Northstar Vale nixëloss

The valley floor finally rose to meet her pads, the ground here damp and smelling of ancient decay. A sharp tilt of her charcoal-masked head followed, her attention captured by a pair of citrine eyes fixed within the dense shadows of the timber. The stranger remained hidden among the trees, his frame heavy and unmoving, a dark silhouette against the grey bark.
Pristine white fur brushed against the frozen undergrowth as Aerith straightened her spine, her posture reaching a level of rigidity that allowed for no physical weakness. The weight of his stare was evident, yet she did not retreat or display the aggression of a common beast, calm despite the proximity of an unknown presence.
Amber eyes tracked the glint of his citrine gaze through the branches. The silence of the vale was absolute, broken only by the rhythmic sound of her own breathing and the distant rustle of the wind in the high peaks above.
„Your presence in this sheltered hollow is noted,” she stated, her voice a crisp and formal chime that cut through the stagnant air. A slight shift of her ears followed, her expression remaining one of clinical detachment.