Samus' ear flicked as her playmate's teeth caught the tail-end of her tail and she laughed, feeling the wind slide through her pelt and the cold snow underneath her paws. She glanced behind her to see the girl slip on the snow and then charge forward with a burst of speed, and Samus threw her a wild grin. She threw back her head and echoed the other's excited cry with a chorus of yips and barks of pure joy and thrill. The masked girl felt wild and free as they charged down the riverbank, yipping and barking and howling, filling the air with the sound of play.

She laughed at the other girl's words and skidded to a stop, snow spraying up around her body, delight in her dual-colored eyes as she spun to face her. Samus scoffed as if the words were a true affront to her image, but truly it was in jest as her companion's words had been. "If I'mma deer, I'mma buck, with big antlers!" Samus laughed, rearing up on her hind paws and balancing for a second, batting her paws against the air and pushing her head forward as if she was a fighting buck. "And I can string ya up with 'em!"

Samus grinned and dropped to all fours again. If this girl wanted her to stand and fight, then she would! She had learned a lot since being attacked by that brute, both from sparring with her brother and practicing on her own. She was fast and quick and tall, and when she fought even at this young age it looked more like dancing than anything. "I'll make ya eat those words!" Samus teased, and with hardly a warning she darted towards the other, aiming to butt her head against her shoulder to get her off balance. Assuming that her attack was successful, she aimed a series of quick nips at the girl's stomach and hindquarters.

She let out a short bark of elation as she danced away, hoping to avoid any immediate retaliation that her new playmate might give.