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she had never actually been there, the place was surrounded with stories that had always made the children shiver excitedly in the den.
    Her father had told her once, only half jokingly, that it was guarded by a huge wolf with two heads, and a furious river that let nothing cross whose hungry waters were formed from the saliva of a thousand feeding packs.  Palla had met Tsinga once as a cub and the fortune-teller had scared Palla and her brother Skop half to death.  Tsinga had strange ways and some thought her quite mad, but others believed that she could see the future.
    ‘Go on, Brassa,’ said Palla coldly.
    ‘Tsinga’s kind, the fortune-tellers, they have always guarded the beliefs of the Sight.  And among the stories of the Sight there is a legend, as Kipcha says, of a Man Varg.  Told of in an ancient verse.’
    ‘Ancient verse?’ whispered Palla.  ‘What does it say?’
    ‘I have never heard it, Palla,’ growled Brassa, dropping her eyes.  ‘But I believe the verse tells of a time when a wolf with the Sight would steal a human child.  The Man Varg.  That together they would bring forth some final power of the Sight.’
    ‘Final power? What final power?’
    ‘I don’t know, Palla,’ snapped Brassa, ‘I told you.  I’ve never even heard the verse.’
    But Palla was glaring at Brassa.
    ‘What else?’
    Again Brassa hesitated.
    ‘It has something to do with Wolfbane’s return too,’ she answered reluctantly, ‘and with Wolfbane’s winter.’
    ‘Morgra,’ shuddered Bran, thinking of her strange blessing to them.
    They all knew the story of Wolfbane’s winter.  It was said that if the Evil One ever returned he would bring a terrible winter with him that would shroud the whole earth.
    ‘So that’s the work Morgra talked of,’ whispered Khaz disgustedly.  ‘Stealing humans.  Whatever else that cub killer’s done, she’s broken the oldest law.’
    ‘Then Morgra is trying to fulfil this legend,’ growled Palla, ‘that’s why she took the child.’
    ‘Stop this nonsense,’ cried Huttser angrily, ‘how do you know it has anything to do with a legend? With Morgra’s tastes, more likely than not she’s eaten it.’
    ‘They said there was no blood,’ growled Palla.  ‘Perhaps it has something to do with us, Huttser.  Perhaps that’s why she wanted—’
     ‘Stop it,’ growled Huttser, ‘if Morgra wants to fool with legends let her.  At least it should take her mind off joining the pack.  And one thing’s for sure.  It’s made up my mind.  I’ll drive her away myself if she comes back.  Balkar or no Balkar.’
    ‘But now the humans will want our blood even more, Huttser,’ growled Khaz.  ‘We should get far away from this place.’
    ‘We can’t, Khaz,’ said Palla immediately.  ‘They are still too small to travel any real distance.  We must lie low until the danger passes.  We can’t go back to the cave now the dogs have found it, but at least there’s one boon.  If we find a safe enough den, Morgra won’t be able to find us either.’
    ‘Very well, Palla,’ growled Huttser.  ‘We’ll take them into the mountains and then look for another den, until it’s time to find them a Meeting Place, some proper spot in the sunshine for them to play and prepare themselves for their first hunt.’
    The children had been fascinated with the news of a theft of a human child, but talk of their first hunt was far more exciting to the cubs.  Fell suddenly lifted his head and let out a howl, and for a moment Huttser and the wolf pack grinned.
    But suddenly Palla lifted her head too.
    ‘What is it, Palla?’ growled Huttser, seeing her expression.
    ‘Can’t you hear it?’
    Huttser could hear nothing but it wasn’t long before he caught the scent.  He had begun to sniff the air and Fell and Larka both started to do the same.  In that moment the still air was woken again with a call.  Palla’s tail rose, though not fully, for she had recognized the