Pearl crested the slope toward spawn with her pack of dogs fanning out around her. The sun was angled low, light spilling sharp across the clearing, and she didn't slow her stride as her eyes found the newcomer. She whistled once, sharp and commanding, and her dogs scattered, circling but not crowding, clearing a path between them.

"Now, what's this then?" Pearl's voice carried with that sing-song lilt, but underneath was steel. She stopped just a few paces away, one hand planted on her hip, the other loose at her side. Her grin tugged wide, teeth flashing. "A fresh face. Untethered, aren't you? That's a rare sight."

She stepped forward, closing the gap deliberately, her boots crunching over dirt and grass. She reached out suddenly, not to touch, but to tug at the empty air where a soulmate's tether should've glowed. Her fingers curled around nothing, and she chuckled, low in her throat. "See? Free. No chain. That's dangerous, you know. You've got no one looking out for you."

One of the dogs pressed its nose against the newcomer's hand. Pearl clicked her tongue, then crouched to ruffle the animal's ears, keeping her gaze tilted up, unwavering. "He likes you already. They're good judges of character, these ones. Smarter than people give 'em credit for."