Shimmering Sands up with the sun, gone with the wind

he was a little puzzled by the submissive, wary behavior, and he chalked it up to the bear--until the man began to speak. govinda's brows drew together, nodding along with the story told. then he shook his head. not to my knowledge, he responded softly. no bears or cougars about, just seabirds and the occasional beached whale.

huh. maybe the bear really had gone into hibernation. lucky for them.

do you live around here, or are you passing through? govinda asked, his generic query for new faces. and this face was certainly new. he wondered if the man had always been this nervous, or if life had beaten fear into him little by little. like a chisel, chipping away at stone. were that the case, govinda surely could sympathize.