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had the best understanding of pack dynamics. She always seemed to know the reasons behind what every wolf in the pack said and did and how to use the knowledge to her advantage.
    “I think he’s at a loss about what to do with the humans,” she said, beginning to walk more slowly toward the river. “He agreed to help you with the humans because he had to, but I don’t think he really knows how. He’d never admit it, but if he thinks Ázzuen can help him succeed and look good in front of the Greatwolves, he’ll use him.”
    “And he’s definitely afraid of the humans,” Ázzuen said. “I could smell it, even when he was so angry with me.”
    I grunted. They were both right. Ruuqo had always been uncomfortable even discussing the humans, and he certainly never wanted to be involved with them. If he didn’t help me succeed in the task the Greatwolves had set, the Swift River pack would die with every other wolf and human in the valley. Yet consorting with the humans went against everything Ruuqo believed in. For the first time, I felt a little sorry for him.
    In the distance we could hear the river, swollen with melting snow, roaring. The humans lived on the other side. The quickest way to get to a good crossing spot was along a flat, open path that both deer and humans liked to use on their way to drink. The adults in the pack didn’t like using it because it was so exposed. We had only taken a few steps along it when Marra, who was in the lead, stopped, and cocked her head. A moment later I heard a rustling from above, and a large shape dropped down from a pine tree, knocking Marra off her feet. Before we could react, the human boy rolled off of Marra and grinned.
    “I wondered where you were!” His grin widened as Marra licked his face. MikLan was younger than TaLi and exuberant. He was still short and solid, his limbs hadn’t lengthened as TaLi’s had, and his face was round, even though the rest of him was winter-thin. He reminded me of Ázzuen when we were all still smallpups.
    “Hello, wolves!” he said cheerfully.
    Marra’s gloom deserted her as she leapt upon MikLan and washed tree sap off his face. I was a little jealous. I’d had to be so formal with TaLi when she was with her pack.
    Laughing, the boy pushed Marra away.
    “I have food!” he announced. All three of us pricked up our ears. He pulled three strips of dried deer meat out of a horse-skin pouch he carried around his waist. It was fire-meat. My mouth began to water. The humans didn’t like to eat old meat, and so they had found a way to dry it out and make it last a very long time. That was one of the ways they survived the winter. I had thought they might hibernate, like some of the bears do, but Trevegg said that wasn’t it. They did stay in their shelters during the coldest times, and saved food, including firemeat, to sustain them. It was flavorful, every bite tasting like greslin, and one piece gave me as much energy as several mouthfuls of fresh meat.
    MikLan gave each of us a thick piece. I tried not to be jealous that he gave the biggest one to Marra. As we chewed the deer meat, trying to savor the delicacy instead of bolting it, he chattered at us.
    “TaLi and BreLan wanted to come with me, but they couldn’t,” he said, addressing Ázzuen and me. “HuLin wants TaLi to marry DavRian. He was the idiot with the two spears you met on the Vast Plain.” Spears was the human word for their sharpsticks. “He’s from the Rian tribe, and they want an alliance with us. His father, PalRian, is the tribe leader. So TaLi has to stay and be nice to DavRian. So, of course, BreLan is staying around to make sure that TaLi doesn’t pay too much attention to DavRian. He, BreLan, I mean, wants to ask HuLin to let him stay with the Lin tribe for the whole year so that he can court TaLi. So does DavRian. HuLin hasn’t decided whether he’d rather have an alliance with the Lan tribe or Rian, so he will probably let both of them stay.” He