Nimbus Summit natbri

Soon, Veteran's unspoken desire was fulfilled: they came upon a real occupant of the mountain. He was big-- very big-- but Veteran was well-trained. He had tasted battle, and he could hold his own. The scar on his forehead was testament to that. 

The boy's ruff raised protectively, and he moved closer to Heda. He was prepared to defend her, if needed. 

Antha arrived so quickly that Veteran had to wonder if she'd been tailing them all along, watching out for the two child-scouts while allowing them the illusion that they were really out here on their own, trusted to do important work for the pack. 

Veteran did not add words of his own. He watched the stranger curiously. The stranger had been quick to apologize, and his speech seemed genuine. This boded well, but Veteran would remain on guard just in case.