suddenly find it hard to move, so weighed down would I be by misery. Sometimes it wasn’t a heaviness, but rather an emptiness in my chest or a shadow darkening my vision. I always pushed it away. It was worst when I thought of my mother, so I had done my best to stop thinking about her. When Demmen mentioned her name, I felt as if all the sadness I had been trying to avoid slammed into me. I closed my eyes for a moment, forcing it away, and made myself pay attention to the pack.
Something about the youngwolf’s demeanor made me think he was not surprised by what Rissa had told him. His smell was all wrong. Tension in a pack is upsetting, and his scent should have reflected remorse or anxiety at the distress his remarks had caused. It didn’t. He was calm, almost calculating. His eyes rested on me for just a moment too long before he licked Rissa’s muzzle in sympathy.
“I am sorry for your loss,” he said.
He took in Ruuqo’s rigid stance and Rissa’s sadness and the discomfort of the entire pack. He shook himself and opened his mouth in a smile.
“I scent that the snow deer have not yet left the valley for winter’s end. Do you hunt them tonight?”
“We do,” Ruuqo said. “You will join us for the hunt.” It was a statement rather than a question.
“I would be honored,” he said. “Perhaps in the meantime, your pups can reacquaint me with Swift River territory. I understand you have reclaimed Gale Hill from the Stone Peaks since I left.”
Ruuqo nodded his permission, and Demmen trotted from the gathering place, looking over his shoulder at us pups.
Ázzuen, Marra, and Unnan pelted after him. I did not. I wanted nothing more to do with this wolf who so casually reminded me of my lost mother and littermates. I was sneaking away to be alone with my thoughts when Tlitoo landed in front of me with a thump. He smelled of warm rocks and of other ravens. Even more of his feathers were coming out, sticking out at odd angles from his wings and back.
“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?” I snarled at him. “I thought you couldn’t be bothered with helping us.”
“Go with them, wolflet,” he said. “There is a raven watching the humans for you. An old raven that none of the others will miss. I have made sure it is so. But you must go with the strangerwolf, now. It is important.” He darted forward, as if to pull out a tuft of my underfur, then stopped just short of my chest. “Unless you would rather stand here and whine.”
I looked around Fallen Tree to see Ruuqo, Rissa, and Trevegg watching me with looks of pity on their faces. Yllin and Minn wrestled with each other, excited by Demmen’s visit, and totally oblivious to my feelings. Werrna watched me coldly, probably still thinking about her moon-cursed bird. I certainly didn’t want to be with any of them. I would have gone off to be by myself, but I knew Tlitoo would just harass me if I tried. He was pacing in front of me, pecking at the dirt, even though there were no insects or worms to be seen.
Pushing away the sorrow that was still trying to overwhelm me, I found the scent trail left by Demmen and the others and followed it. Tlitoo quorked with what sounded like relief and followed me, flying just low enough to avoid the branches of the spruce trees.
I found them at the birch grove, watching a family of lizards scurrying for cover. Marra was gulping down one that hadn’t scurried quite fast enough. Unnan was standing in front of Demmen, his tail waving.
“This is where I caught a hare two moons ago,” Unnan said. “Ruuqo told me I had the best reactions of any pup in the pack.” Demmen bent his head to listen to Unnan, giving off an approving scent. Unnan’s chest swelled with pride. Marra and Ázzuen watched with disgust. Demmen looked up from Unnan when I walked into the grove.
“You’re Kaala,” he said. “You’re the one who’s not of Rissa’s litter.”
“She’s one of us,” Ázzuen snapped as Unnan
Something about the youngwolf’s demeanor made me think he was not surprised by what Rissa had told him. His smell was all wrong. Tension in a pack is upsetting, and his scent should have reflected remorse or anxiety at the distress his remarks had caused. It didn’t. He was calm, almost calculating. His eyes rested on me for just a moment too long before he licked Rissa’s muzzle in sympathy.
“I am sorry for your loss,” he said.
He took in Ruuqo’s rigid stance and Rissa’s sadness and the discomfort of the entire pack. He shook himself and opened his mouth in a smile.
“I scent that the snow deer have not yet left the valley for winter’s end. Do you hunt them tonight?”
“We do,” Ruuqo said. “You will join us for the hunt.” It was a statement rather than a question.
“I would be honored,” he said. “Perhaps in the meantime, your pups can reacquaint me with Swift River territory. I understand you have reclaimed Gale Hill from the Stone Peaks since I left.”
Ruuqo nodded his permission, and Demmen trotted from the gathering place, looking over his shoulder at us pups.
Ázzuen, Marra, and Unnan pelted after him. I did not. I wanted nothing more to do with this wolf who so casually reminded me of my lost mother and littermates. I was sneaking away to be alone with my thoughts when Tlitoo landed in front of me with a thump. He smelled of warm rocks and of other ravens. Even more of his feathers were coming out, sticking out at odd angles from his wings and back.
“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?” I snarled at him. “I thought you couldn’t be bothered with helping us.”
“Go with them, wolflet,” he said. “There is a raven watching the humans for you. An old raven that none of the others will miss. I have made sure it is so. But you must go with the strangerwolf, now. It is important.” He darted forward, as if to pull out a tuft of my underfur, then stopped just short of my chest. “Unless you would rather stand here and whine.”
I looked around Fallen Tree to see Ruuqo, Rissa, and Trevegg watching me with looks of pity on their faces. Yllin and Minn wrestled with each other, excited by Demmen’s visit, and totally oblivious to my feelings. Werrna watched me coldly, probably still thinking about her moon-cursed bird. I certainly didn’t want to be with any of them. I would have gone off to be by myself, but I knew Tlitoo would just harass me if I tried. He was pacing in front of me, pecking at the dirt, even though there were no insects or worms to be seen.
Pushing away the sorrow that was still trying to overwhelm me, I found the scent trail left by Demmen and the others and followed it. Tlitoo quorked with what sounded like relief and followed me, flying just low enough to avoid the branches of the spruce trees.
I found them at the birch grove, watching a family of lizards scurrying for cover. Marra was gulping down one that hadn’t scurried quite fast enough. Unnan was standing in front of Demmen, his tail waving.
“This is where I caught a hare two moons ago,” Unnan said. “Ruuqo told me I had the best reactions of any pup in the pack.” Demmen bent his head to listen to Unnan, giving off an approving scent. Unnan’s chest swelled with pride. Marra and Ázzuen watched with disgust. Demmen looked up from Unnan when I walked into the grove.
“You’re Kaala,” he said. “You’re the one who’s not of Rissa’s litter.”
“She’s one of us,” Ázzuen snapped as Unnan
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