Phoenix Maplewood don’t get me wrong

in the end, all he'd managed to snag was a hare. he'd been on his way back towards the river's edge where he'd last left ying when the faint, yet sharp sounds caught hold of his attention. inky ears swiveled atop his crown as he turned to face the direction the noise was coming from, pace set at a steady trot as he made his approach.

upon realizing that it was none other than his friend, his feet immediately quickened till he was just a few feet away. "what happened?", he asked as he dropped the hare to the ground, eyes scanning over her pale frame. how had she even gotten this far in her condition? "does something hurt?", came the next question, concern lacing his features.

he moved to give a gentle bump to her shoulder, though stopped just before making contact. what if she snapped again? the cut still burned, as did the memory of her teeth meeting his flesh. he took a step back, gaze retreating to the earth's floor as a cold chill shifted in the air between them.