Never Promised

Her remark did nothing to dissuade or offend him, only lit an amused gleam in his ember eyes. Yes, he was good at surprise attacks, he took the praise as a compliment and laid the beaver down between them as she came closer.

A smirk would play on his lips as he heard her terse half apology. His gaze slowly raked over her regal elegant form. Nigh fully grown she was certainly a vision, an old promise his father had given him that night echoed through his mind like a shimmering leaf of silk on the wind.

He gave her no verbal accounting of it, yet, he simply bent down to his work. He eyed the hawksbill blade with further amusement as she offered to assist him and reveal her armed status. He would expect nothing less in this land of bands and packs. For a leader to traipse around unarmed was asking for trouble.

"No need." He rumbled and proceeded to take the beaver by its tail, hook a claw into its nether regions, and peel the fur, skin and all in one forceful motion. Separating the meat from the skin was easy enough with his practiced skills. Now he would section off the pieces and slice the beaver down its belly to split the fur open and put its right side out again.

"How did you escape that night?" He asked casually, licking one of his claws and giving her a cool side-eye.