Silver Moraine sky hand

the man's screaming tore at the very soul of cen, plucking him from where he lay huddled beneath that new name, that new clan, that new group. he heard in this his own horrific agony when the moon wench had cut his eye from his head. he had been shoved and beaten, but there was no anguish which had ever compared for cen.

he had shrieked like that once.

the man vomited, and yikaas caught sight of the ugly rent in his head; was that a flash of bone? of muscle? he stepped back as muck splatted upon the earth, but he bent close a second longer to stare at the wound again.

who had done this? what power had chosen this stranger, and why? "be still. i know your pain must be immense," he heard himself mumbling in lanzadoii. why not? why not why not?

what did red leaf speak? did she still hold to that garbled and ugly sharadoii, or had she learned to speak seal hunter? yikaas sneered from where he crouched like a gargoyle beside the sickened man.

"be still." his paw was rough on the grey cheek, turning the fevered head sideways. "i can keep the evil from entering. the rest is up to your strength."

the caribou man paused then to stare at the one who moaned beside his feet, staring through the grey hide as if he could see his salvation beyond.