Nocturne Summit an empty space has filled the void behind my face

He ate so fast that he gagged on the still-warm puddle, but some agile licks (wherein his tongue became encrusted with soil) remedied everything. The wolf was licking his muzzle over hastily, trying to clean himself up (pointless though the effort may have been) when he heard the clear drumming of footfalls in the wood. He stopped what he was doing and observed. His tall ears fanned either side of his head, then stood tall as he looked owl-eyed at the forest - but he only saw the shifting of shadows, and wasn't looking for any particular shape, so the wolfish figure approaching him went unnoticed until they were nearly atop him.