Kildeer Rest [m] rain bear

red leaf's cuts were clumsy, her retreat too swift. cen scoffed and stalked past the trembling form of his young wife; he slashed only a few more times, and caught the great throat, and held it.

when the last kicking had ended, cen wiped his mouth and looked toward red leaf. he was not angry, which surprised even the man. but he was annoyed. he must teach her, this woman he had brought over the glacier from her valley.

"among lanzadoii, the men and the women butcher together. each hunter earns a part to share in the task. it is divided equally, and that way your shares are also equal."

he had circled back to the dead caribou, and now touched its face with a paw. "thank you, grandfather. your life gives us life." but in the next, his voice latched again upon red leaf;

"but that is the way of lanzadoii. and i know the ways of your people. i have seen them, lived them. so, my wife," and now he pushed her firmly toward the carcass, "if you want to be a sharadoii woman, and butcher what i have killed, then do so."

it would be long hands of time before red leaf could creep wearily to bed, the meat butchered and frozen in a hide, so that it would be easier to carry; the new skin, stretched, scraped, and ready for further curing tomorrow; the teeth and declaws and antlers piled aside, to add to her weight; the skull plucked clean; the offal taken from their camp and buried elsewhere, what of it she could not cure or eat, so that other animals would be staved off.

yes. sharadoii indeed.

cen gorged himself on dried meat, rolled himself into their hides, and went to sleep.