The Tangle she told him to take care of me

Things weren’t getting less prickly on this side of The Tangle. Raleska believed the wolves of Rusalka’s ranks pricks enough, but it appeared that the real pricks lingered here, outstretched on snaking boughs to jab any poor soul that innocently made their way by. 

She jumped like a cat thrown in a bathtub when an exclamation of pain sounded in front of her. Feeling her fur rise and her skin just about part with her, Raleska cautiously prowled forward - despite every instinct that encouraged her otherwise. 

Ahead something black was half-occupying a gnarled tree. Her immediate, irrational thought was that this poor soul was being sucked up by one of those malevolent trees - except, as she drew closer it was obvious she was just stupid and it was a wolf, half concealed by the rotted trunk. She sniffed derisively at her own foolish jumpiness, and even though she was still spooked, managed a careful greeting. What are you doing? She tried to sound stern like how she imagined her mom or Erzulie would be if they found a wolf close to their home, but despite her natural wariness, Raleska was not outwardly hostile and they were far enough from the heart of Ankyra that she didn’t feel overwhelmingly territorial.