”Go ahead - pray. See what good it does you down here,” the words are spat through bloodied teeth with a grim chuckle. His immense figure overpowers the broken wolf beneath him as they close their eyes tightly and whimper words too quietly to be understood. Their flesh is mangled as blood slowly pools on the cold stone around them. ”I could have killed you quickly and mercifully, but that’s not really my style,” he admits with a crimson grin before backing away from the victim. Their eyes open and dart around the corridor, focusing on the pale light that filters through the distant exit of the cavern for a moment too long.

Kratos grumbles, turning his head to look at the cave’s mouth before looking back to the stranger with narrowed eyes. ”Don’t even think about it,” the words are spoken in a half-growl. He maneuvers to roughly grasp the wolf’s tail between his jaws and yanks them backward until the two of them are in a separate chamber. It’s smaller, darker, and well hidden from any of the more populated paths through the grotto. ”Try not to die before I get back,” he mutters before making his exit.

He passes by the streaked puddle of blood in the corridor and makes his way toward the main tunnel that winds through the system. Red paw prints leave their mark on the dark stone for a few yards before his pads are nearly wiped dry; the same can’t be said for the multitude of spatters and bloody markings across the rest of his body though.

After an afternoon of hunting his prisoner there was a tiredness to be expected, as well as a need for replenishment. The iron taste of blood only worsens his desire for a fresh drink of water, and as soon as he breaches the cavern entrance he is making his way up toward the many pools of the crags. Within moments of ascending the rocks he quickly remembers why he loves the cool, damp hideaways of the cavern as the summer heat beat down upon him.

Nevertheless, he finds a path that leads to a frequented area and realizes that he’s not alone in his search for reprieve from the heat. His ruby eyes lay upon the lounging figure of another that is turned away from him. He notices the subtle rise of her hackles before they quickly lay flat and he wonders if she knows what kind of beast has happened upon her today. The wind gusts at his back, keeping her scent from him, but she speaks soon enough as he slowly approaches to the right. Her voice rang pure and sweet, welcoming him to her side as if they had been long lost friends.

Kratos continues to walk toward her, surpassing her position as she stood to gather a full look at him, and steps into the cold water of the small pool. Blood streams into the pristine water from his legs, tainting it before drifting down to the next waterfall below. He laps greedily at the water as more blood mixes in, making sure that he got his fill before wading a little further in and turning to face the she-wolf. ”You share your company with just anybody?” he questions her, wondering if her lack of judgement could simply just be poor judgement instead.