Mudminnow River nobody blames you

The mist lingers on the water's edge where the rush of the pulse is slower. He pauses on the edge, his toes squishing against the dewy moss clinging to the rocks, where the dampness and the chill have imbibed the soil with an icy quality. It isn't quite like the permafrost of the north. Tulimaq takes a long breath, slow and deep, and imagines himself back home —

— and there is something else there within the cold. An indignant little spark of life, pulling him from his thoughts. He turns his head and catches the gaze of the woman nearby; the fact he did not hear her approach has him frowning lightly, tensing with a slight surprise. He's over it in a heartbeat.

She's watching him and he, as he always does, watches back and makes his assumptions. She is thin but healthy; likely one of the transplants within the Hollow. Her lack of approach tells him she is nervous, but it isn't the first time someone has been intimidated by him. It strokes his ego. His gaze flickers away and he observes the river flowing, but keeps his ears turned to listen for her movements.

He casually remarks, I wont bite, girl.