Dragoncrest Cliffs Close your eyes and sleep,

his teeth come down on her leg and there is red welling up around his muzzle, metallic, salt-thick as seaspray and she is

laughing

like owlglass like the river

and he tries to bite harder, work his teeth tighter sawing back and forth, blood pooling over his tongue and his shoulder throbs when she kicks out, yanks him to the side and the blank intent behind his eyes cracks

he does not let go –

paws scrabbling in the mud and grass he steadies himself moves to bite down, to pull back wrench her away and towards the cliff, chest heaving, growl rising higher in his throat and still the roar of wind and waves is all he can hear