Ouroboros Spine darkening scorn

He had watched the animals as Lote did. Seeking understanding of the woman and what she had laid out to him of her home, her people. It was not so different from the way Raimo prowled on any other day; he found a scent, he followed the trail of clues left behind, he found his targets and observed.

In this case it was a pine marten; its movements jerked it through the undergrowth and from time to time it would stop to roll in the soil, bite at discarded pieces of bark, or gnaw fresh spring shoots until they were stubs.

Raimo wanted to kill it — its meat would be tough and its fur poor for keeping, but food was food, and he still vied for the favor of his betters. Instead the man continued his observation with a growing impatience as the creature dove yet again across the forest floor, seemingly without direction.