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tall for women. Both had stocky legs and muscular buttocks, drawing men’s eyes when they wore their shorter summer garments. Neither had Bellu’s perfection, but they were still considered beautiful among the Kindred. Their eyes carried laughter more than fury, but not now: Bellu actually held back a few paces, cowed by the inexplicable rage on Coco’s face.
    â€œWe…” Calli looked to Bellu for support, then down at the grass in her arms.
    â€œLook!” Coco commanded. She thrust a finger at the flat rock by the fire on which the skinned rabbits lay. Calli stared, then exchanged horrified glances with Bellu. Only one carcass remained.
    Bellu scanned the sky for the bird that might have done this, but Calli knew no bird would come in so close to a smoking fire. This had been a human, who had done this. One of the Kindred.
    â€œYou can never leave food unguarded during times of great hunger!” Coco scolded.
    Bellu made a small whimpering noise. She was unaccustomed to anyone being angry at her. Coco ignored her—she remained focused on Calli, waiting for an explanation.
    But Calli was looking over her mother’s shoulder. Albi was approaching, leaning on her heavy stick.
    â€œWhat is happening here?” Albi demanded.
    Coco reluctantly explained that they were short a rabbit. Albi raised a furious finger and stabbed it at Calli. “You should have piled stones on the carcasses,” she raged. “Now we have even less to eat!”
    Bellu looked close to tears, but Calli said nothing. She was staring at Albi, whose chin was shiny with a new, slick coat of grease.
    *   *   *
    Silex was at the front of a party of five other Wolfen hunters. They ran easily, keeping the wolves to their left, far enough away on the rolling plains that only their fur-covered backs were visible above the grasses, rippling like water flowing over rocks. The Wolfen hunters did not know where the pack was going, but the wolves ran in the single-file lope they usually employed when they were tracking game.
    The Wolfen, mimicking their canine benefactors in all ways possible, also ran in a single-file line, but now Duro—a large, muscular hunter several years older than Silex—increased his speed until the two men were side by side.
    â€œSo you are to marry Ovi,” Duro grunted.
    Silex glanced sideways at him. Duro’s face seemed drawn into a permanent scowl, his dark eyes furrowed under a heavy brow. The ridge of bone at the base of his forehead was almost as thick and prominent as the facial features of Frightened Ones, the massively built but shy near-humans who always fled when they saw the Wolfen. Now, when Duro met his gaze, Silex felt that the other man seemed even more dour than usual.
    â€œIt was my father’s final wish,” Silex reminded the other man neutrally. Several days had passed since they had buried the Wolfen leader, placing spearheads and some bear teeth in the hole with him. Since that time, Duro had been behaving petulantly, so Silex thought he knew where this conversation might be headed.
    â€œYour father is dead.”
    Silex increased the pace slightly, and the larger man followed suit. Silex prided himself on the light touch of his feet on the ground, so similar to the running wolf. Duro’s footfalls fell more heavily.
    â€œOvi is a rounded woman. She has good breasts. She will be a fertile mother,” Duro panted.
    Silex abruptly signaled a halt. The rest of the Wolfen reacted instantly, but Duro had been caught off guard and overran their position, returning sheepishly to rejoin the group.
    â€œWe have lost sight of the wolves,” Silex told his fellow hunters, who circled around him. He directed his men to travel in two groups of two and locate where the wolves had gone. Duro he would keep with him.
    â€œSo,” Silex said, looking up at Duro.
    â€œOvi is large boned. Like me. She is tall for a woman.” Duro