Otatso Wetlands give me segregation

She was all business. Too single-minded to share sidelong glances or find a molecule of satisfaction in what others might perceive as small victories. She saw nothing to celebrate, even as she felt intense pride for their work. Paladin would spare her elation for nothing less than winning the main prize, and she would never be satisfied with anything else.

Her at-will companion, for all his subtlety, had so far done everything right to dissuade her from dismissing him. If anything, the smoothness of this interaction encouraged her to make something of their partnership. It was not often that she met a wolf of some caliber worth respecting — who wasn’t some blowhard or a groveling idiot — and her slate associate was shaking out to be a reasonable find.

Almost worth as much to her as this meal. Which was saying something.

With the smokehound helming the leg, and Paladin guiding the carcass’ hips, the pair heaved and yanked in tandem, to reveal their prize in all its mud-preserved glory. They dragged it through the thickened muck, leaving a broad, curving trail in their wake. At the end of it, they were able to hoist the body to shallower ground, where the earth had mostly solidified and the imprints they made were now just pawpad deep.

The tug o’ war eased to a stop before a shelf of exposed roots, behind which was even drier land and a thin stretch of grass that cropped up beyond that. It felt like too much trouble to drag the carcass any further. She gave her sodden coat a shake to indicate they’d gone far enough for her.

Paladin, at last, admired their handiwork, letting her dark tail wag readily. She was panting from the effort, but her eyes gleamed with anticipation, as well as approval for his presence. That would’ve taken a hell of a lot longer without you, she smirked a muddied grin. Her word of thanks. Let’s dig in. And without further ado, she trotted ‘round and spilled the creature’s cold guts with glee — digging in ravenously and paying little mind to the company at her side. Welcoming him to feast freely.