Nova Peak frostfall

He becomes aware of her presence as her footfalls are betrayed by a lapse in the cutting mountain winds.  The man's short ears turn in her direction before he raises his maw from the water, and he meets her with a stare that is pointed but not unkind.  If he had been guarding a kill the story might be different, but water was more often than not a bountiful resource and Tsiokwaris was not concerned about sharing with the woman.

She is a visual contradiction.  Her features are sharp, and although the woman is small she is built.  Her fur appears to be well-kept but it is windblown.  She moves with practiced silence, yet does not attempt to hide.  He licks away the cold droplets of water that cling to his muzzle and chuffs back.