Emberwood seeking empty whispers

The sound of the boys struggling behind her brought a sly curl to the corners of her mouth; they wouldn't see it, distracted by their efforts as they were, and she was turned away from them. When they were near enough to the brook for the wounded young man to be left on his own Stryx sank to her haunches and watched them. She did not move towards the water, not to clean and certainly not to drink.

Kukulkan descended upon the edge of the brook with the ravenous thirst she had anticipated. She thought of warning him against drinking too quickly, as that would often have adverse effects to a belly empty of anything else, but she chose not to. Better the boys learn, she thought.

The other one—the one with the mouth—busied himself with fishing. Stryx grew more interested in watching him the further he travelled but he wasn't quite far enough to notice the red stains in the grass, or the pink tint to the water further along. Stryx knew of the brook because it was one of the places she had tried to bathe in.

Would you like a fish too? called a voice—Evien, having returned with something for the hungry lad. Stryx's ears twitched and she focused her tired eyes upon the scene, having lost a few moments to her thoughts, and shook her head. Not necessary, but kind of ya to offer.

Rather than feast on a charity meal, she lifted a muddy paw and with a duck of her chin, began to worry at the fur there, carefully tugging knots out of her fur like a cat.