Verdigris Ravine muscle

Talis jumped when Zoug slammed down a paw, crushing the scorpion beneath it. He didn’t think he could ever forget the hideous, wet crunching noise it made. His horror only mounted as the elder began tearing it apart and eating it. The yearling could only watch in morbid fascination, his insides rolling.

After Zoug was finished with his snack, he looked up at Talisman and barked several questions at him. The yearling went very still as he tried to parse not just the inquiries but the man’s tone. He seemed annoyed, which made sense. Talis wasn’t being the best student at the moment.

I don’t— he began, then became distracted when Zoug pointed out a snake.

He didn’t mind them as much as creepy arachnids, though their movements inevitably reminded him of otters. Or perhaps it was the other way around. In any case, Talis wasn’t very eager to go after this prey, either. But at least he recognized it. And he couldn’t stand the idea of continuing to disappoint his instructor.

Sucking in a breath, Talisman pounced toward the snake. He managed to pin it beneath one russet paw, though it began wriggling wildly as his weight pressed against it. He knew he should aim for the head but it was moving so rapidly, he didn’t get a chance to shift his grip before it struck at him. It missed by a hairsbreadth, the quick motion evoking an instinctive swipe from the young coyote.

Somehow, he managed to wrangle and dispatch the snake. He didn’t even get bitten! Breathing a little hard, Talis let the serpent fall limp at his feet as he glanced up at Zoug, eager for approval.

No, we love it! This interaction is very fun to write. :)