Lake Rodney tarnished

What Birk had said about eating a corpse of a wolf was meant as a joke, but not very far from truth. When hunger had been the worst, their group had gone after other predators - coyotes and foxes, and once - yes - they had finished a weak lone wolf. He had had no scruples about eating them, for at that time had seen them not as other sentient beings, but just food items. 

"One nasty bunch they must have been," the boy replied, feeling truly sorry for the guy. "So - I assume that you are a loner then?" for he saw no reason, why would kids abuse someone from their own ranks. Especially, since children had always stood on the lowest tier and therefore should have known some manners.