Redtail Rise LXIV

mountain boulder thought he desired direction.

what he wished, rather, was to see if blood star responded as her mother might have: with anger. with resolution. but the young woman was unreadable in that regard. in the absence of any strong reaction, the huntlead let any tension go from his shoulders and swung his tail.

he would search perhaps once more. when the scents faded fully, he would assume that thorn caller and their mate would not return. 

they needed a berserkr. he looked thoughtfully at moon runner, thinking also of flame stalker and the children to come. and then again to wealda. if thorn caller did not return, she was the last eligible redtail in the rise. he hoped that she would seek a mate, for vaguely paternal reasons. perhaps a sense of grandfatherliness. he moved beyond the caru's mark to the track of elk. he shook out his hackles, gave them both an invitation to come, and, unless paused, would move off in that direction.