Felltree Marsh i was in darkness

She kept herself low, physically putting off that she wasn't a threat. Though there was some part of Ghost that appreciated it he also consequently found it very bizarre. Wrong, perhaps. The Officer had never been submissive — no that role was Ghost's own. The only wolves that Ghost recall ever showing his submission had been the ones begging for mercy. Yet, it'd never been Ghost's mercy that needed. He held no vendetta against the wolves he'd killed, did not care for them either way. He was a tool, but Ghost had came to learn quickly that The Officer had no mercy. He did not know the meaning of the word and it was only a subject that the Ghost had to broach once before he knew to never do it again. Ghost blinked his silver gaze at her slowly.

She was staring at him, he realized. The scars that marred his shoulders: his kill count. It was missing one, admittedly, but he could not add it until he had help. The Officer had always marked him, cutting deeper than necessary, not bothering to give Ghost anything to numb the pain before or afterword. The Officer knew medicines but had never deigned to share or explain why he consumed them. The Officer had mornings when he would walk with a limp, take something from his little stash he carried with him and by mid afternoon he would be walking fine, barking at Ghost not to stare. Ghost considered that he'd been arthritic and settled on that likely conclusion though he'd never dared to ask. The Officer kept a strict “don't talk unless you're spoken to” policy. His brow furrowed slightly and he offered, “The scars are my kill count.” He wasn't sure why he was telling her, especially since he wasn't sure that it wouldn't scare her off.

She responded with a thick Good to his answer regarding to if he chose this marsh as his home or not. He could not imagine anything but cranes, and maybe frogs would enjoy calling this sticky place home. Banner was an interesting creature, but Ghost could not place where this foreign fascination stemmed from. She asked, then about a pack, her gaze averting from him, he watched. “No.”