Idly, Chen lay on his full belly, the sun was rising and warmed his back nicely. He was alone - finally. The bickering about the fox had continued forever! Now, though there was quiet, peaceful quite. Some birds above, the wind from his back and the mossy grass below was dry and soft. A well-deserved rest! However, that confounded fox was still on his mind, he had to admit.

"He is very intently set on keeping it around and resistant to reproof. Likewise, the fox makes no move to leave on it's own volition. It's a daring one, I must say, to engage with Toshiba for... 'reproduction'." His mind wandered for a fleeting moment. "Horrendous! Not that I care whom, or what he mounts, but now I have to put up with it."

His wistful sigh let the lonely cornflower right in front of his crossed paws sway gently. Its vibrantly blue petals looked a bit feisty, but they were all soft and flimsy, easily shaken by his breath. It was a calming distraction to loose himself in its purple carpels. They looked a bit like little worms.

"I would kill it myself, but the giant pighead will most likely take unkindly to it. As long as he's not bored of it yet, at least. Which, considering his attention span, possibly won't be long in coming. For a brief moment I hoped Reszet would loose it and do the deed, but of course he failed my expectations. Hm..." Briefly he stared up into the cloudy sky. "Is it presumptuous to wish death upon this pitiful creature?" At least the moon was not there to condemn him.

"I hold no grudge against it," he admitted, tying his eyes back to the blue flower just beyond his nose. "In fact its instinct of survival, however desperate, or exceptional it might be, is admirable. A bit pathetic too, but who am I to judge?" He didn't live the fox's life after all, and also was unaware of how exactly it met with Toshiba. But that was beside the point. "Would you believe me, if I said I'm concerned for the pack?"

Silently the mesmerizing plant swayed ever so slightly in the gentle breeze.

"Foxes are nifty and Toshiba an overgrown numbskull. Will it demand food? Or will it bring its brethren? Or worse, will it warn our prey? Well, I've made my point in that regard: I refuse to hunger for its sake! But there are other dangers, of course. What if Reszet does loose it and the oaf kills him? Certainly not the greatest loss, but it takes two to chase game effectively. Not to mention the possibility of the fox setting Toshiba against us in some way. He would certainly fall for it, no?"

The cornflower had neither opinion, nor advice to share.

"Can I afford the risk to let the fox live? Hmm... I think I can. At least for now. One fox won't bring me down!" he huffed, blowing the petite flower like a storm. Then remained silent for a moment when his nose twitched. "He's coming. Of course he is, that was to be expected. And here I hoped for a respite without disturbances. Silly me!"

"Baobei...?" the gray wolf whimpered meekly as he crept closer, his head hanging low. He was extra careful today. Tempers were frayed and Reszet knew Chen was remorseless. Slowly he approached the resting heap of white fur from behind and sat down a few paces beside him. Even at ease like this, Chen was still imposing. Imposing and able. "Will you please share with me?" he begged.

Contrary to the white master hunter, Reszet's belly was empty. The nightly hunt's quarry was meager today, and what little game they found was claimed and devoured by Toshi, without regard for the chaser that had driven the marten into his maw. Graciously he'd gotten a bone to gnaw on, while Toshi and his fox ate. Chen, of course, had been able to provide for his own share. He remained, however, still and unmoving, his stern eyes straight forward.

"Please, Baobei..." he pleaded dishonorably and then came a few hesitant steps closer. Right beside the other wolf, Reszet sat down again and leaned over Chen's form. Gently he brought his sleek muzzle down between the bigger male's muscled shoulders and licked. Chen didn't respond, so he continued to drag his tongue through the pristine, white fur. It tasted so sweet!

If he didn't want to spend the rest of the day and, worse, the next hunt in hunger, or go on a daylight patrol on his own to chance his luck, then Chen's compassion was his last chance to feed himself. If he still had anything to spare, that was!

