Where was camp? The man hesitated, not sure what she was really asking; he knew some hunting parties set up camps when they were going to be away, as he’d escorted them in the old Tribe. When she said she wanted to see the pack, however, Unatsi shook his head in utter confusion then gestured around them with a paw.
“This is the Great Village, where we’ve been walking the past, uh, ten minutes or so,” Unatsi said more slowly and carefully than usual. “You know, a village, a settlement where luperci live—like, say, a whole Tribe of luperci!” He feigned excitement, and if he were in optime form, he might have clapped his hands together. “So I guess, if you want to see others of our Tribe, you just kinda sit around and they’ll show up—or, y’know, if you’re feeling especially bold, you can knock on their door!” He let his tongue hang comically out of his mouth.
And then, all of a sudden, the silver she-wolf bolted. He gasped despite himself, not expecting her to just take off, and jumped back up to chase after her. She moved speedily, rushing about at an absolute sprinter’s pace, then suddenly collided with a pine.
Unatsi gasped again, quickly cantering to her side and starting to push his nose into her to sniff for blood or injuries. However, old cones started to fall from the tree, and he removed himself quickly so he wouldn’t get the debris on him. The sequence of events that happened afterward, each punctuated by Aethusa screaming into the bloody sky, removed all of the farmer’s concern. All he could do was stare at her in horror, and at last get out a strangled bark.
“Gado galidastanvhi gvdodi nihi?” Unatsikanogeni asked, almost trembling as he took a few steps away from her. She was brain damaged, definitely now if she wasn’t earlier; what other wolf would start howling into the sky about karma (whatever that was) after springing around like a besotted doe? He didn’t understand, and he just wanted to shake her until she started making sense, and—
“Nvtsoasesgvna,” came a gentle order, and Una turned around. He could see the deer standing off to the side, and he wondered if she’d let herself be visible to Aethusa, too. He flattened his ears, the stare of his spirit guide shaming him.
“I’m sorry,” Unatsi told the girl honestly. “Are you okay?”
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