Cricket Creek Bog Itsy Went Up The Water Spout

The tiny bird risked putting down her own meal to answer promptly. Grimeye liked that. To her surprise a small chuckle even escaped her at the bird's words; the little creature was an oddly cheering one, especially as Grimeye's mood reacted to the hopeful news that the little critter knew where to find some real food too, for a change. Grimeye's stomach growled in agreement; excellent notion, and excellent little bird to offer up what she was craving. A+ rating, five stars on Yelp, do not eat, would happily do business with again.

Well aren't you a clever little bird, she purred most approvingly. Hell, she'd've reached out to pat the thing on its head, if such a motion wouldn't likely squash the bitty birdlet straight into the mud. 'Many places,' ey? Well I guess we'd best visit some, then. And I wouldn't mind stealing a bit of 'wolf food,' either, really, she added musingly with a bit of an evil grin. ...Not if the wolves themselves were about, of course, and likely it was just an amusing notion rather than something either of them could make into an honest reality, but the arrogant canines often and deservedly needed to be taken down a peg anyway, in Grimeye's book—not to mention her empty belly obviously took much higher precedence than theirs, should Itsy spy a conveniently unguarded wolf cache for her. The smile continued to play about Grimeye's lips as she daydreamily toyed with the notion for a moment, but then her expression changed back to a grimace for a moment, as she hefted her bony old hips off the ground.

No time like the present! she said to the Itsy-bird, a little overbrightly. We'd best hurry before old Grimeye's spine is absorbed all the way into her shrinking-up tummy. ...And maybe we can even find some more worms along the way for Itsy, she magnanimously allowed, though her supercilious look at the current wiggling victim suggested it still left much to be desired. But hey, whatever kept the helpful little featherbrain focused and motivated and happy to be working for with her, right? If these 'many places' really have the smorgasboard you're claiming, at least. Damn but it would be good to have a real meal for a change. Lizards and such kept a body together but they didn't feed the soul like a nice juicy bite of real red meat. Grimeye slapped her mind away from dreaming of such things before she began to undignifiedly drool. ...Although...wait. Searching back along Itsy's words in her mind, Grimeye spotted a potentially fatal flaw. Wait, hares? All hares—all adults, and alive? Well that wouldn't work. I hope you've something better in mind than that, she offered suppressingly to the bird, now ready to downgrade its status a few notches after all.