Redtail Rise LXVII

Any rabbit that had been there would be shuttered underground by now, trembling in their warrens. Gavrel had made such a noise, such a fuss.

He glanced at the large man periodically, the unconscious and wild dignity with which he held himself. Almost like a child idolising an adult, Gavrel hoped to emulate the easy but economic strides, the prowling set of his shoulders and neck.

At times like this he felt like an alien come down to earth, taking notes in a clipboard.

Eventually they came close to the stream. It had not rained in some time and in many places the water level was so low it scarcely darkened the stones beneath it. All the same, it teemed with life. A pair of muskrats waded through the shallows on the bank opposite. Their sleek bodies glistened with the midday sun.