'What is it?' she asked. 'What's wrong?' He tried to
tell her what he was feeling, but it was all too much. Rising to a sit
beside him, Sylviana took his face in her hands and tried to understand.
Then she took his head tentatively to her shoulder, where he wept like a
brutalized child. Feeling awkward, but very warm, she stroked his
gnarled hair and rocked him slowly.
When morning came it found them still anxious and afraid, but infinitely
closer than they had been only hours before.
Chapter 8
The Mantis appeared at the entrance of his cave about an hour after
sunrise. Kalus and the wolf had waited by the opening of the smaller
enclosure, and knew without being told that he was ready with an answer.
Seeing them high above, Skither raised one foreclaw and summoned them to
come down. As they drew closer he stepped out slowly toward the center
of the ledge. He wanted to choose the right words.
He exchanged simple greetings with the wolf, nodding passively at Kalus.
He addressed Akar first, and after several minutes the wolf nodded his
understanding and moved to wait at a far corner of the ledge, without
giving any indication what the answer had been. Turning his attention
to Kalus, the Mantis signaled his words slowly and carefully.
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