Ouroboros Spine I am that is

Unable to tell if the moonlit stranger was attempting to humiliate him or lead him down some lighter path than the one he'd been touching, Goldhawk decided that the best way to decide if he was currently in life or death was to use the paws that had never led him astray (until today, of course). I wouldn't know if it was, frankly, he grumbled, such was the lack of feeling in his down-belows at the moment.

He twitched, then winced, then slowly began an attempt to get to his paws. His joints were stiff as rocks and burning with frost. It was bloomin' agony.