Stone Cold

Maybe it was the rain playing with her ears? Perhaps the wind toyed with her mind? Whatever the case, the woman did not immediately hear the signs another was approaching. The rain dampened her sense of smell - it was nearly useless at any range. It was an unusual gap in her usually alert manner, likely the result of her exhausted state. As such, it was with much haste her head lifted and body tensed when she heard that growl. Kuwindwa's ears pressed as far forward as they would go and her eyes flew wide. Half a second later and she was on her paws, her sodden fur unable to stand on end - but the prickle down her spine was undeniable. Fear took her like an unwelcome companion; she forced it down and replaced it with the same mask of false bravado that followed her everywhere now.

Kuwindwa took a few steps forward, her head lowered cautiously. She stopped only when she could properly see the dark shape of the man who had growled at her. Her tail arched stiffly behind her, the end pointing up, her fangs appearing in the half-snarl of her own warning. Kuwindwa was no fool - this man with the deep violet pelt was several inches taller than her and weighed more. Kuwindwa may have been stout by nature, but she looked torn between remaining and fleeing. But she could not flee until she had ascertained certain facts. She could not smell the Pack on him... but then, how would she know? If this was an enemy of the old pack, then their pack-smell could have worn away by now, just as Kuwindwa's had.

If he were one of her pursuers, then she could take no risks.

"Name yourself! What do you want?" Demanded the woman tersely, her bronze eyes blinking away raindrops furiously. She was cold, wet, and nothing short of pathetic. Still, she would never let this stranger know how she felt. She wanted him to see what she was - and that was a wolf who was skilled and would be dangerous to mess with, in spite of her unkempt appearance. Even if her body was muddied (and more exhausted than she let on), her eyes were sharp and bright. She was sizing him up every moment.