She giggles again at the boy's response, already knowing that bit of information but never minding it anyway. He is a child, after all. "Are you the only little cutie around here, Abel?"
Skelaghe laughs silently again as Abel comes running back, rubbing at him with her head and otherwise remaining silent, allowing her son to hold his own conversation. It's a pretty big step, as for the past couple months, he has known only the same three adult wolves and one juvenile cougar, and she is glad to see him tackling it head-on.
Abel doesn't understand Heath's second question, but he remembers her first one and answers that. "I have three sisters." He sits down again, now pleasantly engaged in conversation (though in the safety of his mother's shadow). "Uhm... Leotie... Aquene... and Anora! ... And Ashen, too. He's my best friend." Abel declares that last bit with particular pride and enthusiasm. He doesn't dislike Heath or anything, he just has usual puppy shyness.
Heath listens to the list of pup names with a bright smile, having no idea that Ashen is anything but a wolf. She lifts her head now that the pup is lingering by his mother's side, still watching him with keen quicksilver eyes. "How cute! I bet they're adorable little girls...maybe I can meet them sometime," she answers, glancing back over at Skelaghe as the gentle request is murmured.
The first thing that occurs to Skelaghe is not to point out that Ashen is not a wolf. Surely, Heath will find out soon enough, and hopefully she will not be frightened when she does, because Skelaghe is not likely to think of it between now and then. What does occur to her is to give that permission that Heath is tentatively seeking... Sort of. "Maybe once their naptime is over, you could introduce your sisters to Heath. What do you think, Abel?" Her tone remains pleasant, and she continues to smile.
Of course if mom suggests it, Abel will gladly do it! He looks up at mom and nods rapidly. "Yeah!" It isn't a very odd event that Abel is out and about before the rest of his sisters, though it usually is a sign that they will be up shortly, anyway. His mind is occupied with said event, he keeps quiet. He seems much more relaxed than before, his pup shyness has magically disappeared (thanks to the help of mom). His tail wags casually, as he looks behind him back up at the hill, then back at Heath.
Heath whuffs happily as permission is granted from both mother and son, tail thumping against the ground once again as the rusty-furred she-wolf glances back and forth between the two. "I can't wait to meet them! I bet they're just as cute as you are, Abel," she muses playfully, the young girl clearly happy to be around such friendly company again, already looking as though she's settled in comfortably nearby Skelaghe.
Skelaghe nuzzles against her son gently and whispers to him, "How about if you stay here and keep Heath company, and I go see if your sisters are ready to be roused?" Her whisper is not terribly quiet. It wouldn't prevent Heath from hearing her, but the idea that this tiny portion of their conversation is confidential ought to keep her son from agreeing to stay in a situation that really makes him uncomfortable, if it would, because he'd be afraid of upsetting Heath, if he would. If he is uncomfortable, she will actually invite both Heath and Abel back with her, but if Abel would prefer to stay here with the newcomer, she will allow him and head back by herself, as much to let Ashen know that Abel is safe as to check on her daughters.
As Abel looks up, panting, his mother whispers the suggestion. His jaw snaps shut and a short silence is broken with a whine. He doesn't like that idea as much. "No..." He whispers as quietly as he can to his mother. Certainly the pup doesn't mean to offend the girl, he just has a cautious nature. Abel doesn't offer a suggestion to compromise, the puppy just makes it clear he doesn't want to be left alone... not yet.
Heath can clearly gather the basics of the exchange from watching the familial pair, but she's not offended in the slightest. "Oh, please, don't worry about it. There's no need to wake them -- I'll meet them later, when they're up and ready to play," she offers with a pleasant smile, more than content to have an excuse to stay around here for a little while...it's better than constant, aimless wanderings around the forest.
Skelaghe nuzzles her son again to reassure him that she will not simply be leaving him, then looks to Heath. "Well, you can accompany us back now, or you can visit us any time you like. Our den is simply at the southern base of this hill." She has spent a lot of time in the den recently, but soon she expects her pups will be spending the majority of their days outside of the den, and she'll be grateful when that day comes. "For now, though, we ought to get back. I imagine this one has given Ashen quite a fright, by now." Ashen might not be able to see, but he can hear and smell.
Heath nods, pushing herself back up into a seated position just to be polite as Skelaghe gets ready to leave. "Of course. I'll, um, sleep out here tonight, and help keep watch while you're taking care of the pups." A moment's hesitation, and then her maw breaks out in another smile, the young she-wolf unable to suppress her excitement. "I can't wait to see them."
