Mudminnow River they slithered from eden

his intrigue deepened. as a man of clear battleworn brawn, mahler was unused to being met with little than fear. however, the slim creature beneath him was not only brave, she was defiant. "the land is free." noting that her flashing eyes were the colour of sea-polished stones he had once seen in his time at grimnismal, mahler gave a low grunt and at last lifted himself from her smaller frame, reaching to take up the grouse as he did so.
she was correct; this land was not noctisardor, and therefore not his. a roll of his shoulders as he backed some paces, regarding her o'ertop his hard-won kill with no small amount of amusement glimmering in the sheen of his lilac eyes. and perhaps, coupled there, a sense of respect for her bared teeth in the face of his greater might. 
let her stay, then; she would not follow. mahler turned after another heartbeat and began a leonine saunter in the direction of his own packlands. interesting as she was, the duties of hunting and of caching were especially important in this time of impending ice, and he desired to get the grouse beneath the frozen earth before it began to spoil.