Green Water tilted her head, soft eyes on her husband. "I think she's seen a lot more of the Others than Raven Hunter. I listen to her talk and I think the men should heed what she says. If half of what she says is true—"
"We're in deep trouble," One Who Cries agreed, watching Blueberry take time to nurse her child.
Green Water nudged him, humorous reproach in her eyes. "The child will grow up as one of us."
"Can you believe Raven Hunter wanted to kill it? You'd think he'd learn."
"He's crazy." Green Water lifted her chin, long shining lengths of hair falling around her firm throat. A wistfulness lay in the corners of her broad mouth.
"I hope he's not as crazy as Dancing Fox says."
Fox sighed heavily, shaking her head. "He is."
Green Water studied One Who Cries thoughtfully. "Incidentally, I noticed that you told most of the band leaders how to find Heron's valley."
A few yards away, Singing Wolf had taken his baton, striking flakes off the sinew-clogged biface he was using to butcher the mammoth. The clack-snap carried to One Who Cries on the cold breeze, reassuring, the familiar sound of meat making. Why didn't it soothe him?
He filled his lungs, blowing out into the cool air to watch his breath condense. Around him, the hills rose, crumpled shale outcrops on the ridges as the folded topography rose to the high mountains to the west. The air cut cleanly through his lungs, bringing the scent of mammoth and trampled wormwood and sedge. To the north, a somber bank of clouds rolled down from the salt water—a nasty storm from the looks of it.
"If the Others come this winter ... as many of them as Blueberry says, we've only got one way to go."
"And if there's no way out of Heron's valley?"
He gave her a cockeyed glance and chuckled. "Well, maybe Heron can Dream them away, huh?"
"People!" A faint cry came, borne on the wind.
Singing Wolf stood up, looking to the north, shading his eyes with a blood-caked hand. Jumping Hare let the hide slide loose, craning his neck back and forth to see.
"Looks like Three Falls," Singing Wolf called. "What's he doing here? Thought he'd gone off with Sheep Whistle to hunt up north."
"I see Mouse," Jumping Hare called. "I'd know her walk.
Broke her leg that time. When Strikes Lightning's dart didn't
kill that buffalo along the salt water. There's more, too. Lots
of the People behind them." >
Green Water made a clucking sound. "I don't think this is good. Go see."
One Who Cries picked up his darts and trotted around the rock outcrop where he'd taunted the mammoth cow. The dogs, were already barking, growling as they ran to meet the hounds with Sheep Whistle's people, snarling and fighting.
Three Falls walked in the lead of the group, a huddle of women behind him bent under flat-looking packs hitched by tump lines. They paced wearily, followed by one or two more hunters to the rear. Then came others, more bundled figures topping the horizon, walking bent against the skyline. The ones in the rear didn't look well as they limped along. No one noticed the scrapping dogs as they growled and yipped, the packs tearing into each other.
One Who Cries pulled up, sensing the wrongness. "Three Falls!" he called. "Welcome. Come, we've killed mammoth. We can feast you in real style."
A ripple of relief seemed to run through the group. Mouse—hair cut short in mourning for Strikes Lightning— lifted her head, a bit more bounce in her walk. Her young infant peeked out from her hood, a tiny face beside hers. Behind her a little girl toddled. More came, some still straggling over the hilltop to the north.
"There goes our winter's supply of meat," he whispered to himself.
Three Falls lifted grateful hands in the gesture of relief. "We'll enjoy your feast, One Who Cries, and offer thanks to the Blessed Star People for your shelter.''
"I don't see much in the way of packs. The dogs aren't loaded. Isn't that Big Mouth back there?" The short, stocky man limped miserably. "Is he hurt?"
"Dart wound." Three Falls looked away nervously, lips pinched. "We had a wonderful hunt. Caught a herd of dall sheep in a little valley. Perfect. We'd butchered most of the carcasses, built caches so the permafrost would keep the meat. Thought we'd stay there all winter with the Others driven off and all."
A tendril of anxiety touched his stomach. "What happened? ''
"The Blessed Star People saved us, my friend. Just luck. One of the young men was running to tell Raven Hunter and Crow Caller that we'd made enough meat to feed many. He saw the Others first, ran back, and warned us. Let me tell you, they fight better now. Killed four of the hunters who went out to drive them off. There were so many of them, old • friend. So many. So fierce. We could no more drive them off than stop Wind Woman. But our position in the hills was good, so we didn't get slaughtered."