'If you were going to hunt, shouldn't you have done it earlier in
the day?'
'If I had gone out earlier, I think I would have been the hunted and
not the hunter. Let the big cats make their kill. Let hyenas strip the
carcass. Let them all stay contented within their boundaries and only
threaten to kill me. I am patient.'
'Oh.' She stood rebuked. 'When will you go?'
'As soon as I am finished with this.' He took the spear to the
center of the enclosure, held it firmly in his hand. He checked it for
balance, found the best grips, tested the grain and strength of the wood
by leaning it heavily against the ground. 'Good.' He faced the
wolf. Shall we hunt together?'
Akar raised up and gestured toward the entrance. Sylviana, on an
impulse:
'Can I go with you? This place is beginning to get to me.'
Sometimes it was better to confront ones fears.....
His answer surprised her. 'Yes, if you want to. Three bodies are
better than two. But bring the knife and stay very close. I don't
want to lose you.'
With the sun a hand's breadth shy of noon, they set out.
Chapter 11
The company returned exhausted, with several hours of daylight and much
work still ahead of them. Kalus had gutted the antelope before starting
up the ridge, but climbing the pathless slope with such a burden had
proven an ordeal nonetheless.
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