Sheepeater Cliff To gather, such curious things

The soul before him was well beyond that of the average wolf. To Cassian, Envy was a well brimming with knowledge. Friend, foe, familiar…it mattered not to the man what their classification would surmount to in the end. What did matter to him were the words she spoke. They curled out willfully and dripped with experience for Cassian, relatively free of charge. What did a fox’s paltry life matter when it could be used in exchange for opening this woman’s canines in an amicable manner? She gifted him with what she carried in droves and if it were possible to physically manifest such a thing then Cassian was certain that Envy would drown him alive.

Other wolves. So, at some point, Envy had been a part of a pack. The question of whether he’d been part of one didn’t find itself onto her lips, but it certainly plastered itself within the confines of Cassian’s mind. Crippling rabbits, the revelation of bones, their delicacy, and the inkling of sinful desire bore itself onto the golden boy when she mentioned feeling them. What would it be like to engage in such a thing? Typically, when Cassian hunted, it was nothing more than a short, delicate transaction. The thought of exploring a creature’s body, nipping at them in an analytical manner, and dedicating their lives for his own goals was not something he could’ve ever thought of on his own.

“Feeling bones must be nice. I’ve never felt one before! I just tend to break through them with my teeth! It’s super, duper easy, too! They break a bit too easy sometimes, honestly. It’s not my fault though! They’re like twigs, sometimes even easier to break through than twigs. Counting though, huh? So there’s a method to it? Man, that’s so cool! I can’t wait to learn!”

Infections could kill. With this knowledge, a thought occurred to Cassian. A simple one, bereft of any malintent. It came from the purest confines a soul could muster forth, yet if anybody were eavesdropping on their conversation they might have donned him nothing short of a madman for piecing together such a vile, emotionless, inhumane thought. Or maybe they’d join them! Wolves, he learned, were not so cut and dry as many would’ve thought them out to be. There were some that were white or black morally, but those that dabbled in the grays were what seemed to draw Cassian’s attention the most.

“If infections are so bad, and if they can kill, then why don’t you heal your prey and keep them around? You seem to love that! I’m not one to judge though, do whatever makes you happy, you know? I’m just…curious, I guess.”

Both fluffy, scruffy ears were attentive during the entire interaction. Cassian was well aware that a rabbit was in high order and before long the man rose, shaking for a handful of seconds under the bask of the sun to coil the accumulated dirt and debris off of his pelt. Yet, he did not immediately leave. Instead, Cassian’s eyes stayed affixed to the woman. She lied down in front of him, stretched, and seemed to muse to herself.

“Okay, I’m going to go now. I’ll be back soon!”

Oh, and soon it was. The wind was in Cassian’s favor today, coupled alongside the dastardly fates which had interwoven their destinies together for this brief moment. Five, ten, twelve minutes passed and the wolf already strode back to their initial meeting point. There was a rabbit within his maw, held by the tail to discourage it from fleeing. It bore weight to itself in droves, however, and was well above the standard height for a regular animal within its typical species. Setting it down for the briefest of seconds, Cassian’s paw slammed on the creature’s back. A squirm, a yelp, a bite, whatever it chose to throw would now be rendered impossible.

It was a hare!

“Mkay, I’m back! I got this one but, boy, is it huge, haha! It put up such a good fight, too! If I hadn’t cornered it I’m not sure if I’d have been able to get a hold of it so fast, you know? I wasn’t able to get two, but I hope this is enough! Ah, also, after I was done catching him I got caught up in thought on the way back. Just another question! You don’t have to answer, but you said you grew up around other wolves. What was that like for you, Envy? Did you enjoy it? Make any friends out of it? Good memories or at least anything that’s worth keeping a strong connection towards?”

In a way, perhaps Cassian was attempting to live vicariously through the woman She seemed seasoned - well, certainly far more than he was. His self in particular tended to just roam about freely with no real recourse. A kind soul in the beginning of his conceptualization warned him of packs and as such he made attempts to stray away from them. Even if the entire notion still couldn’t wrap itself around the man’s head clearly, the aspect of being mauled to death by those fanatics was something far beyond Cassian’s own desires. Death meant no more fun and no more fun was boring!

“I think it’d be nice to know that kind of stuff. Oh! Did you find the thingies for the…infection? I don’t think I’ll die, but I think it’d be nice to feel you work your magic! You seem to be good at everything, kinda makes me a bit…”

Filled with envy.

“...proud to know you!”