Neverwinter Forest i stood very still by the window sill

the mottled gray form appeared— mal, cam sobbed breathlessly, looking up at the young man. i dunno, i was just—i was looking for leesum and—and these two black wolves—mean wolves— by now, he was babbling nearly incoherently, and during this speech, two other wolves had appeared.

his gaze snapped warily between the pair, teeth chattering. they were all encouraging him to get up, something he wasn't sure he was up to. but after a couple unsuccessful tries, he managed to find his paws, hobbling like a newborn foal on three trembling legs.

it hurts, the boy whimpered, feeling not only the sting of the stick but of the other myriad bites across his nape, his ribs, his shoulders. they had gotten him good; even nature had taken a swing. i didn't—i dunno why—

he didn't understand. no one had taught him the concept of an aggressively-defended border. wolves meant safety. that was all he knew. . .up until now.