see the new moon rising

He was fairly certain she was trying to kill him. She lathered his crown with wet kisses and was at his head like an angry forest animal trying to bury or uncover a nut from his skull. He couldn't be sure which. What he did know, was that it hurt. He winced, resisting the pain of her tugging at his fur until he thought he might go bald from the way she pulled at the tangles in his fur. His pelt wasn't that bad was it? He generally did a decent job at this whole hygiene thing.

"Ah. Ah. Ah. Gentle," he hissed, pushing a paw against her shoulder to catch her attention. "Soft teeth. Work slowly. Start at the outside and work your way in." He set his foot back in the water and turned, giving her access to his fur once more. "I know you don't care about appearances, but I'd rather have some fur up there when you're done." He glanced at her over her shoulder, grinning, before he turned his gaze elsewhere. "Gen-tle."