Otatso Wetlands night shadow

their peace disturbed, the caribou ran before sun eater as he charged them outside the forest.

belly filled, he did not hunt; he ran at the herds for the sake of it, testing them. among their number were old bulls who would see their end this winter, younger males already injured from the rut. here and there an antler had been shattered, and it was these weaker caribou whom sun eater meant to remember at a later time.

as the moon rose, he was a darkness upon the land, snaking up on white-tufted tails which bounded away in panic.

his teeth clicked loudly among them.