Sequoia Coast cantaloupe

the shelter was of packed snow over braced branches. they gleamed like ribs along the inside of the den. wolf dreamer had dug down into a huge drift, found ice behind, and tunneled back the way he had come. worry for collapse had brought him to mind of reinforcing the thing.

dancing fox had done too great a portion of the work, he decided, glancing toward her with worry chasing the line of his jaw. there were no skins to warm the inside of the shelter, and so he lay with the woman often, hoping to warm her.

hunger was beginning to overtake the man. his small catches of fish and birds went mostly to dancing fox, and he was still healing, too weak to consider hunting the straggling forest further inland. too weak to even think of hunting on the sea.

"if i die, dancing fox, eat my body." his black eyes blinked slowly under the haze beneath which he breathed and slept. "use my fur to warm your children." wolf dreamer smiled. "i will not mind. i want you to do it."