[ Quetzal's body jerks under him, as he makes a wordless, animal sound of pain. He dared him to go farther, got what he wanted--

This body, that's met the teeth of predator after predator by this point, is telling him, that's serious! get away!, and he tries to sit up, feels his elbows slip out from under him in the loose sand, and something about that--

to his chagrin, he realizes: it is then too much.
he lets his tail grow limp around Muffin's middle. ]