Blackfeather Woods I've been walking out all on my own

She was right, of course. But he said nothing to her. What he'd said was not meant as a defence for Astraeus but merely an explanation for the behaviour. Like all of their boy leaders, Astraeus was young and dumb and stupid, lacking the context necessary for making rational decisions. Taikon was reminded at once that he had joined a pack so that they might find peace, but knew quite well that all of their "leaders" were equally stupid. None of them had the sense. None had the wisdom. He could not guarantee the safety of Takiyok's future babes with such leaders, and he resented it.
The water is nice, he answered, though it did not directly answer what she was asking. Taikon didn't know if cool water would help. It would not be long before these waters were frozen over anyway except where they ran fast enough to escape it. It'll improve, he said, with limited confidence. The wound had already festered and ballooned beyond what he had thought normal, but he didn't know what to do. He would either die or he wouldn't, the way he saw things.