Greatwater Lake roped up, rat in a cage

The lake keeps a firm grasp on his attention long after sluggish, earthen Riley departs. In some ways he finds it better company than his fellow wolves; silence, pure and sweet, and the endless beauty reflected in the blue-grey surface. He dares to draw closer, inkjet tail-tip dragging through the cold gritty dirt. Each little bump in the ground sends a twinge of pain through his spine, but he doesn't dare move it. Instead he settles nearer to the water's edge, though still not within splashing distance, sitting at an awkward angle to keep pressure off his aching shoulder and the swollen base of his tail.