Something was stroking my ears. Something warm and soft, and gently scented. Clearly, I was dreaming, and that was my mother's soft talon. What other creature would have the gall to touch me?

A mumbling voice said something close to my head, and I shifted slightly. My mother sounded strange. And she was speaking a totally different language.

Wait a minute. I wrenched my eyes open, staring around for this insolent imposter. A woman knelt beside me, her hands gently massaging my swollen jaw and salt-crusted face. I slitted my eyes and considered a plan of attack. To begin ruling the humans appropriately, I had to establish myself as deadly and worthy of fear. It was unfortunate that she had already gained an advantage over me, but a brief assertion of authority should do the trick.

I rose to my feet, shaking off her hands, and let out a loud and terrible snarl. Or, at least I tried. My body did not move nearly as I had expected. Instead, I shifted my paws a little, feebly moved my head, and let out a strangely pitiful sound. A whine? Had a whine come from MY mouth? Me, the warlord?

The woman exclaimed something in human, tightening her grip around my muzzle. She picked something off the ground and began to wipe at my face with a wet cloth. Carefully, I manuevered my jaws around and snapped at her hand. I missed. She did jerk back, however, and cease her ministration.

Now was my chance. I tottered to my feet and attempted to leave with dignity. I took a few steps towards the rest of the empty beach, my heart rejoicing at my new freedom, then collapsed. Something was very wrong. While my spirit could go on for miles, this new body of mine wanted to just lie around. The woman followed me and said something soothingly. I looked at her, desperation beginning to creep into my iron-hard heart. If I could not conquer these inferiors, how could I ever get back to my lands?

She took that look as a prompting to resume her cleaning, and I reluctantly lay still. I...once I recovered my strength, I would show her my true might. This was just...the calm before the storm for her.

As she worked, I studied her. She had a nice, neat, three-cornered face, with large blue eyes. Her blond hair was up in a contraption that I believed the humans referred to as a 'ponytail,' for their own mysterious reasons. Some hair spilled from the loop of blue cloth holding the rest of it back, and danced loosely around her face. Her clothing was simple and modest. She wore a loose shirt and some pant-like things that came down to her knee.

She finished cleaning my eyes, and began working on my luxurious neck ruff. Apparently at ease, she began to babble to me in the gentle human dialect. The energy with which she spoke made me wish that I had spent some time learning Human. After my mentor warned me that humans had various languages to go along with their scattered tiny little empires, I had no interest in trying to learn them all. What could such an inferior being have to say that would interest me?

"It's okay. It's okay. I'll get you back home in a bit, little buddy," she continued on.

But now, as I lay looking up into her deep aquamarine eyes, I decided that I might be interested in learning her language. After all, how could one conquer a species without being able to communicate?

She said a few more words, patting my nose. Instinctively, I let my tongue flick out and lightly grazed her hand. The woman let out a cry of delight. She scratched behind my ears in what I could only assume was a reward. While undignified, and a liberty from such a low creature, I must admit that it was pleasant. I was almost disappointed when she took her hand away and got to her feet, brushing damp sand from her knees.

"Let's get you in my truck."