Sun Mote Copse Now I know that light guided me here

Merel nodded with a smile.

I won't return with empty jaws, she promised. See you soon, Waawaashkeshi.

And so Merel the Blackbird flitted away, her lean form carrying her across the grassy meadows of the copse. She found the scent of the elk's blood again as she passed under the shade of blooming poplar. This time she pursued it, her long limbs moving at a steady trot. But she would return.

When she was needed, she always flew back.