The plains, thirty-three days after leaving Deep Mountain.
There was something new on the wind. Something that stirred her senses.
Suddenly awake, Heartstorm lifted her head, listening intently, and looked around. Her tribemates and their wolves were all safely asleep, covering their faces to block out the harsh light of the hot, flat plain, so that was not what had disturbed her sleep. Clear-Thought, her wolf-friend, was standing several elf-lengths away, peering through the tall grasses. **What is it?** the huntress lock-sent to her partner.
**Wind changing. Animal-smell coming closer,** Clear-Thought reported.
Heartstorm carefully slithered free of her lifemate’s arms, and bestowed a quick caress to her remaining son’s cheek -his back had been pressed against hers- before she went to Clear-Thought’s side. As one, they tasted the air, and once Heartstorm’s eyes adjusted to the late afternoon sun, she could see several dark shapes in the distance.
More wolves were waking up now, but Heartstorm turned her thoughts on the unbonded ones. **Wait here,** she firmly told them, then added to Clear-Thought, **Listen for me.**
The black and gray she-wolf sat down, ears pricked, and her partner slid into the grass, quiet as only a Wolfrider could be. She moved at a light jog, stopping here and there to make sure the wind was blowing her scent away as she approached whatever it was.
“Whatever it was” turned out to be huge. They were large, heavy, humpbacked beasts, with shaggy brown fur that darkened around their round heads and shoulders; short, sharp horns curved forward on their brows. Seeing them made Heartstorm want to take them on, for the challenge and for the meat. But she was wise enough not to do it by herself; High Ones, not even her lifemate’s aim would be enough to bring down one of the beasts. Killing one would be the work of the whole wolf pack and all the able hunters, and even then it would be risky, but it was fresh meat for the taking.
Risk. Heartstorm sobered fast and attempted to still her blood. They were too few now to take such a chance on the massive beasts, unless they found one that was lame.... No. “All the able hunters” were very low in number. Heartstorm couldn’t bring herself to trust Whistler, Dusk, Moth and Gust to help. Whistler was competent, of course, but her specialty was small game, and the other three were untried youths. If it were up to Heartstorm, they wouldn’t carry spears in hunts for a few more turns of the seasons.
It looked as though they had get out of the way of the beasts instead. Fast.
Curses.
Heartstorm whirled and flowed through the grass, returning to her tribe. **Wake up!** she mentally yelled. **All of you, get up! Get up this instant! Come on! We’re leaving and we’re doing it NOW!**
Lightstone jerked awake, half confused, half stung, and Silent sat up fast, hands against his temples. The huntress had a forceful personality, and like many, she had a tendency to make heads hurt for a moment when she was indiscriminate in her sendings. The rockshaper slid into a crouch, reaching for his pack, bedfur and waterbags. **Lifemate, what-**
**Animals, huge ones, coming closer,** his Recognized shot back as she bolted into the camp. **Too big to hunt, and coming from me, you know that’s something.**
The rockshaper’s eyebrows lifted, and he gathered Silent’s meager possessions as well while his son tried to get his head on straight.
Suddenly awake, Heartstorm lifted her head, listening intently, and looked around. Her tribemates and their wolves were all safely asleep, covering their faces to block out the harsh light of the hot, flat plain, so that was not what had disturbed her sleep. Clear-Thought, her wolf-friend, was standing several elf-lengths away, peering through the tall grasses. **What is it?** the huntress lock-sent to her partner.
**Wind changing. Animal-smell coming closer,** Clear-Thought reported.
Heartstorm carefully slithered free of her lifemate’s arms, and bestowed a quick caress to her remaining son’s cheek -his back had been pressed against hers- before she went to Clear-Thought’s side. As one, they tasted the air, and once Heartstorm’s eyes adjusted to the late afternoon sun, she could see several dark shapes in the distance.
More wolves were waking up now, but Heartstorm turned her thoughts on the unbonded ones. **Wait here,** she firmly told them, then added to Clear-Thought, **Listen for me.**
The black and gray she-wolf sat down, ears pricked, and her partner slid into the grass, quiet as only a Wolfrider could be. She moved at a light jog, stopping here and there to make sure the wind was blowing her scent away as she approached whatever it was.
“Whatever it was” turned out to be huge. They were large, heavy, humpbacked beasts, with shaggy brown fur that darkened around their round heads and shoulders; short, sharp horns curved forward on their brows. Seeing them made Heartstorm want to take them on, for the challenge and for the meat. But she was wise enough not to do it by herself; High Ones, not even her lifemate’s aim would be enough to bring down one of the beasts. Killing one would be the work of the whole wolf pack and all the able hunters, and even then it would be risky, but it was fresh meat for the taking.
Risk. Heartstorm sobered fast and attempted to still her blood. They were too few now to take such a chance on the massive beasts, unless they found one that was lame.... No. “All the able hunters” were very low in number. Heartstorm couldn’t bring herself to trust Whistler, Dusk, Moth and Gust to help. Whistler was competent, of course, but her specialty was small game, and the other three were untried youths. If it were up to Heartstorm, they wouldn’t carry spears in hunts for a few more turns of the seasons.
It looked as though they had get out of the way of the beasts instead. Fast.
Curses.
Heartstorm whirled and flowed through the grass, returning to her tribe. **Wake up!** she mentally yelled. **All of you, get up! Get up this instant! Come on! We’re leaving and we’re doing it NOW!**
Lightstone jerked awake, half confused, half stung, and Silent sat up fast, hands against his temples. The huntress had a forceful personality, and like many, she had a tendency to make heads hurt for a moment when she was indiscriminate in her sendings. The rockshaper slid into a crouch, reaching for his pack, bedfur and waterbags. **Lifemate, what-**
**Animals, huge ones, coming closer,** his Recognized shot back as she bolted into the camp. **Too big to hunt, and coming from me, you know that’s something.**
The rockshaper’s eyebrows lifted, and he gathered Silent’s meager possessions as well while his son tried to get his head on straight.