"I assure you, my mate, Helaku, keeps this land quite well-guarded. Should you happen to come across him, just let him know you have spoken to me, and have my permission to stay here." She then stands, but she does not turn around just yet. "Have a nice day, and perhaps we will see you later even today, should my daughters get brave." /Now/ Skelaghe turns, though it is slow so that her son won't get startled by her moving too quickly.
Abel smiles and wags his tail as mom turn around and head uphill. "Bye!" He cheers, then turns himself and runs a very short length back to mom. The pup looks back once or twice, curious as to what this guest would do, staying so close to their den. This has certainly been a good experience for the lone son! His confidence is increasing with every day's events. He sure hopes to see Heath again, she was nice to him!
Heath nods solemnly as the instructions are given to her, storing the name of the she-wolf's mate in mind, as well as their presumed titles as alpha. "You too, Skelaghe. And you too, Abel!" she quickly adds as an afterthought, smiling sweetly at the little wolf. Once they've headed down the hill and slipped back inside the hidden den, the young wanderer settles back down again, resting her head on her tired paws as she idly watches the clouds pass above, eventually resuming her soft humming from before.
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Heath - Female Adolescent Wolf
Abel - Male Wolf Pup
- Hilltop Vista -
The pups are almost fully weaned now. They still nurse occasionally at bedtime, but not often, and it has given Skel even more time to explore the areas surrounding their new home. With all of the pups napping, and Ashen there to watch over things, that is what she has decided to do now. There are no trees here to block out the sun, and with its current position, just barely past its halfway point, she can see a great distance as she reaches the top of the hill and begins back down again, heading northward.
From the west, clearly able to be seen against the open flatlands of the lawn -- not to mention by her light coloring -- is a young she-wolf, her rusty-golden brush of a tail swinging back and forth as she meanders her way along through the clover. Slowing to sniff at some of the tiny purple blooms, and the underlying scents among them, she seems to be angling herself towards Skelaghe - or perhaps just the hill in general. Her friendliness is apparent, a little bounce in the adolescent's gait, and as she draws nearer the faint feminine tones of a hummed melody can be heard.
The light-colored wolf does not go unseen, even though Skelaghe's gaze is primarily to the north. All it take is one glance in the direction of the humming that reaches Skelaghe's keen ears for her to spot the wolf that stands out from the bright flowers and deep green grass. At no point does the older wolf seem unfriendly, when she spots Heath. Her tail raises, but she wears a happy grin as she barks out a greeting, announcing her presence on the chance that she was not seen. After barking, she stops her descent, which would have taken her away from this newcomer. She may be more cautious now than she once was, but she has lost none of her social nature.
The humming stops as soon as the greeting bark is heard, the young female's angled ears and piercing eyes alert and focused on the other she-wolf up on the hill. The rusty femme's tail lifts in a single wag before it drops accustomarily, and her maw spreads in a genial smile as she stares up at the other lupine. "H'lo. I'm Heath. This your hill?"
Skelaghe turns to face Heath fully. Her own smile remains, and as though any reassurance is needed, with how relaxed she is and her friendly demeanor, she says, "It is, but you are most welcome, Heath. I am Skelaghe, and this is Ute territory." Helaku and Teketa are almost off doing something, and though this female is not full-grown, she is older than any of Skelaghe's constant companion. Is it any wonder that the female alpha is eager for more companionship?
"Territory... I thought I smelled a couple of you around," Heath responds, encouraged by the pleasant welcome by the older female - enough to start treading lightly up the hill, if cautiously so. "Um, do you know if any other wolves came through here recently?" It may seem like a bit of a random question, but the adolescent appears genuinely interested in the answer.
There is a brief pause before Skelaghe answers. During that pause, she sits, a deliberate move done to hopefully ease the younger wolf's caution. "None who aren't members of Ute, until you. Might I ask who you're looking for?" Skelaghe doesn't know a great many rogue wolves. Mchawi is about it, and she has not seen him in... Ages. She does now wolves of other groups, though. Of course, she only assumes that Heath is, in fact, looking for someone.
Heath nods at the reply, with the air of one having expected such an answer. "Um, just a few other wolves I was travelling with. We weren't really a pack, just a bunch of stragglers with nowhere else to go. But we got separated and I lost track of them. It's okay," she shrugs it off, glancing around before she decides to settle down onto her haunches now that she's at a comfortable distance from Skelaghe. "I'm kinda just looking for any sort of company, really."
"Well, you are welcome to find that company here. Indeed, I would enjoy it." Surely, Helaku would be here with all sorts of questions about whether Heath was followed and all sorts of questions about her past, but if Skelaghe ever becomes /that/ cautious, she will have lost a big chunk of who she is.
