Fishblight Mire She loved the lines around his mouth

Alyx floundered in the mud. By the time she managed to hook her paws on solid ground and haul herself free, she wanted to sit down and cry from the mess she’d made of herself. Mud rode all the way up her back and shoulders, caking nearly every inch of her. Flecks painted her muzzle and cheeks. The only part left untouched were her dark ears.

Which snatched back against her head when a voice began to admonish her. Rightly so, but she experienced a strong surge of indignation first. Forgelight lit her eyes when they first found Paisley, along with the pricking of her hackles, though that was not visible under all the mud.

Then she realized that Paisley was a lot older than her and probably just concerned, and she managed to smooth down her temper before she said something stupid and unnecessarily spiteful, like what the hell is a cracker? No, she sullenly admitted, throwing her hindquarters down to the ground in a sulky sit. No ... snapjaws, whatever that means. Just the worst day ever. Sorry I guess.