Blacktail Deer Plateau Stranger

He passed through a small clearing and spotted her small, dark form trotting through the trees, ahead and away from him. Peregrine woofed to get her attention, then moved closer. As he approached, his head and tail lifted, though not to a particularly severe degree. His blue-green eyes were cool and shrewd as he scrutinized her. He tried to remain impartial, even critical, though it was difficult not to see images of his own children in this petite youth.

"Amelie?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. "I'm Peregrine, the Alpha male." For the moment, he said nothing more. Again, he was interested in her responses to him, especially since he'd taken her by surprise.