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Chapter 19

The frozen ground was so hard in the winter village that wolves were usually cremated. There was a certain cliff in the surrounding forest to which wolves would carry the urns containing their loved ones. They would then stand on the cliff, open the urn . . . and allow their loved ones ashes to scatter to the wind. The ashes would return to the earth and to nature, becoming one with the flowers and trees. The winter wolves found a sort of peace in the ritual.

But Lynny knew no peace.

Because Lallo had no family to perform the ritual for him, Lynny did it himself. After Ohana had gone with the others to the Summer Fields, Lynny - with the help of a few friends - built a pyre for Lallo and solemnly burned him. The dead boy's scent was strong on the dismal wind, as all around, wolves who had known him wailed in mourning. Little pups - not understanding that Lallo was dead - glared in horror at Lynny as he set the torch to the pyre.

"Why is he burnin' him!" one pup wailed and ran to his mother. "Mama, he's sleepin' and he's burnin' him!"

Assuring Idella that he would return by supper, Lynny then carried Lallo's ashes to the cliff and let them go. He stood there a long time, watching as the boy's ashes spiraled away, and . . . he cried. He stood in silence, the tears blinding him, and he cried as he thought of the loneliness, the desperation of young Lallo's life.

Lallo had family. He just had no family willing to perform the rituals for him. Lallo had been raised by an older brother who hated him and a father who was an alcoholic. Lallo's mother had died in childbirth . . . . giving birth to him. Lallo's father and brother took their grief and anger out on him, and it wasn't uncommon for Lynny to walk by and see the verbal abuse.

Thinking of his close relationship with Zaldon, Lynny had pitied Lallo and had taken him under his wing and cared for him like a son. Like the son he would never have. Idella had always been a little sickly. Ohana's birth had been bloody and difficult and there had been one terrifying moment when Lynny thought Idella was going to die. Zaldon examined Idella with magic soon after the birth and advised against more children. He gave Idella medicines and herbs to aid her, but beyond that, he could not restore her. So they contented themselves with just Ohana and tried to ignore the fact that they also wanted a boy.

Then Lallo came into their lives, and Lynny stopped pitying himself and his wife.

Little Lallo loved Ohana. Had always loved Ohana. But Lynny knew it was an unrequited love for years. It wasn't until they were teenagers that Ohana finally decided Lallo was worth her time. She started to pay attention to him when she noticed how handsome he was, how tall . . . then slept with him and discovered he was terrible in bed. Lynny almost laughed to think of it: his Ohana sneaking with Lallo into her bedroom, thinking she was going to have fun behind her parents' backs - only to discover that Lallo didn't know the first thing about pleasing a female. And on top of that, the two of them were caught by Idella, who then banished Lallo from the house for three months.

Standing on the cliff with tears in his eyes, Lynny chuckled and sniffed. Such memories . . . they would stay with him forever. He knew Idella was probably at home, crying as she too reflected on the past. But Idella had never loved Lallo the way he had. No, much like Ohana, Idella adored Kilyan.

Lynny loved Kilyan as well. He was a good boy with a good heart, a fine warrior and a decent hunter. The only problem was Kilyan lived miles away, in the summer village, in a village that was once the enemy of his own. Lynny was secretly terrified the day he realized Kilyan and Ohana wanted each other. He was frightened of what would come of it. And looking out over the cliff now, he knew he'd had every reason to be frightened.

He was angry. Angry that he had allowed it to happen. Angry that a boy he'd loved like a son was now dead. And for nothing. It was senseless and stupid that Lallo should have died. He had hoped against hope that he'd be able to talk the boy out of the fight, but Lallo was a stubborn fool and had refused to go home. If the boy had one fault, it was his arrogance. Lallo believed that Ohana belonged to him simply because he had crushed on her when he was a pup; he believed that Lynny was rightfully his father-in-law and that Kilyan was intruding on something that had belonged to him for years. He believed Kilyan was stealing his family.

If Lallo had a second fault, it was the fact the Ohana's desires seemed to matter little to him. Like the typical winter wolf, he did not care what Ohana - a female -- wanted. He believed steadfastly that Ohana would learn to love him and only him, that he could make her forget Kilyan. And he died because he believed it.

