Verdigris Ravine palm

zoug had turned his mind to the procession of the sun. rabbits would come out in the evening. he would hunt then. he devoted himself to the mundane, for the discomfort in his heart was too great to think of what had happened.

he had almost fallen asleep, the water muddied with old blood around his wet chest, when his senses told him another was close. "kindred," zoug called out. it would not be a word, only a grunt accompanied by a single gesture that would not be recognizable as a word to one who was not clan.

the scars around his eye seemed to throb as he waited for an answer.