If Marigold had seen Mochrie months ago when they’d first found her, her fear would’ve been wholly justified. The bald creature had been almost as fearsome-looking as one of the infected but, as Leah had learned from watching David interact with the bear that day, appearances were deceiving. Mochrie wasn’t completely harmless, no; she had claws and fangs, but they were comparable to a dog’s or a cat’s claws and fangs. Dangerous if threatened, but tame.
Now, the gentleness in the white-faced bear was much more apparent. Hearing David compare Mochrie to a cat, Leah smirked and arched an eyebrow, but didn’t try to correct the man who knew more about animals than she did. She would’ve assumed a bear was more closely compared to a dog, but maybe David was going for a smaller comparison with a cat. Marigold wouldn’t know the difference.
Marigold nodded when David addressed her, but still eyed the bear warily. She wasn’t holding on to Leah’s hand anymore, which was a subtle sign that she was beginning to lose her fear and gain interest in wanting to touch this new animal. She’d seen the bear before on a few different occasions, but this was the first time she’d ever been this close.
She stepped forward, reaching out a hand to follow David’s example and letting her fingers brush over the bear’s fur. A little smile came to Marigold’s face. “Is her gonna eat me?” She asked, less with fear and more with curiosity. “Her’s bigger than Doggie.”
Leah knelt down to scratch Mochrie behind the ears. “The questions are starting. That’s usually a good sign,” she remarked.