Blackfeather Woods [m] The world laughed at any attempts we made to exist in it without pain

!!!

Following his return from the lake, he'd taken to staying within the cave, ignore the metaphorical itch of his paws. Had he been given a choice of staying there or not, he would not have been so antsy, but the simple fact that he'd been ordered there prevented him from keeping calm. There were moments in which he'd slip out of the darkness and wander a ways around it, though hardly had he ever strayed beyond a certain point. If he could not get back into Wolfskull quickly, then he'd wandered too far, and thus his position would need corrected and direction altered. It was a bothersome task, if he were to be honest with himself, but necessary. He knew not how severe of a scolding—or punishment, if it might extend that far—he'd receive should he be discovered outside of the prison, nor did he want to find out.

Xan was nearer to the entrance than usual when he'd heard the chuff, an alert to food. Partially because he was hungry, and partially because he'd nothing better to do, the boy had gone to investigate, making note of who had brought the meal prior to having reached it—Cicero. The cause behind the Inuit's sentence, a teacher turned enemy. Scowling, there was a moment of consideration set aside so that the yearling could decide how he might approach. To ignore the meal and return to the depths of the cave was an idea that had crossed his mind several times, but, ultimately, the knowledge that nourishment was essential to living had him proceeding towards the offering. If he'd noticed the plants prior to, or even during, eating it, he'd made no indications of such. The hare was pulled apart and chewed until hardly even scraps remained, a tongue then creeping out and over the boy's muzzle in an effort to clean himself.

The effects of the herb had yet to set in, leaving him without even the slightest of suspicions. Though he didn't like what Cicero had done, the memory of their lesson together would not leave his head, and so he could not hate the other even though he so badly wanted to. Even still, it was with a great deal of reluctance that he'd said, "Thanks." Since having been made to stay there, it was only ever Seff that had brought him food, and that was only because he'd commanded the younger boy to do so. Little did he know that the rabbit was not a gift, however, but something awful instead.