King Elk Forest pretty noose

He flashed a disingenuous, lopsided grin. In addition to having a certain distaste for the violence many of his family members craved, Verran was afraid to fight too. He hadn't considered that until her condescending comment, but it was true. Luckily, he had other skills to offer, valuable ones. He had practiced medicine long enough to be proficient, and with time he would master the art, making him perhaps invaluable, and offering another layer of protection between himself and his bloodthirsty kin.

Vex's own voice fell when she spoke next. Verran leaned over to hear, cupping an ear toward her muzzle. What she said came as a shock to him: the words of a concerned mother seeking an opinion about one of her offspring. Verran thought he should proceed with caution; he had been present when the woman killed her siblings, and he would not put it past her to promptly kill one of her children if she felt the reason was justifiable. The Cruor man wanted to prevent that from happening, if he could. 

"I've heard of c-c-curses befalling illegitimate wh-whelps, but it's sometimes difficult to...to d-distinguish between a c-curse and a blessing, he answered carefully. He could not tell a flat-out lie at this point. It was too soon to be so bold, and Vex was too clever. "I'll n-need to see this child. Th-then I can tell you more."