Big Salmon Lake warum nicht

His reluctant compliance was at least met with what Atreyu assumed was a pleased grumble from the older male. It didn't wipe the irritated scowl from his face, however, glaring daggers at Tatsuya even as he turned around to continue messing with his herbs. Truthfully, he didn't really hate his temporary doctor — hell, if he hadn't been willing to help him he would have continued on his merry way, allowing the infection to spread into his blood stream — yet that didn't mean he liked the idea of a bath. While his scent may be more of a stench to others, he was used to it, it was his. Granted, his fur was beginning to matte and become increasingly uncomfortable. Not to mention he was almost certain fleas had taken up residence in his coat.

With a sigh (loud, so Tatsuya could hear), the boy turned and waded further into the lake, leaving behind a stream of clouded browns and reds in the water. He hissed as the shock of the cold hit his foreleg, wincing as it burned painfully. Perhaps it was a good thing it hurt? It had been numb for so long, Atreyu was surprised he still had feeling in it. He stood quietly in the water, staring down at the blood that slowly seeped out of the wound in an almost trance before Tatsuya's deep voice rung out from behind him.

With a snort, the boy swung his head to look over his shoulder, making a face at the man before working to awkwardly scrub the dirt off himself, making as much noise as possible to ensure Tatsuya was satisfied with his bathing abilities. He felt like a child (oblivious to the fact that the stranger regarded him as such).

It took a while but, eventually, Atreyu emerged from the waters, still streaked with faint marks of filth but much cleaner than when he had entered. For perhaps the first time in his life, the pale cream of his true coat colour showed through. His stump seared with pain from being exposed to the open air and he couldn't help but grit his teeth as he returned to Tatsuya. "Done," he mumbled simply, coming to sit before the healer, but not before shaking out his coat in attempt to drench the entire area.