Sleepy Fox Hollow when you wake, you're bargaining

mahler swallowed and set his stoneflower eyes on the little stones flecking the shoreline of the waterbody. "he vas like no one vone i had ever known, before or since. i could not even tell you how ve became so close. ve hunted together that first night and it vas as if i had alvays known him."
the pain was unclenching in a knotted rush that slowly unwound inside his chest. "ve called each other kill-brothers after that. i vanted — perhaps to be him, vhen i vas younger."
his words slowed into a ragged silence. mahler's profile was apologetic, jaw tensing somewhat. "stigmata vas not the sort of volf i thought vould end the vay that he did."