Ouroboros Spine The captain's got his boots on

The dove stilled momentarily, eyes downcast as something streaked through her with sudden, vicious heat -- like a piercing ray of summer sun -- though the brush of his muzzle was only polite and platonic. The herdstalker couldn't find it in herself to touch him in return, not even sure where or how would be appropriate. Instead she whet her chops with an uncertain sweep of her tongue and settled for remaining nonchalant, willing the hummingbird thrum of her heart to settle. 

"Aye," the morning dove rasped when she had calmed, falling in beside the Gamma with a submissive bob of her head. "They lived here once, before village Moonglow claimed the Spine. Our sudden presence startled them away but when they fled west to the foothills of the mountains, they found the grazing lands ruined by the strange storm. Some of the elk were injured."

"Likely they have returned. The survivors of village Glen linger in the borderlands but their settlement is new. Our tribe lives in the upper ring of the Spine so I think they have come home -- they will likely remain and graze in the lowlands around the lake as long as they are not over-hunted.'' The tracker had told Raimo much the same once and assumed that the warning she had given him had been shared amongst the hunters. They must respect this land that had given them so much and the bounty it provided. The herd of red deer who would live here were no different.