Shackles made of steel and bones

His momentary peace and silence, surrounded only by himself and the strange landscape, would be interrupted by the approach of a foreigner. At the sound of her unfamiliar greeting, Ehrgeiz would whip around to face her. His hackles had already risen, his tail puffing out as it whipped back and forth. Of course, he'd been expecting to get caught by Sabine at any moment, causing an infuriating terror to rip through him, and rightfully so. His master was a vicious, merciless creature - at least with him. But alas, as he eyed the woman, his head held just beneath the level of his shoulders in a suspicious posture, it was clear that this was someone completely unknown to him. Still, his ears folded back, his lips twitching as he resisted the urge to snarl at her. He had no reason to trust her, and as she spoke, he did not miss the wicked grin that had planted itself upon her face.

"Go in for a dip?" he questioned with a sneer, turning to face her frontally, "And then come out and freeze my tail off? As if!" Were all women this stupid? It may have been summer, but the north still held harsh climates, no matter where one wandered - you would find ice and snow at some point. He couldn't understand why she had come to waste his time, his precious alone time, with such an idiotic question. His singular eye searched over her frame, landing on her face and locking with her duo-toned eyes. "So, what other stupid thing are you going to suggest?" he snarked. Did the brute ever have anything nice to say? No, not really. He really didn't care if he offended her. And he had no intention of holding his tongue now that he didn't have to.