Lion Head Mesa the jokes' worn thin, the king's stepped in

So enamored by his fragrant bounty, Leshen hardly noticed when the witch departed. A flick of his ears, a wayside glance, then he was gorging himself of every last bite. When his proverbial plate was cleaned, the reptilian wolf scratched snow over the spot he had dined and absconded once more into the nearby woods.

He would wait the night to see if he grew ill, and when he did not, the task that had been set before him solidified in his mind.

***

He returned in a week, as promised, though he was empty-pawed and went therefore unrewarded. There had yet to be a sign of Khaba in the surrounding areas, but Leshen was sent out again to locate the beast.