Bitterroot Valley a head start in hindsight

He stared, baffled. Place that much trust in a stranger? He must be joking.

"Fine." After a cold second, he shambled closer, step by shaky step. He was cautious as if expecting the other wolf to suddenly lunge at him. When he came close enough for either one of them to attack, he stopped and flashed his teeth. "Make one wrong move and I'll pry the other one from you," he bluffed, feeling a new wave of nausea bubble up in his throat. The intended effect was ruined by the sour hiccup that followed, and the whole-body shiver that twitched him from shoulders to knees. He offered the 'healer' a listless smile.

"You kill it at least?" He flattened his ears and eased down onto the snow-dusted ground, trying to avoid thinking about how he was literally exposing his guts to a random stranger in the middle of the wilderness. Stupid, his entire brain chided him. His pulse was notably faster; he could feel it in his entire body, encouraging him to get up immediately and defend himself. He kept his eyes on the other wolf, instead, and stayed still, watching him do his thing. "The cougar?"