Herbalists' Cache change my mind so much I can't find it

gjalla does not still at his approach, nor does she lift her head from where she gnaws relentlessly. if anything, she only presses her teeth down harder, feeling the bone splinter further beneath the pressure of her bite. a distraction. a method to keep her occupied, lest she find herself doing something even more self-destructive.

but she is not oblivious. 

she knows sun eater is watching her. can feel his single eye burning a hole through her skull. it prickles beneath her fur, a sensation both familiar and aggravating. though she does not meet his eye immediately, her ear flicks at his greeting, a quiet acknowledgment before she finally deigns to look at him. 

"sun eater," she returns, voice steady, but her usual sharpness is subdued, buried beneath something thicker. he has no need to ask what—perhaps he could smell it.

the crows caw, restless, shifting above and beside them. gjalla’s eyes flick toward them briefly before she snorts, shoving what remains of the deer leg aside for them to squabble over, keeping a small chunk for herself to chew.

"to what do i owe the pleasure, chieftain?"

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thank you for joining! i adjusted the starting post a tiny bit because you gave me an idea.