Redtail Rise parasite

The bounty hunter was there because he had no other place to be. Without a mission to occupy him, he was free to do as he pleased — or, in other words, at intolerably loose ends. And he was cold, and he was injured, and those two things were only passing irritations, but still. He wanted something else to focus on.

His body language was wary but submissive when a red figure arrived on the scene. His nose twitched; he knew her scent from his recent jaunt. He remained frozen for a moment longer before moving tentatively forward, seeking more information from the scents on her pelt. A straining neck closed some of the distance between them, but he did not come close enough to touch.

The arrival of another had him falling back a step. His tail flickered appeasingly against his hocks, like two hands in the air and a cheeky grin —

They had women. Plenty enough to maintain the sort of equilibrium he was most comfortable with. He retook the step he'd ceded. Were they going to chase him off? They would have to, if they didn't want him to follow them home.