The sun is shining and Abel pokes his nose out from the den with an enthusiastic outlook. He takes several steps outside, sniffing at his friend Ashen. His eyes close shut as they cross the line of shadow and brilliant sun. Turning his head before reopening his eyes, he spots his mother just as she was passing the pinnacle of the hill, going down the other side. The pup knows well he's being watched by Ashen, though he still hasn't completely caught on to the fact that the cub is blind. He at leasts acknowledges something isn't right. After several moments of stretching and otherwise acting innocent, Abel eventually sneaks away from where he is more or less supposed to be and begins climbing up the hill. It's an excited, enthusastic, sprint to catch up with mom. Slowing as he too reaches the top of the hill, he looks down and sees mom! ... and another wolf he isn't familiar with... Abel freezes, examining this newcomer.
Heath smiles at the offer, crystal eyes glimmering happily in the sunlight, tail thumping briefly against the ground in a rather juvenile manner. "Well, thank you. I hope we can become good friends." But then the sight of another approaching catches Heath's attention, and her expression lights up at seeing the little wolf. "Oh! You have pups!" she observes aloud, grinning broadly up at the small furry bundle. "Hello, little one!"
Skelaghe's ears flick toward Abel, but before she has a chance to look, she already knows who it is, at least generally. It's one of her pups. It takes looking at him before she knows which one, though. They spend so much time with one another, she could not possible pick the scent of one of them from the scent of another, but she can see the differences very easily. She speaks first to her son, her voice not at all upset. "Abel. Come here, puppy, and meet Mommy's friend." She keeps her eyes on the cautious pup as she then says, to Heath, "Heath, this is my son, Abel."
Abel claws at the ground, cautious about the visitor, but anxious to be with mom. He takes several low, slow, steps forward, then suddenly takes off as fast as he can the rest of the short distance down hill to Skelaghe. He quickly contacts her and sits down at her side. Abel points a nose at the adolescent, curious and at the same time very hesitant. Skelaghe's son has proven to be quite playful and energetic, but also rather shy. The puppy whines, retreating his muzzle.
Heath continues to make little fawning noises as she lowers her chest to the ground, then her muzzle as she looks up at the adorable little wolf, trying to make herself appear as non-threatening as possible to the young one. "Hi, puppy," she coos softly, trying to coax him out of hiding at mommy's side. "My name's Heath. Do you have any brothers or sisters, Abel?"
Skelaghe is more than pleased to hear that Heath obviously likes pups. She hasn't seen it, though, as she continues looking at her son. His reaction causes her to chuckle silently, but at no point does she do anything to make him feel bad. How could she ever be upset because her children want to be with her? As Heath asks a question, scoots back and lowers her head to nudge at Abel. It' a very gentle movement, and if he isn't prodded forward by her nudging, she'll leave it be, and simply try to encourage the boy to answer Heath, since she won't answer for him.
Abel does obviously like the wolf being down lower, or at the same level as himself. He lifts a paw, then puts it back down, then the other, then puts it back down. Again the son points his nose, trying to sniff at Heath. Though he doesn't speak, he still is clearly is excited to see a visitor and really, if mom trusts her, that's good enough for him. He takes a step closer, then another, then the remainder of the distance between them. Abel presses his puppy nose on the adolescent's, then her muzzle, her ears, then neck all the while wagging his tail. Just as quickly, he runs back to Skelaghe and stands at her side again. "...I'm Abel."
Heath barely suppresses a childish giggle when the pup's cold, black nose is pressed against her own, then going on to snuffle at the other parts of her head and forequarters. Her tail wags absentmindedly behind her, swishing along the grass as the pup gets to know her scent. She giggles again at the boy's response, already knowing that bit of information but never minding it anyway. He is a child, after all. "Are you the only little cutie around here, Abel?"
Skelaghe laughs silently again as Abel comes running back, rubbing at him with her head and otherwise remaining silent, allowing her son to hold his own conversation. It's a pretty big step, as for the past couple months, he has known only the same three adult wolves and one juvenile cougar, and she is glad to see him tackling it head-on.
Abel doesn't understand Heath's second question, but he remembers her first one and answers that. "I have three sisters." He sits down again, now pleasantly engaged in conversation (though in the safety of his mother's shadow). "Uhm... Leotie... Aquene... and Anora! ... And Ashen, too. He's my best friend." Abel declares that last bit with particular pride and enthusiasm. He doesn't dislike Heath or anything, he just has usual puppy shyness.
Heath listens to the list of pup names with a bright smile, having no idea that Ashen is anything but a wolf. She lifts her head now that the pup is lingering by his mother's side, still watching him with keen quicksilver eyes. "How cute! I bet they're adorable little girls...maybe I can meet them sometime," she answers, glancing back over at Skelaghe as the gentle request is murmured.
