Redhawk Caldera singing, "all ashore that's going ashore"

She'd begun to wonder where Sumac had run off to, but this was no new thing to Easy. Her sons and daughters were always running off, and always seemed to turn up when they were ready, no worse for wear. She hoped that, wherever he was, he was having fun.

But that left the black bear with no social outlet — a state of affairs she'd left her mountaintop to avoid. So, with work on Cedar Den well underway and nothing else pressing to do, Easy set to find someone else to bother.

Her pregnancy, too, was well underway. She was approaching the halfway mark, which meant, to her, that it was becoming just a little uncomfortable. She was always just a little tender, unable to find a comfortable position in which to rest — but she felt strong, and she supposed that was what really mattered.

The scent of other wolves drew her to the border of a pack she did not know. Something about them was familiar, but she supposed this was to be expected, after the gathering she'd come across — but she did wonder if there was someone she knew among their ranks.

The black bear sang a cheerful, questioning call: Good morning! Anyone around?