With his attention focused on what lay outside of Shadowclan's boundaries, he failed to notice Dean's approach until they came face to face. Startled, he drew himself to an abrupt halt, staring at the wolfdog through round yellow eyes, though his expression quickly changed when he noticed the other's battle-ready stance. He flexed his claws, pushing away his surprise, and only when Dean spoke up did it occur to him that this was a clanmate. It was funny, how similar their reactions to each other had been, he noticed as he regained his composure.
At first he looked a tad indignant. "Lurking?" he huffed. "I'm not lurking." Had he been? Well shit, he wasn't sure; he hadn't meant to, though he supposed creeping through the undergrowth in search of trespassers could certainly be considered such. Even so, he wasn't keen on admitting that it was indeed what he had been doing after initially denying it, hesitant to make himself sound like a fool. And so he tilted his head instead, quirking a brow, still looking mildly affronted but slightly less moved now that the initial surprise had passed. "Besides, you're one to talk. What're you doing out here, anyway?" As he spoke, his irritated tone melted into one of guarded curiosity. "Shit, you know what? That's a stupid question." He did live here, after all; he had every right to roam the jungle like Dracula. "You're Dean, right? We spoke when I was carving bones that one time." He'd poked fun at his name, he recalled with a small frown.