Noctisardor Bypass Deny that happiness

But as she contemplated future prey, an ear twisted back behind her -- she wasn't alone. Someone had picked up on her path along the pack borders. It sent a ripple down the fur on her spine before she looked back to see who it was who now called out to her.

Arbiter's first glance over people always was predatory, an unforgiving, analytical stare that picked apart strengths and weaknesses in whoever faced her. A stranger, tall but not near Arbiter's own mass, and carrying what remained of something edible, which gained her attention as well for a few reasons. With the famine long passed, it wasn't like she was hungry, but it wasn't something that was so easily forgotten, it just shuffled some of the priorities she'd already built. A lone man already proven he could hunt showing up at her borders -- it was worth investigating.

She turned to face him straight on, alert, the undisputed owner of the land beyond the scent line. Arbiter wasn't outwardly aggressive -- yet, at least -- as she often found just her own posturing worked fine to keep others in line. Similarly, her voice was even, So who are you? You've wandered close to my home.