Qeya River mistanvall

cameo!

Their return to Qeya River excited Ridgeback, who needed extra stimulation as much as he needed a kick in the jewels. He had traipsed along the borders where Ash Star had been slain, and roamed the foothills where sheep lived. This place summoned insecurities he’d thought he had buried, worries that he thought had been suffocated, only to find that the embers lurked just beneath the surface, like a fire overwintering in peat. 

He found the pelt that Sun Eater had gifted them when they returned, and it reminded him of the offer the Chieftan had once made; the prize in return for a night with his wife. 

Or so he thought.

Their return was accompanied as well by Keda’s burning, something even Ridgeback could not ignore- something that Ksura might have taken interest in, a year ago when he had sought out women searching for a fix. He’d given both Sun Eater and his wife a wide berth during that time- an easy task, as the Chieftan kept his wife secure- but he began to wonder what consequences there might be if Ice Diver’s season came too late. They would stop for two months for Keda to have her children, surely- but what if Ice Diver did not go into season early enough?

Nature could not be forced. Laws could be changed, but the way of the Caribou Hunters was not simply law- it was a lifestyle. 

He had been following his wife’s trail, in hopes of smothering her with attention- perhaps in an attempt to persuade biology to change- but when he caught Sun Eater’s scent, he switched into stealth mode; creeping forward like a shepherd approaching a flock of sheep, flattening himself where his scent might be carried away, and his low profile might go unnoticed. His ears lifted only slightly- just enough to eavesdrop. 

He could only hope that he’d learned enough of the man’s tongue to understand their conversation- otherwise, he might have to rely solely on tone.