The Tangle lament

Thank you for joining!

His legs are covered to the forelimb in marsh scum when she finds him, his great broad muzzle buried deep within the slimed and fortunately well-furred pads of his right front foot.  He had been attempting to pry free a burr that was quite irritating but he could not yet reach it.  With the appearance of this new stranger his comfort will have to wait.  It does not take long for the stranger to begin prying his internal affairs.  She breezes through a greeting before asking him if he is a traveler.  He looks at her with impassive features before simply responding, Yes.  His tail gave a single, gentle wag before he tried and failed to remove the slog from his maw.  Are you?  He could tell from her pack-scent that she was not a loner, but that did not mean she was no traveler.