Bramblepoint bury my body down by the highwayside

As desperate as he was for food and the good favor of the wolves on the mountain, Tye didn't know how to fight all that well. He was more reactionary than disciplined; attaching himself to this carcass and being as adamant about his claim as he was, he expected her to back down the way he might when facing teeth. She, however, was a proper warrior. The way she circled him and looked for an opening was telling of this; but then when she did lunge, catching Tye with her teeth, the boy yelped and kicked, spiraled, felt the warmth of blood leaking from him—and gave up on the carcass just like that.

He all but tripped over it as he scrambled to safety, and even while he bristled and tried to posture like the hellion he tried to embody, he couldn't keep it up; hit tail tucked naturally at his belly and he made himself as small as he could, his gaze shrewd but averted, staring longingly at the raised leg frozen in place as if it might come alive.