Bearclaw Valley nevermore

The sight of the patchwork-pelted girl brought her hackles up, and Maegi turned to face her head-on, eyes flashing. Funny, that. She didn't even belong in this valley—it had only been her home for a short time during a convalescence she hardly remembered—but still, somehow, she felt protective of it. Perhaps for Kove's sake, for the Apaatas who dwelled (had dwelled?) here.

Are you part of the Bearclaw Valley pack? the Melonii demanded, hobbling toward the woman with a determined set to her chin. She took a deep breath, and her eyes narrowed further in suspicion. You don't smell like here, she added, almost an accusation, though riding that fine edge between wariness and outright hostility.

This young woman wasn't much older than Maegi herself; still, she knew all too well that no threat should be underestimated. She stood and waited for an acceptable response, bi-colored gaze drilling into the other.