King Elk Forest don't pretend

fading this out for their second thread.

he slips and starts to devour the would-be third strip, if he hadn’t thrown up the first, but stops; startled by the clear of her throat. like a child whose hand was decidedly caught in the cookie jar, he slowly nibbles at the meat. his stomach is upset by the sudden intrusion of food even as he nibbles and eats slowly …but he does not throw up a second time. it stays in his belly and though rasalas doesn’t know it, it is a good sign despite the beginnings of infection in his wounds.

he watches as she buries the rest, firmly stating that it was to be their breakfast. he feels impossibly full and though he casts a glance at the fresh mound of earth he will not disturb it. she announces they will spend the night but his attention is on what she says next: a drink — he is suddenly parched ( not suddenly but able to fixate upon it now that his stomach is full ) and his tongue feels like sandpaper in his mouth.

he drinks his fill and begrudgingly bathes, trying not to make too much of a fuss. the water is murky where he trudges thru it, swirls of blood from his muzzle interlacing the dissipating mud; and when it comes to time to sleep he curls up and despite the instinctual urge to want to stay awake, falls asleep rather effortlessly.