other side of this rock, the beach gives way to nothing but a tumble of boulders and sharp cliffs, the waters crashing against stone.
"This is the spot," I tell them.
"Are you sure he's been here?" S'teph asks, a look of worry on her face. "What if the supplies you left for him just got grabbed by scavengers?"
Can she not smell Juth's scent all over this spot? But as R'ven gives me a curious glance, I remember that humans cannot scent things as well as even the most thick-headed of Strong Arm clan. So I point at the footsteps all over the sand. "Do you see those?"
"Those aren't ours? Oh." She peers down. "I see smaller prints. He must have brought the boy with him. Wonderful. I can't wait to meet them." She looks thrilled at the prospect.
Clearly she has not met them yet or she would not be so enthusiastic. I hand her the package of foodstuffs—dried meat, some roots, and some of the “kah” mix that hunters carry with them when on the trail—and gesture at the rock. "Will you accompany my R'ven in the mornings to deliver this? He knows her scent already."
S'teph puts the package down on the rock, adjusting it twice as if she must find the perfect spot for it, then smooths a bit of fringe sticking out of the sack that must be from a tunic. "You don't want to come with us?"
"He's busy for the next while," R'ven says quickly. "Hunting. It's a Shadow Cat thing." And she squeezes my hand, as if silently telling me we do not have to say more.
"Of course," S'teph says, and reaches over to adjust the package one more time.
When we finally head back to the familiar part of the beach, dawn is starting to break through the clouds. It will be a snowless day, at least, for which I give thanks. S'teph veers toward the fire with a little wave at us, and then I am alone with R'ven. The breeze changes and I pick up the scent of my clan brothers, who are probably already waiting outside of my hut for us.
I turn to R'ven and clasp her hands in mine. "You do not mind that I do this? I know I am leaving you alone for many days."
She shakes her head, her expression fierce. "I want you to do this. You go kill the biggest, baddest creature you can find and show them what a badass hunter you are." Her fingers grip mine tightly. "I know you can do this. I know you're going to absolutely destroy whatever challenge they throw at you. But it also doesn't mean that I won't worry about you. I love you, you know." Her voice catches a little. "I love you, so you'd better come back to me because I'm gonna be hella pissed if I'm stuck here without you."
I pull her close to me, bending down so I can kiss her. "That will not happen. Knowing you are waiting for me will keep me warm throughout the worst of snows."
"That's good," she murmurs against my lips. "Because your bare ass is probably gonna be real cold for the next while."
29
RAVEN
It's hard to watch him go.
U'dron looks so very eager to get this rolling that I feel guilty for even having the slightest bit of doubt. I clutch the blankets close to my body, ignoring the looks that O'jek and A'tam give me. I wanted to reek of sex, and I'm sure I do, so let them stare. I keep my focus on U'dron, who's bright-eyed with eagerness as he strips off his loincloth and stands perfectly still as I'rec scrapes the spearhead over his brow, drawing blood.
"Bring back the tail tip of a sky-claw," I'rec announces. "And you will have proved yourself a true hunter."
A sky-claw. That motherfucker. I'd been hoping he'd channel something a little more appropriate for the snowy mountains, like one of those oversized fluffy cats or a super-big dvisti or something. Nope. Sky-claw. But U'dron just grins and gets to his feet. He swipes his thumb through the blood on his forehead and draws a stripe down his nose, then under both cheeks. With that, he nods at his clan, casts me a quick look, and then begins to jog for the hills that frame our beach encampment.
I watch his bare butt go with a sigh. Get done quickly and stay safe, I mentally tell him. I'll be waiting.
One day passes. Then two.