The Bracken Woods [m] ivory ice

cen grunted, his lips twisting, but said nothing, only pulled her against the beat of his heart and held her there possessively for a moment. 

a good man. 

he had stopped being that. in fact, only red leaf had ever accused him of it. 

the curl of her own fur and blood sat just beneath his chin, pinned with a sliver of wolf's ivory that he swore he had gotten in trade from a seal hunter, who had in turn gotten it from one of the muradoii. and why would red leaf not believe him? he knew she believed in the amulet. he did not hide it from her, and flaunted it even now.

but the time for words was past for cen; her red eyes brought fire to his own and his silent command was that she please her husband.

***

if she slept or was awake still beside him in the skins, cen did not know. he took the first watch, moving away from her warmth and womanness to stand guard in the cold, listening to the wind and the sound of the caribou moving unseen in the surrounding undergrowth, all around their camp.