Shadowwyn Moor so it's cautiously into the dark

It seemed to be news to Suliya that this iteration of the pack had been founded on spilled blood. The battle had been over turf- something the Saatsine did not seem to defend, as nomadic creatures. They might return to Qeya River someday, but they certainly weren’t protecting it while they travelled.

Here I am, He said, not without some guilt. After all, he had embraced the culture of the man who had killed the mother of his children. He enjoyed the travel, the hunting, the camaraderie, his life. He liked to tell himself that he’d had no choice, when Sun Eater had come and forced them to join his fold- but that wasn’t necessarily true. 

There was a fight, He said. Sun Eater put forth a challenge when he found out our leaders were gone. The one who rose to meet the challenge was killed in the fight. Ice Diver was wounded…We were given the choice to stay and follow him, or go, so, He shrugged. We stayed. And…With time, it’s just become our way of life. It wasn’t pretty, to think back on how swift and brutal the change had been, but it had led them to a life that suited them better. 

Not too long after that, Ice Diver and I got married. We started to move and follow the caribou, and as much of a change as it’s been…It’s been good. He admitted with a sigh that shook the tension from his shoulders. He cracked a guilty grin. I just like hunting and keeping on the move.