palpable had the delight of the caribou man been when @Anselm had come bearing news of a great hunt far over the mountains. sun eater knew the sunshine wolves would be gathered; he knew his exile and his exploits would be wasted if he was captured again.

and yet he would not avoid this. 

but first, he said with a slow look; first they would go to moontide. when ghelan once more was with him, @Ksura's children would have no obstacle to their return.

he had waited for the return of those others; he had risen slowly from his stone perch to see sheep killer return, and a small rough smile had lingered secretly on sun eater, fading long before it was seen.

no one else. it was an order that they three only be the ones to go. 

in his absence, @Sulukinak was to be heeded. @Meleeys would help. "i ran a deer from the mist-cliffs. set @Ilse and the boy @Gideon to its butchering and caching," he asked of his sister. @Kekoa would be given little instruction; as healer and potential spirit-speaker, the chieftain did not wish to demand too much of the respected personage. overlooked again was the fact that ilse had her own herbal education. he wanted to see more of her work in other regards. @Senka was free to travel as she wished, or to work beside the others. in fact the other saatsine might see in her a strength he wished to be apparent for them all.

sun eater granted some minutes for the farewelling that grey man and sheep killer might want, but thereafter, he turned the two men implacably toward the sea. all too well he remembered the way.