the reaper is not grim

The ranks had thinned again, leaving behind a hard core of supporters. They would likely fill again as spring brought stragglers to their doorstep, but a major relocation was imminent and Bazi worried about ferrying children across so many hundreds of miles with less than two adults to a pup.

It relieved her therefore to see a newcomer doing her duties so diligently. Swiftcurrent's 'borders' were vague, like the red halo around a tick bite, and needed constant reinforcing to keep intruders at bay. Bazi could scarcely wait to have a mountain at her back.

"You'r new -" she called pleasantly to the rolling wolf, approaching with a confidently swaying tail and alert ears. This one was slight but healthy, with a sleek, feminine build and mottled colours that disguised her well. Bazi stopped a few paces away, and licked the fur around her lips. "Did Scimitar welcome you?"