Hoshor Plains allotment

Guilt ate at him. He wished he'd made an effort to say goodbye to her in particular, but the time was now passed.

"I was hunting a bad man," he replied, "One who harmed the wife of another. We spilled his blood, but I was injured. We were forced to turn back."

By Chakliux, Dutch thought stubbornly, but it did not bear saying aloud.

"The wolves here are gentle, because the land has been gentle with them," he told her, his voice a quiet rumble against the back of her neck. "This is why the outliers — those that visit senseless violence upon the innocent — must be culled. When we remove these threats, the rest of us multiply; as many as the good earth can provide for."

His nose twitched. He said, "You will be a woman, this year." What would she do? He could not imagine her married. He was not yet convinced she was fit to be around pups.