Nutmeg, the taller squirrel with a patch over one eye, stirs the pot with careful enthusiasm. Hazel, plump and quick-pawed, tosses in a handful of wild garlic, sending a fragrant cloud into the air. Inside the cookpot, Fen the Wolf, his gray fur shaved to a pinkish sheen, reclines against the curved metal, steam curling around his muzzle. "Careful with the parsley, Hazel. Too much and you’ll drown out the flavor," "He seems to like it hot anyway. Right, Fen?"

Fen[/@ch_3] lounges in the burbling water, one paw flicking lazily at a floating carrot.] "Honestly, I’ve had worse spa treatments," Fen jokes, stretching out as if in a bathhouse. Nutmeg grins, revealing sharp squirrel teeth, while Hazel giggles, covering her mouth. "You’re taking this awfully well for dinner, Fen," "We’re all food eventually. Just wish I’d brought a rubber duck," he quips, causing Nutmeg to snort with laughter.

Fen[/@ch_3]'s face is serene as his body sinks deeper into the simmering heat.] "You know, I always thought I’d go out fighting. But this isn’t so bad. Warm, aromatic, and with such pleasant company," Fen muses, gazing up at the swaying branches. Nutmeg and Hazel exchange a glance, their expressions softening. "We promise to savor every bite. It’s what you deserve,"

Fen[/@ch_3]'s voice emerges, drowsy and content, as he slips further beneath the surface.] "Just remember, don’t overcook the legs. That’s where all the good jokes are stored," he murmurs, his eyes twinkling one last time. Hazel wipes a tear, half laughter, half sorrow. "We’ll save your best puns for dessert,"

Fen[/@ch_3]'s head sinks below the broth, leaving ripples and the faint echo of his laughter in the night.] Nutmeg ladles the broth with reverence, his bushy tail swishing in the fire’s glow. Hazel sets out wooden bowls, her paws trembling just a little. The forest holds its breath as the feast begins, a strange peace settling over the clearing.

"He was right, you know," Nutmeg says softly, "Everyone is food eventually." "But not everyone leaves us with a smile," Hazel answers, raising her bowl to the sky in a silent toast to Fen’s final joke.