The Heartwood thief

The ghostly canine did pause and turn to answer him, though Peregrine wasn't sure what to make of the response. It sort of got under his skin, though he refused to rise to the bait and said as much: "That isn't going to work on me." He was confident in his skills that he didn't feel the need to demonstrate for some random loner.

"I won't," he said, quirking a brow and shrugging a shoulder before turning pointedly. The other guy seemed to be toying with him, which was harmless enough, but one glance at the sky reminded Peregrine that there was no time for this crap. Without a backward glance, he loped away into the woods, heading in the direction of the caldera but hoping he would come across some prey on his way back.