Knox considered this for a moment, his brow furrowing in thought. "I...I guess I never really looked at it that way," he murmured softly. It was true; ever since his parents died, he had been consumed by the past, unable to move on from what happened and focus on the present. Maybe Thorn was right; maybe he could learn something from this smaller cat after all.

He sighed heavily, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders just a little bit. "Thanks,"

That made him feel even more guilty; he didn't want to keep dragging Thorn down with his problems. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, turning away so Thorn wouldn't see the shame in his expression. "It's just...I don't know what I'd do without you." It was true; since Thorn had come into his life, things had been a bit easier to bear. The smaller cat seemed to understand him on some level, and Knox couldn't help but feel grateful for that.

"

"Bone-breaking is just the beginning, sweetheart. The real fun starts when I get creative with soft tissue."

"Oh, I can do that all right. But it will take time, patience...and plenty of pain."