He didn't know if it was blood or the water rushing in his ears, drowning out all other sound. His teeth were clenched so tightly that stabs of white pain shot through his jaw, eyes open, but seeing nothing but red. The monster twitched in his grip, muscles convulsing as the life left his body. Finally he became still, and Drestig tore his teeth free of the mangled fur, staring, not at the dead body, but straight ahead into thin air. Already he could feel the pent-up energy dissipate, seeping out of him like the blood coloring the river round his feet. His paws were numb in the freezing water, his shoulders slumping as he blinked to try and regain focus on the situation at hand, ignoring the steady pull of the stream that was already tugging at the lifeless body, eager to carry it over the edge of the fall and into oblivion.

The stench was what finally brought him back, face contorting in a sneer at the sour smell of death. Eyes flashing, he looked once down at the torn up carcass, then quickly pulled back, drawing into the, still clean shallows. After a few steps, he realized he was shaking, his heart racing and chest rising and falling rapidly as he gasped for breath. It was done. Instinctively, his tongue slipped along his lips to try and clean his muzzle, but as he did it, he remembered that this was not the blood of deer or rabbit, and he suddenly felt the bitter taste. This was wolf's blood. A small sound escaped him and he shook his head wheezing and spitting for a few seconds, before bending over and retching. There was nothing in his stomach expel though, yet he still felt better afterwards, bending down and washing out his mouth in the cold water.

Before turning, he cast one last glance in direction of the dead monster, spitting the last taste of his blood at his corpse. Then he looked away, content to never again lay eyes on a beast like him. Up to that point, Drestig had had focus on nothing else, it was only now, as he stepped out of the river, that his tunnel vision cleared, and his senses opened up to everything around him. He saw Jessie first, coming towards him, and he heard her voice, almost tentative, calling his name. Their eyes med and he nodded stiffly, then glanced around. Wasn't there another one..? He thought he remembered a smaller, darker female also, but it was all a little hazy. Turning his head, he saw Anneliese drawing up on his other side, looking at him expectantly. Seeing the blood, and other even less appealing fluids, staining her golden coat, he only now realized that she had been by his side the whole time, making sure that the filthy murderer met his end. She too received a nod; He would have liked to show her further gratitude, but lacked the mental capacity at the moment. Instead he looked back at Jessie running her over once to make sure she hadn't been hurt. "It's done..?" He asked, voice hollow and hoarse. It had all happened so quickly; Did Jessie take care of the other one? Once he had been reassured, he nodded again, to himself this time, then turned his gaze to the woods; "Then we should get home."

Word count: 566

Thoughts ”Speech”