Shadow Mountain unpleasantville

What struck him most was the scent's strength. It wasn't uncommon for Mou to encounter scents he did not know, he was living in a new space with people he did not feel comfortable with and so his nerves were a bit frayed by their presence, but this was different. It wasn't layered; he couldn't find any trace of Mahler's musk or the scent of Takiyok. There was nothing but this singular scent trailing through the warm air. Mou pursued it like a moth chasing a flame — not sure what he planned to do if he caught up to it, but, eager to track the stranger down.

It was fortunate that they paused. Perhaps they knew he was on their trail somehow, light as his steps were Mou did not know the area very well and he was no mountaineer, so he likely made a few obvious mistakes along the way. He was very close when the sound of the stranger's voice burst through the stillness. The voice felt all the more volatile for being the only sound in the narrow vicinity of the trees, and Mou couldn't help but twist his ears against the feel of it; invasive, almost painful sounding.

He slunk among the frozen ferns and piles of snow, emerging with measured steps in the manner of a cautious deer; his one good eye lively and bright as he looked around for the origin of the voice, and that was when he saw the fox-like girl standing defiantly in the snow.