Icy toes and Ice Floes
Sometimes even a fool got lucky, and his absurdly arrogance and lack of all manner and semblance of society had gained him such an occasion. As soon as her paw had left the rabbit by an inch, he lunged forwards with his face to grab it and jerked backwards, nearly loosing his footing, but with such a speed of one who expected to be smacked, but no wince of it. The instant he held the rabbit back in his own place, he didn't take any steps backwards to eat his prize in safety, but instead he began to devour it, again with rudeness and lack of all civility. His teeth crunched loudly and jarringly on the meal, crushing the bones in such a hurry that his teeth clacking together could be heard now and then, a nasty, grating sound, like accidentally biting on a spoon or fork. Instead of trying to eat piece by peace, his aim was to swallow the entire thing whole, or as fast as possible. On two occasions, he tried to swallow and it got stuck, bulging grotesquely in his throat, and he gave such a racket choking and heaving that it was a wonder that all the wolves of the north didn't hear them, and that somehow, he didn't die for his foolishness. But as the bits began to go down, he slowed, taking more time to bite and chew and swallow rather than try to swallow the thing whole like a snake when he first started. At last this was complete. Unabashed, he licked his lips slowly, cleaning his whiskers, and felt satisfied that he was clean after the third lick, showing one who observed that he prided himself in efficiency.
He regarded her silently for a while, as if slow to process what had happened now that there was a heavy burden for his stomach to devote his energy to. His lips pursed as if he might speak, but there was no sound, and found himself looking at her. Her bulk and size, her coat, the way she held herself, but never directly at her eyes in challenge. He noted her easy manner and self-assured way, the way that her tail hung but did not grovel. For a few moments, he considered not answering at all.
"I once lived far north of here.", he said after some thought, thinking this a safe thing. His mind returned to his purpose, reminded him that he had questions. "I have questions.", he spoke plainly. His voice was of one who had so many minescule bits of accent that they all mushed together into no accent at all, perhaps seeming very plain and boring.
"In this land is there an empire that spreads by conquest and servitude, seeking to rule all the ends of the earth and accomplishing its aims effortlessly?"
He spoke to her with no disrespect, but there was an air of expectation that she would know, and answer him truthfully. Absent were any notions or semblances of gratitude or thanks. Nor was there any showiness or ego or air of his own self-importance. He did not even bother mentioning why he was in this shape, of his journey, or of his troubles. He only asked a question, and in this, perhaps, he showed some meekness. Or maybe even in his lack of words and in the absence of troubling another's heart, maybe this was his kindness, his gratitude.