She was restless tonight, and her ribs ached so bad. She'd taken several herbal pain relievers, but none had worked as well as she'd wished. She'd been up all night writing, trying to sort out her aching heart and restless feelings. Both body and soul were restless as she slipped out the door to walk. She followed an aimless path, bent on stretching out her muscles and hopefully letting the sweet breeze wipe away the cobwebs in her mind. The sky was mostly clear today, and the slowly rising sun illuminated the few whispy clouds beautifully.
On a whim, she swung further in, towards the cows in their pen. The cows were Iskata's idea for the pack, like the boats on the shore were Deuce's idea for the pack. Protection. In the case of the cows, it was against starvation come winter. And it was a good idea, since Deuce was a lousy hunter. She was, however, a superb healer. A movement caught her attention. Someone was moving through the cows. Her bi-colored eyes narrowed.
She moved under the fence, silently stalking the stalker. Her hackles had raised. The smaller wolf looked to be maybe six months or younger, with a tawny color. The five year old woman stood up straight. The cows, used to her, lowed softly to her. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and spoke, her voice like a gunshot in the stillness. "What are you doing to my cows, boy?" Her voice crackled with authority. She was, afterall, one of the htree leaders of Phoenix valley.
