Bearclaw Valley a seminar about whether or not deer feel pain or are just sad

before val could react, things were set into motion.

he'd run after aventus, only to careen into him as the bruinheart turned around. the thud of flesh echoed in his skull, followed by the click of teeth and --

aventus' wide silver eyes

falling

"no!" val cried hoarsely into the air, nearly stumbling downward himself as he peered below:

aventus' form outlined like a silhouette. a trickle of unmistakable red from an invisible crack somewhere along his skull.

val's heart quailed. arielle was down below, tending to him. listening.

he had no time to second guess. no time to see if aventus was alive (dear god please be alive, whatever bear god there is, please ) -- he knew time was running out for him and for indra.

and stryx too, wherever she was.

near gibbering with horror, val dashed into the cover of darkness searching for indra. should he find her before arielle he would seize her with unusual urgency and urge her to run, and run for her life.