Set
" ... but always keep them on a leash."
The little otter skitters along the riverbank, dark brown and sinuous. The rocks on the riverbank are a scattered mass, some slippery with moss, all interspersed with bits of driftwood and secrets. The bones of a trout tucked between two jagged bits of stone gives him pause, but after a brief inspection, he bounds along. The shallows are cold here, churned up from the rapids just upriver. They foam where it meets solid ground, and he chases several bubbles round before he notices it. Though it matches the color and angles of its surroundings, it is still clearly living. Or, was not so long ago. Curious.
Moving closer, he chirrups loudly, the sound turning up at the end in question. The body remains still. Its back is to him and contemplates a moment before slipping forward. A ragged, filthy mane extends along … her … back, the jut of her ribs and hips painfully obvious, even under her wretched coat. The smell of death lingers on the fringes of his senses but … he pads over the thin neck and jumps onto her shoulder, using his thick tail to steady himself as he balances on a prominent scapula. Splashing into the water that is pooling around her forelegs (tossed so carelessly onshore), he moves up to her head, wrinkling his nose against the smell and studying her features. None he recognizes, but that is no surprise. He’s been gone a long time.
Not dead, he thinks. With remarkably dexterous paws, he peels the nearest eyelids open, tilting his head until he’s uncomfortably close. Wake up!, he shouts, but he’s otter-Set, not Set-Set. Loud, nonsensical chattering. He smacks a small, impatient paw against her cheek before sitting up to check their surroundings.
SET
alliance champion, once king, mage