The dog inched forward, ears back and tail thumping hesitantly. She skittered back when Caleb moved but didn't go far. He crossed his arms sullenly across his chest as he studied the animal. She was thin, but not malnourished. Dirty, but not diseased. Now that he was taking the time to truly look, he spotted a dirty, weathered ribbon around her neck. He suspected he had once been red, or maybe pink, but now it was dingy brown and the ends were fraying into nothing.

"Someone use to love you, didn't they?" He asked softly. He held his hand out towards her, but she jumped back once again. For a moment a surge of disappointed flared deep in his chest. Caleb forced himself to settle. This was his fault, he'd scared her with his earlier burst of anger and careless kicking. He wouldn't have hurt the dog, but how was she to know that? Caleb forced his voice to sound calm, like the way Ms. Ardia would speak when the littler kids -not him, he was always brave- were frightened by a loud storm. "Come on, dog, I'll be your friend. I can name you, you don't have to be alone."

"She has a name." A voice sharp in tone and high in voice rang out from somewhere lower on the embankment. 

Caleb couldn't decide if he should sound defensive or friendly. He chewed his lip as he mulled over the proper way to respond to the voice. The dog seemed nice enough, and if the dog was with this person, then surely the person would be nice as well. But the voice sure hadn't sounded particularly eager to be friends.

"I know you're not mute, I've been listening to you talk." The owner of the voice finally appeared, popping up onto his little safe haven. Caleb stared dumbly. Whoever this stranger was, they weren't human.