Emberwood the art of barter

Luke rearranged the spread in front of them and Smash glanced over their meal, then up at him. "This is the best dinner date ever," she quipped with a wink. As she spoke, he went ahead and helped himself to the chilled rabbit meat. Instead of going for the fish at the same time, she watched and waited as he chewed.

"I'm splendid," she told him when it appeared he wouldn't vomit, at least right off the bat. "I feel like I'm starting to integrate into the pack, which is good. The grand poobah—or Beta male, for the uninitiated—is gonna have pups soon, so that's exciting!" Smash paused, licking her lips and glancing idly at the dried trout. "But," she added in a slightly less chipper tone, "pack life here is quieter than I'm used to. That's why I'm particularly glad to hang out with you today," Smash finished before giving Luke a playful sock to the shoulder.

She then decided it was time to bite the bullet. Using the same leg, she grabbed one of the two trout and dragged it closer. She sniffed it, then closed her orange eyes and took a bite. It was salty and chewy instead of wet and slimy, which was an improvement over the fresh variety. She wouldn't say it was one of her favorites, yet she managed to chew and swallow without blowing chunks on Luke, so that was a small victory.