In fact . . . Lynny suddenly scowled. Lallo was so much like Bayne in this respect that he kicked himself for not seeing it before. Bayne also had little regard for the wishes of females, and for this reason, had lost his wife. Bayne believed he could control everyone in his family and that it was his right to do so. He tried to keep a tight leash on Joli, but when he was in danger of losing her, he allowed her to travel and sell her famous carvings. He struggled to control Zaldon for years, attempting again and again to make Zaldon as cold and hard as he - only to disown him the moment he found out he was a tail chaser. And . . . Lynny's pupils grew small as he realized. Bayne had been controlling Lynny. Controlling him with through pity and guilt.

"Norilyn?" croaked a voice behind Lynny.

Lynny closed his eyes. He knew it was his father. Bayne sounded so old - and yet, he was only fifty-one! The depression had slowly taken its toll, until Bayne was as weak and feeble as if he was eighty.

Joli left them when Lynny was but a little pup, and Lynny watched over the years, feeling helpless as his father's depression slowly crippled him. It started with the drinking. When Lynny was about ten years old, Bayne stopped leaving the house. More often than not, he found himself eating supper at a friend's house because they had no food. He would come home and find his father in a stupor, clean him up, spoon feed his drunken father the leftovers his friend's mother had insisted he take home. Bayne stopped going on patrol, stopped exercising, stopped eating, until he became a shriveled up stick with muscles turning to sagging mush. When Joli left . . . Bayne stopped living.

Zaldon had never been able to understand how Lynny could pity Bayne. But Lynny supposed Zaldon was beyond understanding. Zaldon and Bayne had never gotten along, after all -- even before Bayne discovered that his son was a tail chaser. Lynny could remember those dismal days when Bayne would yell at Zaldon, calling him a pussy and a crybaby, spanking him for losing fights with other pups, whipping him for taking no interest in becoming a warrior. Lynny could truly understand why Zaldon had no pity for their father.

But Lynny would always pity Bayne. He and his father had always been very close. To see Joli walk out on his father was to see his world shatter. He had been too young to understand it, too young to realize that his mother was unhappy because their father was a controlling prick. When he was a child, all he knew was that his father was hurting because Joli had left. And he hated her for it.

Why did Joli have to leave? Even now that he was older, he still did not fully understand. And he refused to see her. Every time Zaldon offered to teleport Lynny to the summer village to see their mother . . . he couldn't bring himself to go. A big part of him was still angry. He didn't know what he'd do if he saw Joli. Perhaps yell. Perhaps cry. Perhaps point a finger and accuse her of breaking Bayne's heart. And she would look at him with hurt eyes, and he wouldn't be able to stand it.

"Son . . ." Bayne said hoarsely, thumping his cane to Lynny's side. "How's your eye?"

Lynny tried not to blink: every time he did, the purple bruise above his eye was pulled taunt and it hurt like a bitch. Nayati hadn't had a chance to look at it: she was in the Summer Fields tending to Kilyan and would not be back before nightfall.

"I'm alive," Lynny said with a hollow laugh.

Bayne nodded. "I didn't mean to hurt you, boy. I was aiming for that black bastard." he glowered and snorted, leaning both paws on his cane as his tall body hunched over. "Who the hell did he think he was? Coming in _my_house? Threatening me!"

Lynny was silent. He stared at the pine trees that spread away to the horizon, thinking that one day he was going to spread his father's ashes from this same cliff.

"And why did you let him come? You should have turned him away at the door!" Bayne went on angrily.

"I know, Father," Lynny said dully. His mane lifted in the sudden gust and slapped across black eyes that were devoid of emotion. He had learned a long time ago to turn his emotions off whenever Bayne opened his mouth.

"So why didn't you do it?" Bayne scolded. "Instead, you let those summer wolf shits into my house! Didn't I teach you anything about those monsters? You know what they did to your uncle during the war?"

Lynny closed his eyes, not wanting to hear about Eloein. But he opened his eyes before Bayne could notice how weary he was and answered tonelessly, "Uncle Eloein was a war hero . . ."

"Damn right he was!" Bayne barked, and he nodded righteously. "Eloein didn't have much magic then, but it was enough to put those shits in their place."

Lynny tried not to scowl. How could Bayne defend Eloein after all he had done? Eloein allowed Eno to have sex with his wives - who were supposed to be like mothers to him! - then raped and tortured Kel's wife right along with his son! Eloein had been a cruel bastard who abused his power as a sorcerer and bullied Grandfather Nilwin until he became a recluse, shut up in his own house, while Eloein took control of the village. And everyone was too afraid of him to do anything. Lynny smiled: everyone except Zaldon.

