Totoka River teeth like kindling

his demeanor shifts the moment he is thrown upon his back, and a soft whine leaves him. he throws his head to the side, throat bared in open submission, and trembles like a trapped rabbit. fever shines in his eyes, hot on his breath as a half-delirious prayer leaves him.

ah...there you are, my strength.

he can still win this. he must simply prove that he is not the enemy, that he is too weak to be a thief.

"p-please, sir. she did not make this kill, nor did i. it is old, and i found it shortly before she arrived. i would have been happy to share, but she bid me to flee. i am starving, ill. i fear i will not survive to see the summer." a tear slips from one yellow eye, slides down his face and strikes the grass at his back.

and indeed, their scents have mingled too closely now to disprove such a claim.