He felt the sudden way the world seemed to shake a little, the writhe in his chest rose before the lids of his eyes. When they finally joined in, an unfocused gaze blinked several times to stare at the man in front of him. Or beast, as it were. The cut of those features and the point of the ears was unnatural. Old habits ingrained in his head instantly began trying to categorize him. This did nothing to aid the already taxed mental energy.<br/><br/>It was only a solid set of slow blinks that fixed on him over the top of the fabric. By the time he heard the dogs, he was starting to put things together. Of course the...whatever it was, was up to no good. When was anything unnatural? Still...in better days, he would have quickly tossed him out back into the open. Those days, however, were long and gone. At the moment, he was a tattered bit of rags currently sharing a nest with whatever the hell it was. He'd be guilty by association. Despite the moralistic heart he'd always had, he'd seen first hand how people treated him now. No...he couldn't act, and that wounded what little pride the man had left.<br/><br/>The little quip about the powder drew his eyes back from the entrance and his moral dilemma. It'd have to be pretty fine to make it through the layers he had over his face. The irony that he had finally found a benefit of being fixed with the damn thing wasn't lost on him. He simply lacked the willpower to find it amusing.<br/><br/>That gaze came back and slowly appraised the man up and down, running carefully. He also fixed his little weapon with another solid stare. Something that pointed could always be annoying. It didn't take much to get it in deep. It was only the sounds of the dogs growing closer that turned his attention. The man didn't know how lucky he was, bunking in with him- if the powder didn't turn the dogs, by the time they smelled him they'd be gone again.<br/><br/>Animals had never much cared for him, and hunting hounds always fixed him with a fearful stare before steering clear. The smarter their owners touted them the be, the quicker they were to run.<br/><br/>While the powder did it's work, he listened. Staring at the ground to avoid any further distraction (and to keep his gaze both able to see his new bunk mate and the door), he picked up on the key words he needed to. Little things like 'this time' especially made an impact and, by the time that Wyl spoke again, the gaze was more cautious if not a little annoyed. He'd just found a comfortable place to sleep, and it all was ruined thanks to some common thief.<br/><br/>"You mean," came the cracking and muffled voice,"to keep me quiet." It wasn't a question. Why else would someone like it bother wasting time on him? Killing was probably out of the question this close to a town and, if he happened to make any noise, he'd was sure to be found. "So you can get away with...a map, was it?" He was observant, though it was hard for anyone not to be, but he was also notably exhausted. He had to pause in the middle of longer statements, and he was winded by the end of them.<br/><br/>His grey brows knit together, twitching distantly. "I'd only been..." He'd only been what? Did it matter, anyways? He'd only been looking for somewhere quiet and safe. Somewhere out of the way. Somewhere where he hadn't had to stand up again. Somewhere safe. Despite the look of it, that little pile of rubble had been the most comfort the man had received in weeks. Some pitiful part of him felt broke both by and at the loss of that.<br/><br/>The man wilted back down, head falling forwards and shoulders collapsing in. There was also the realization that his heart had nearly jumped at the promise of a meal. Is that really where he was now? How low he'd fallen? That he could be bought off by some cheap thief by the promise of third rate food?<br/><br/>Despite all he'd gone through, it was this that had broke him. Hands that had been balled into loose fists relaxed. His gaze drifted towards the ground. His voice was softer now.<br/><br/>"Water...would be nice." Clean water, even better, but he would take what he could get.