Sawtooth Spire dear god: thanks, if you loved me the vegetables would be extinct

Stag's eyes were the size of dinnerplates as the maimed squash did the inconceivable and transferred from run-over bullfrog back to hunky-dory Sagtannet citizen, her head popping back into place like an amorphous blob regaining shape. Yeesh. Stag's lip pulled back in a horrified quiver - she looked fine physically, but was there any lasting damage.. like maybe to her brain?

As she crawled and then stopped (thank god) on the threshold, Stag felt a similar shiver climb down his spine.. As if something, or someone, was warning him...

He shook off the strange feeling, peering at the spider-monkey that now insisted he come to her. Nope, not doing. Stag might have had his own brain damage (thanks, tree) but he wasn't dumb enough to come any closer. Some inviolable instinct told him to stay put, and not set another foot closer to what seemed an impentrable sanctuary.. But if Phaedra could just stay in that invisible aegis, that would be great.

Then came the wailing -- Stag's ears flattened and he hunched his shoulders in a cower, his teeth set on edge. "Psst! Quiet!" He pleaded, glancing around him guiltily as again, a weird and foreboding feeling raked its unpleasant fingers down his back.. Okay, the first time it had been weird, but now it was just plain annoying.

Stag shook his ruff, ignoring the grumbling of his pesky omniscient gut. It could stay in his belly and shut up. He straighted himself up as the teacup kept up her caterwaulin', deciding now would be a good time to pick her up and just like.. chuck her into the den or something? IDK. Anything but keep her out here where she'd make a nice chicken nugget for a hungry hawk.

Stag was about to take his first step when he heard a noise -- was it a noise? His ear flipped back and he froze, craning his neck and ears to listen.. sounded like, footsteps maybe ...?

Unfortunately for dolt-brained Stag, the time it took him to freeze, scrunch up his attention and really focus on the noise he was hearing, was all the time Wylla needed to come crashing upon the scene and drive her teeth right into his frozen hindquarters. Stag had zero time to react - partially because he was slow (mentally, physically? your choice) and partially because by the time he realized what was happening he was gripped with paralyzing terror that kept him rooted to the spot until he was flung aside, like that aforementioned mangled produce hucked to the 'unsaleable' bin after hours.