Whitebark Stream High Time

The curious woman picked herself up with a small shake as if to swiftly cast aside her embarrassment. Though the stranger's gaze was piercing, her faltering quirks were endearing to the young man. Valtyr could barely swallow a snicker when she recounted exactly why they had nearly collided.

"Food?" he jeered, "like what... a large rabbit?" Sooty lips upturned into a grin, "Or maybe a buck?" One long, orange leg pawed at the ground to mimic the beast as he tossed his head back, pretending to have antlers. "Maybe its time to have your eyes checked." Being sassy wasn't part of Valtyr's regular repertoire, but he couldn't resist poking some fun at the woman for such a blatant error. Mistaking a wolf for prey was like... mistaking a pine-cone for a strawberry.

The woman's tone became harsh when she demanded his name. Valtyr cleared his throat... joke-time seemed to be over. "Valtyr," he told her willingly with a small wag of his tail, thinking it might appease her. "But you can call me Val. I haven't been back to Teekon in a while. I used to live near here when I was young. Seems the storm did a number on the place." In his travels Valtyr had passed many darkened trees, scorched from fire. "Though the woods here look like they were spared. Do you live around here?"