Ouroboros Spine pharmaka

As violence was an ever-present facet of his life, to say the boy did not fantasize about directing his energy in to an assault against the woman, especially so as her back was turned, would be wrong.

He did envision striking her down with a lunge; he wondered if she would fall limp like the deer with his teeth at her throat, or fight back the way he often fought against the threat of the other children. Would it feel like a game? What would her blood taste like on his tongue? How soft was her skin?

These came and went while she led him along. As he did not know what an ulaq was, the boy did not look away from the woman as she moved and trained his eyes upon her pale figure; those ripped ears of his pivoting to every sound. From time to time his gait would slow or quicken, bothered by something or other - or catching up to the womans path.

At any point someone could strike at him. He was primed to run if that transpired, keeping himself apprised of possible routes of egress as they went.