even though he already knew the answer. "It's given him a bit of a stomach ache. A few days of rest and a perch where he can't bite the paint off and he'll be just fine."
Talon gave a soft cry as Kam ruffled his fingers through the stiff chest feathers. Tomm nodded thoughtfully as he studied his bird.
"He has been clawing at his perch lately," Tomm said. "Thanks, I'll get that fixed."
Kam watched as Tomm and Talon walked off with a frown on his face. It was definitely clear that the things Kam could feel from animals were deeply out of the ordinary. He mulled over the idea throughout the day as he went about his various chores and waited for Lor and the rest of the hunters to return. It surprised him to see just how many of the dogs stopped by to say hello wherever he was in the camp. First Runt flopped down on his feet and then other dogs came by for a petting. When the hunters returned, Kam was one of the people who helped unhitch the dogs and he found that his sleds were done well before the ones anyone else was helping with simply because the dogs were much more cooperative with Kam than with anyone else.
When he climbed under the furs with Lor that night, Kam was almost totally convinced. He had some sort of connection or power with animals. It was a comforting thought to know that he wasn't just extra baggage for the clan any longer. Kam really could help with everything animal related. He went to sleep curled in Lor's arms with a small smile on his face at the thought.
Morning dawned and Kam woke as Lor began disentangling their furs so he could get dressed for the day. Kam hurried into his warm clothing and stepped into the blindingly blue day, braced for the icy wind that buffeted him along. He walked to the kennels to start feeding the dogs, their hunger beginning to press on his mind.
As usual, Hern already had the door open when Kam arrived. Kam took his time with the feeding, making sure that each dog got their share of food and an equal amount of time getting petted. Once he finished helping Hern clean the building properly, Kam headed over to the fire for breakfast.
"It's a good day today," Mae said as a greeting to Kam when he arrived in front of the communal pot of food. She handed him a bowl and ladled some of the porridge inside as she spoke. "We'll get a lot of tanning done today. Lots of furs to sell in the market this fall!"
"That sounds good, Mae," Kam replied as he searched for a spoon.
"I'll need you to help stretch the skins, so don't travel far," Mae added, pointing a clean spoon in his direction to emphasize her point.
Kam nodded and took the spoon. "I'll be right over there," he said with a shrug towards the rock beside the fire where Lor was sitting to eat his own breakfast.
Mae nodded, but turned her attention to Hern, who had also come for breakfast.
Lor moved over to give Kam room to sit and then occasionally brushed his arm against Kam as they both sat in comfortable silence. Runt and her littermates wandered over with their mother to sit by the fire, too. Lor had been finished eating for a while by the time Kam finally set aside his bowl, but Lor waited patiently.
"I'll be on the other side of camp," he explained. "They found …"
But Kam never learned what had been found or by whom, because Lor's eyes shot wide and he jumped to his feet.
"Weapons!" Lor shouted as he pushed Kam behind him. Bows and spears usually reserved for hunting suddenly appeared and the clan's members who knew how to use them were quick to arm themselves.
Lor was staring at an empty patch of snow, trampled flat and slightly brown by dozens of boots but otherwise totally unremarkable. In the back of his mind, Kam thought he felt the twinge of an animal of some sort coming closer, but the focused worry on Lor's face made Kam push the twinge away in favor of the more immediate fear.
Kam watched as those holding weapons circled the empty space. There was something coming into focus in the middle of their
Talon gave a soft cry as Kam ruffled his fingers through the stiff chest feathers. Tomm nodded thoughtfully as he studied his bird.
"He has been clawing at his perch lately," Tomm said. "Thanks, I'll get that fixed."
Kam watched as Tomm and Talon walked off with a frown on his face. It was definitely clear that the things Kam could feel from animals were deeply out of the ordinary. He mulled over the idea throughout the day as he went about his various chores and waited for Lor and the rest of the hunters to return. It surprised him to see just how many of the dogs stopped by to say hello wherever he was in the camp. First Runt flopped down on his feet and then other dogs came by for a petting. When the hunters returned, Kam was one of the people who helped unhitch the dogs and he found that his sleds were done well before the ones anyone else was helping with simply because the dogs were much more cooperative with Kam than with anyone else.
When he climbed under the furs with Lor that night, Kam was almost totally convinced. He had some sort of connection or power with animals. It was a comforting thought to know that he wasn't just extra baggage for the clan any longer. Kam really could help with everything animal related. He went to sleep curled in Lor's arms with a small smile on his face at the thought.
Morning dawned and Kam woke as Lor began disentangling their furs so he could get dressed for the day. Kam hurried into his warm clothing and stepped into the blindingly blue day, braced for the icy wind that buffeted him along. He walked to the kennels to start feeding the dogs, their hunger beginning to press on his mind.
As usual, Hern already had the door open when Kam arrived. Kam took his time with the feeding, making sure that each dog got their share of food and an equal amount of time getting petted. Once he finished helping Hern clean the building properly, Kam headed over to the fire for breakfast.
"It's a good day today," Mae said as a greeting to Kam when he arrived in front of the communal pot of food. She handed him a bowl and ladled some of the porridge inside as she spoke. "We'll get a lot of tanning done today. Lots of furs to sell in the market this fall!"
"That sounds good, Mae," Kam replied as he searched for a spoon.
"I'll need you to help stretch the skins, so don't travel far," Mae added, pointing a clean spoon in his direction to emphasize her point.
Kam nodded and took the spoon. "I'll be right over there," he said with a shrug towards the rock beside the fire where Lor was sitting to eat his own breakfast.
Mae nodded, but turned her attention to Hern, who had also come for breakfast.
Lor moved over to give Kam room to sit and then occasionally brushed his arm against Kam as they both sat in comfortable silence. Runt and her littermates wandered over with their mother to sit by the fire, too. Lor had been finished eating for a while by the time Kam finally set aside his bowl, but Lor waited patiently.
"I'll be on the other side of camp," he explained. "They found …"
But Kam never learned what had been found or by whom, because Lor's eyes shot wide and he jumped to his feet.
"Weapons!" Lor shouted as he pushed Kam behind him. Bows and spears usually reserved for hunting suddenly appeared and the clan's members who knew how to use them were quick to arm themselves.
Lor was staring at an empty patch of snow, trampled flat and slightly brown by dozens of boots but otherwise totally unremarkable. In the back of his mind, Kam thought he felt the twinge of an animal of some sort coming closer, but the focused worry on Lor's face made Kam push the twinge away in favor of the more immediate fear.
Kam watched as those holding weapons circled the empty space. There was something coming into focus in the middle of their
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