It was not unusual for Storm to be outside. She enjoyed nature above all other things. Her connection to the weather system also translated to connecting her to living things, the plants, the ground, the world at large. It was an interesting frame of mind for her to be in.
The choice to start walking away from the Haven and explore the reaches away from the manor house had been an attempt to get away from her responsibilities without doing the more questionable thing of going into the city and returning to her old ways. It was something she was working against in herself, the need for the touch of adrenaline coming from the world she'd lived in. The act of survival was not the same here as it had been there, when she started out living hand to mouth.
What she stole and could sell was how she lived. Now she was living her and taking on different responsibilities. There was a part of her wishing her adoptive father could tell her what he thought of her now.
The sharp tang of blood in the air made her slow in her walk, eyes scanning for the source. With a thought, she moved the air around her, letting it bring more sounds and smells to her. Sneaking up on an animal was not a good idea, yet she was willing to give it a shot, her heart starting to pick up a bit.
Maybe she didn't need to go steal anything for a shot of adrenaline. Her movements were cautious, careful as she moved closer, giving herself enough distance to where she might have a chance to escape if she went straight up when the animal started running. Then she relaxed. It was impossible to mistake him for anything else, even at a distance and in the slowly dropping light of oncoming night.
Still Black Dog was a big animal, definitely enough to be intimidating if she didn't know he wouldn't attack her. Yet she still didn't draw closer, leaving him the choice of whether or not he wanted to acknowledge her presence.