The first thing that occurs to Skelaghe is not to point out that Ashen is not a wolf. Surely, Heath will find out soon enough, and hopefully she will not be frightened when she does, because Skelaghe is not likely to think of it between now and then. What does occur to her is to give that permission that Heath is tentatively seeking... Sort of. "Maybe once their naptime is over, you could introduce your sisters to Heath. What do you think, Abel?" Her tone remains pleasant, and she continues to smile.
Of course if mom suggests it, Abel will gladly do it! He looks up at mom and nods rapidly. "Yeah!" It isn't a very odd event that Abel is out and about before the rest of his sisters, though it usually is a sign that they will be up shortly, anyway. His mind is occupied with said event, he keeps quiet. He seems much more relaxed than before, his pup shyness has magically disappeared (thanks to the help of mom). His tail wags casually, as he looks behind him back up at the hill, then back at Heath.
Heath whuffs happily as permission is granted from both mother and son, tail thumping against the ground once again as the rusty-furred she-wolf glances back and forth between the two. "I can't wait to meet them! I bet they're just as cute as you are, Abel," she muses playfully, the young girl clearly happy to be around such friendly company again, already looking as though she's settled in comfortably nearby Skelaghe.
Skelaghe nuzzles against her son gently and whispers to him, "How about if you stay here and keep Heath company, and I go see if your sisters are ready to be roused?" Her whisper is not terribly quiet. It wouldn't prevent Heath from hearing her, but the idea that this tiny portion of their conversation is confidential ought to keep her son from agreeing to stay in a situation that really makes him uncomfortable, if it would, because he'd be afraid of upsetting Heath, if he would. If he is uncomfortable, she will actually invite both Heath and Abel back with her, but if Abel would prefer to stay here with the newcomer, she will allow him and head back by herself, as much to let Ashen know that Abel is safe as to check on her daughters.
As Abel looks up, panting, his mother whispers the suggestion. His jaw snaps shut and a short silence is broken with a whine. He doesn't like that idea as much. "No..." He whispers as quietly as he can to his mother. Certainly the pup doesn't mean to offend the girl, he just has a cautious nature. Abel doesn't offer a suggestion to compromise, the puppy just makes it clear he doesn't want to be left alone... not yet.
Heath can clearly gather the basics of the exchange from watching the familial pair, but she's not offended in the slightest. "Oh, please, don't worry about it. There's no need to wake them -- I'll meet them later, when they're up and ready to play," she offers with a pleasant smile, more than content to have an excuse to stay around here for a little while...it's better than constant, aimless wanderings around the forest.
Skelaghe nuzzles her son again to reassure him that she will not simply be leaving him, then looks to Heath. "Well, you can accompany us back now, or you can visit us any time you like. Our den is simply at the southern base of this hill." She has spent a lot of time in the den recently, but soon she expects her pups will be spending the majority of their days outside of the den, and she'll be grateful when that day comes. "For now, though, we ought to get back. I imagine this one has given Ashen quite a fright, by now." Ashen might not be able to see, but he can hear and smell.
Heath nods, pushing herself back up into a seated position just to be polite as Skelaghe gets ready to leave. "Of course. I'll, um, sleep out here tonight, and help keep watch while you're taking care of the pups." A moment's hesitation, and then her maw breaks out in another smile, the young she-wolf unable to suppress her excitement. "I can't wait to see them."
"I assure you, my mate, Helaku, keeps this land quite well-guarded. Should you happen to come across him, just let him know you have spoken to me, and have my permission to stay here." She then stands, but she does not turn around just yet. "Have a nice day, and perhaps we will see you later even today, should my daughters get brave." /Now/ Skelaghe turns, though it is slow so that her son won't get startled by her moving too quickly.
Abel smiles and wags his tail as mom turn around and head uphill. "Bye!" He cheers, then turns himself and runs a very short length back to mom. The pup looks back once or twice, curious as to what this guest would do, staying so close to their den. This has certainly been a good experience for the lone son! His confidence is increasing with every day's events. He sure hopes to see Heath again, she was nice to him!
Heath nods solemnly as the instructions are given to her, storing the name of the she-wolf's mate in mind, as well as their presumed titles as alpha. "You too, Skelaghe. And you too, Abel!" she quickly adds as an afterthought, smiling sweetly at the little wolf. Once they've headed down the hill and slipped back inside the hidden den, the young wanderer settles back down again, resting her head on her tired paws as she idly watches the clouds pass above, eventually resuming her soft humming from before.