How easy for you, [he growls. Astarion shoves at the muzzle above him as the wolf sniffs at his face and his hair. Really, it was humiliating before and this is prolonging that experience.

The question earns a barked, bitter laugh and Astarion makes a much more dedicated effort to getting out from under the wolf as he eases back, even if it's only a little. He has already had a long night when he wanted to accomplish one, simple thing and he has been on the verge of hysteria for the better part of a week as he contemplates the reality of his situation. This feels like a breaking point, and he cannot allow that.]

Because, as you can readily see, I'm in no condition to hunt anything that can properly fight back. The next biggest thing I have any chance of killing would be livestock, and given the conditions here, I think people would notice if their pigs and goats turned up exsanguinated.

[He looks at the abandoned rat and the congealing blood around it. He could probably find some dregs in there if he tried, but he will not lick it off the floor. Gods, not again. Astarion takes a deeper breath and lets it go in a short huff.]

And now I'll need to find something else, since I'm quite sure this tussle has scared off anything smart enough to run.

[He can't hear the familiar movement of rodents through straw or along rafters.]