Qeya River And it all ends with a kiss.

The events of the past few days were a snarled tangle, and Gideon worked still to unravel them as he was summoned out of the shadows by Sun Eater. He couldn't begin to understand why the man had taken this land from the resident wolves, though he was glad to be on the winning "side" of the conflict. He could not understand why those whose land was claimed had chosen to remain.

He comprehended little, and grew more aware by the day of how sheltered and kind his life had been up until now. Gideon refused to admit he was afraid. A part of him understood his was a situation in which even God had no say, and that made him feel very small and very alone, but another part of him understood the primal ways as well. The strongest and most capable wolf stood atop the heap where familial bonds and charity failed, and Sun Eater had proven himself to be that.

Gideon stood before the caribou hunter and canted his head to the side in a silent question, but already he was learning his place in this new dynamic. His eyes were respectfully averted and his tails hung low, something he had never felt compelled to do in Rivenwood. For now, the object of Sun Eater's interest went unseen.