Oddly enough, as averse Chen was to unsolicited touches, he never seemed to mind this particular gesture. He never commented on it either, but the fact that he remained perfectly calm and endured Reszet's humble form of affection and adoration, spoke for itself. And glad to have found one thing he was good enough for, Reszet bathed Chen's marvelous neck with abandon, until his tongue was sore.

"By the pond," Chen stated eventually, to surrender his leftovers to the desperate canine.

"Mphf, thank you, Baobei," Res said humbly with his final licks. He wanted so bad to press his nose into Chen's pelt and breath his scent, feel his warmth, but this time, he held his fire. He wasn't shy to do it any other time, but never dared to exhaust Chen's patience during these particular occasions. These rare moments of benevolent contact were blessed by the moon and he couldn't lose them!

Just as inert as before, Chen laid there, staring ahead at the cornflower, unrevealing of his emotions, or thoughts. And as always he didn't hold a kind word for his comrade. Or any word at all.

"Will you kill the fox?" Reszet asked carefully, keeping a distance again. He didn't have the guts to tell Chen, but being thrown a bone, while that fox ate with Toshiba, had hurt a lot. Admittedly, it had dug up the rat on its own, and luck was luck. But that was but a crumb of comfort. It even had the audacity to offer him to share, when Toshi put him off. A fox pitying a wolf. What a disgrace!

"Not unless it becomes a problem."

That was not exactly the answer Res had hoped for, but definitely one he had expected. Chen had never been one to interfere with other people's business. At least not until said business interfered with his own interests. "I'll... leave you be then..." Reszet said, vainly hoping for his benefactor to break his silence, though of course he didn't. Meekly the gray wolf retreated to collect whatever the crows had left of his dinner.

"Pitiful," Chen exhaled at length, then turned his eyes to the side. Though the humble, little cornflower was boundlessly patient. "Actually, I can hardly blame him. Toshiba is a glutton and sharing was never one of his virtues. What else can he do but beg for scraps? What a shameful position... Ugh!" Unable to bear the condescending plant any longer, Chen stood. "It's a wretched subject I don't want to waste any more thoughts on. You will excuse me."

Slowly and quietly Chen sauntered though the waking forest. With his belly full, he felt indolent and tired, didn't however embrace sleep. Not with the picture of a feasting fox and a starving wolf on his mind. Now, Reszet was the artisan of his own fortune. And begrudging his loss to a better, more cunning artisan was vile. Life wasn't meant to be easy! But to think that Toshiba would foster such indecency...

What was it that he saw in a fox anyway? A male one at that? If he wanted to bury his bone in a dainty, scrawny canine who depends on his benevolence, he could have that more easily. Reszet's ambiguity was awfully easy to see through, if unlike harder to comprehend.

"Ugh, more of those wretched thoughts..." the white canine mumbled to himself and changed directions. It wasn't long before he noticed strange sounds in the distance. Not much escaped his senses!

It was not like him to pry, but what else had a restless wolf to do? The act he soon should witness, did not happen in remoteness anyway, just a bit offside their general abode. Apparently there was no need for secrecy, or modesty anymore, now that the truth was out. Quite in the open, Toshiba lay on his back, the much smaller fox in his lap. Both were grunting, panting, whining, shaking.

"How disconcerting of us to lay eyes upon this union," he whispered down to the innocent daisy in his shade.

Calmly and coldly Chen sat down and watched how Toshiba's thrusts rocked the vulpine that clung to his chest. Neither of them noticed the onlooker, oblivious in their pleasure. How negligent!

It was neither the distaste, nor the envy that made Chen linger. He wouldn't even go as far as to call it curiosity. It was a more melancholic feeling, something distant. Like the moon, there, but not really tangible.

"They seem buoyantly, to say the least. I deem it rather objectionable. Hmm... Meaningless?" The yellow dot appeared gregarious, remained uncooperative, however. "I guess it is not a concern of ours, so we best leave it be. Undisturbed..."

Silently, the white wolf wandered on.