Great Bear Wilderness night sun

cen had to be strong for sulukinak now. she was not caribou, but she could be. and she had left behind what she knew for him, to travel, to run, stained in his blood and stamped with the exile he had earned.

cen was so deeply grateful that the emotion stole his voice. he did not think he had ever been so filled with gratitude before.

"no everdark," he grunted. "just the snowy places and the bracken forest." he moved at a trot now, tongue lolling as his limbs screamed in protest. "and then, sulukinak, i need to — i must find a way to get a message to red leaf. she will leave if i command, she and ghelan."

he trembled as he spoke, with anger, with pain, with fatigue. only red leaf could have spoken against him, but she had not been at the trial! he wanted her before him, if only to ask, and his hard eyes shone more bleakly than before.