Nova Peak ❇ Tēnsha

her ears turned first—then flattened, in fear.
she did not look at him right away.
not food, she said, voice soft but sure, picking her way through the foreign tongue like stepping over ice-thin river stones. trade, yes.
then a pause as she lifted the blood-soaked herb gently from the stream, letting it drip. her pale eyes flicked to him briefly.
it… she struggled for the next word, the shape of it. then—
mothers. for den.
another pause. longer this time. she shifted the bundle in her jaw and lowered it onto the bay. she began to chew the meat, pieces for mothers.
you… need hunt. not complain.
then, just a flick of her tail as she turned back to her task.