Permafrost Hollows my shadow's shedding skin

Ruona was not expecting it to all be easy, however colt leapt for the throat of the animal, tugging it down as Ruona herself leapt to land on the creature, her teeth sinking into it as a soft groan escaped. She had forgotten how hungry she was, the blood almost sending her into a frenzy as her maw stained with the ichor that fell.
 
Hunger had her tearing a piece of flesh off before the light had even faded from the creature’s eyes. Her stomach growled almost in sync as the other two around her were forgotten. It was a new frenzy, one she had not been privy to… the hunger, the survival instincts that had laid dormant.

small pp!

the deer, downed.
indra hovered near. colt moved at once to block the white wolf's path back to the carcass, lifting a lip in a grin that revealed his yellow sharks-teeth.
"why miz rana," the rogue purled. "we ain't even talked about yer payment to us, fer helpin' yew out."
his red eyes glowed; he warned her not to approach the kill again with a tilt of his muzzle.

Indra had kept back from the commotion once she'd seen the doe fall to Colt, and it was good that she'd withdrawn in such a way. Now she was open to witnessing Colt at his finest; bloodied yes, but grinning and making his move.

He stopped the pale woman from taking anything that wasn't her's. Indra took the opportunity flash her own teeth, and to put herself between Ruona and the kill. Her alacrity was alarming after the chase; she had more energy now than before, fueled by her adrenaline.

Desperation, more like it.

A fierce snarl escaped as he stepped between her and the kill that had been brought down, anger burning in her eyes as she caved to the most basic of her instincts. “Let me pass and eat, peasant.” The words fell harshly in her native tongue but the tone was clearly not friendly.
 
Her claws flex, scraping the ground as her fur bristled along her spine, the desperation disguised cleverly with the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline, the hunger… Indra remained quiet, and thus Ruona paid her no mind, her eyes leveled with Colt as her ears pressed flat against her head and her tail lashed angrily from side to side.

his eyes flashed dangerously through a low and humorless laugh. "yew need to watch yer tone before someone watches it for yew," colt snarled, advancing upon the woman with a switch of his plume. he was proud of indra, amused by how quickly she moved to assist.
he didn't need to know the foreign language to understand their guest's anger. he gestured toward the dead deer. "yew can eat, much as yew want. only first," and he pushed even closer, ready to meet her teeth with his own, "yew wanna pay yer debt."
his red eyes bored into her own, daring her to move.

The woman said something in a language Indra had never heard before. She didn't care for the woman's tone, and took her cues from Colt who refused to back down; he repeated the conditions that must be met before the woman could eat, and to puncuate that with how serious the situation was, Indra let a low rumble climb up her juvenile throat.

It didn't have the same timbre as Colt's might. She wasn't sure what Colt would require of her either - but he was teaching her to survive, to take what was necessary, and to him the girl was devoted.

She bristled and paced, unsure of what to do and waiting for some sort of revelation.

He warned about a tone and laughed at her which frustrated the girl more, though the adrenaline was starting to fade from her body and with it came more sense than she had found before. She took a few steps back, her eyes narrowing at the man as he said she could eat what she want, but there was a debt to be paid. With it came unease, a feeling like she should be running but the hunger that gnawed now was enough for her to turn against those arguably better instincts.
 
“What debt?” She would ask, more guarded now as her eyes flashed between the two of them and she took a few more steps back. “I helped take down the kill; that should be enough.” She stated firmly back, though it lacked the adrenaline from before.

"course yew did," colt said agreeably, watching as her figure folded into one that backed down. he approved of this with a wry grin. he stepped closer, though relinquished his threatening mien for one more intimate.
pitching his voice so that indra would hear less of what he said, though surely she would catch a few words, colt grinned invitingly. "yer a woman. there's something yew can do for me. somethin' quick. then we eat an' we're all on our own way."
she understoood.
colt enjoyed transactionality. 
"go ahead an' eat, girl," colt told indra, keeping his eyes on the white wolf. she had the choice to walk, to find her own kill. the rogues would gladly share the fruit of her labour.

The woman's rage was subdued as she considered what to do. This was a win, to Indra. This proved to her that Colt knew what he was talking about and that he could indeed teach her.

The dead deer sat cooling behind them. Colt gave the order to Indra that she could eat, and she was glad to be given first shot at the fresh meat - it was rare to have such a generous opportunity presented to her - and without question Indra turned to seek out the belly meats.

She opened the belly and began to eat her fill, ignorant of all else but her own hunger. Whatever Colt and the woman decreed to be a worthwhile trade was far from her own mind; she smelled the meat and the blood of the deer, and was only too happy to focus there.

Disgust and bile built in her throat as he explained, his inviting grin causing her to take a few steps back as her maw curled into a sneer, her teeth flashing for a moment. “I am not some common whore.” She spat out at him in return to what he was suggesting. How dare he… what was worse, is she knew that her tiny and inexperienced form could not take the both of them, meaning she had wasted time along her journey to help them with no reward in turn.
 
She was stuck… for she had little doubt a man vile enough to suggest such a payment would no doubt simply take said payment should she retaliate with violence, and they appeared to not budge. “You will rue this day… perhaps not tomorrow, or the day after… but you will come to regret this decision and your vile suggestions.” And with that, Rana decided to walk, breaking into a run in fact for she did not trust the man to chase after her. What she lacked in size, she certainly made up for in speed.
 
How dare he? And how dare she simply go along with it!

she spat, made an about face, and ran. colt's mocking laughter would follow her. "no need expendin' energy once they run off," he told indra as he swaggered back to their meal. it had been a good triumph, working for her strength to their end. he hoped she paid heed.
he fell to noisily gorging himself, then groaned as he lay upon his back in the shade of a stunted tree. "yew gon on an' take first watch," he told her.
his scarlet eyes flicked over her frame, and then he yawned loudly. colt would seize a quick bit of shuteye and then let her rest. they'd be on their way before nightfall and after another good meal.

The girl was oblivious to what Colt had said to send the mark away, but when he had loosed his laugh she paused and turned her head - it still wasn't more important than the meat, so soon she was eating again.

Indra ate and ate, and only noticed Colt when he came to feast alongside her. They made good progress to fill their bellies.

After, Colt lounged. Indra didn't really want to keep watch - she could barely keep herself awake now that she was full - but there was no arguing with him.