When Zaldon came to the village seventeen years ago and challenged Eloein, Lynny hadn't been surprised. Eloein and Eno combined had almost gotten Zaldon stoned and were the very reason he had been banished from the tribe.

"My brother," Bayne went on angrily and banged his cane on the earth, "was captured and tortured by those magic-hating monsters. But he broke free. He did what he had to do in order to survive - to insure the survival of our tribe! We all did!"

Lynny snorted. Did they really need to conquer the summer wolves and occupy their village over and over? Was it really necessary that so many should have died? What did it accomplish? What did any of it accomplish but pain?

"What did Zaldon ever do for this village?" Bayne snarled. "Nothing! Nothing but cause me heartache! He was determined," he said with conviction, "from the moment he was born to do everything to he could to annoy me! First he didn't want to be a warrior - then he didn't want to be normal like everyone else and fuck females. And on top that, he couldn't be content to be a butt fucker here. No - he had to take his tail all the way to the enemy and butt fuck them!"

Lynny looked away, wishing they were at home so he could put his father down. No one knew it, but whenever Bayne went off into his bitter rants about Zaldon, Lynny would touch a certain spot on his neck, forcing him to pass out. He could listen to anything, but he would not listen to Bayne putting down his brother.

Lynny had done the trick back at the house, after the wild outburst with Kel's father. He managed to drag Bayne all the way to the upstairs corridor, then pinched the tender place where neck met shoulder. Bayne immediately fell silent, and he watched calmly as his father slid to the floor in a dead faint. He had learned the trick from his friend Marc, and it had bought him moments of peace many times in the past.

Bayne took a shuddering breath and his paws tightened on his cane. "Your mother ran to those summer bastards and poisoned your brother with it, raised my child among those savages._Then he returned and killed my brother like a savage! I know it had to be done," Bayne said with tight lips and glanced at Lynny, "but it still pained me to see my child . . . _kill my brother. Eloein had lost control. The whole village was frightened of him. I only wish someone else had done it! Not Zaldy! Anyone but Zaldy!"

Lynny nodded heavily. "I know, Dad." It had been seventeen years, and Bayne still couldn't let go of the fact that Zaldon had killed Eloein.

"Zaldon was here for three days! Why didn't I know?"

Lynny tried to hide his exasperation. His father did nothing but complain about Zaldon, but every time Zaldon managed to enter the village and leave without seeing him, he would crumble into a sulky child. Lynny couldn't understand it. But he knew that deep down, somewhere, Bayne loved Zaldon. It was simply that his love did not prevent him from being a terrible father.

"I'm not going to live forever," Bayne went on sullenly. "He shouldn't avoid me. I may not always approve, but I want to know about my boy's l-life . . ." Bayne began to cough.

It was a terrible rattling cough. Listening to it miserably, Lynny's ears flattened. Bayne was starting to tip off his cane. Lynny grabbed him before he fell and steadied him. His father coughed harder, and Lynny gasped when he saw blood dribble from the corner of his mouth.

"Dad!"

"It's nothing!" Bayne insisted menacingly. His dark eyes flashed, warning Lynny not to say a word. He wiped the blood away with the heel of his paw.

"You're really sick, Dad," Lynny said miserably. "Why didn't you . . .?"

"Because I want to die with some damn dignity," Bayne said at once. "Not lying in a bed with wolves wailing and moaning and fussing over me! And you will not breathe a word of this to anyone."

So I'm to suffer alone? "Yes, Father . . ."

"Did you scatter that fool boy's ashes?"

Lynny sighed heavily. "Yes, Father . . ."

"Good. Maybe now that he's one with nature again, he will find some peace. I always . . . I wish . . ." Bayne's mouth trembled sadly.

Lynny took his father's arm. "Come on, Dad. Let's get you home . . ."

"You're a good boy, Norilyn," Bayne said happily as Lynny led him away.

They passed under the trees as dusk fell across the sky. Lynny could see the distant shapes of the winter village, the trail of smoke that cut across the clouds from Lallo's pyre. The smoke still hadn't cleared and was tinged an odd red color. No doubt Nayati would say it was some terrible omen, that perhaps the winter tribe was going to get their comeuppance for what they had done to the summer tribe.

"A good boy," Bayne repeated, patting Lynny's big arm with a shriveled paw. "That's why Lallo loved you; that's why he looked up to you . . ."

"Yes . . ." Lynny muttered miserably. And now he's dead.

"He would have been good for Ohana. He would have taken care of her . . ."

"Kilyan will take care of her."

Bayne snorted. "Kilyan is a summer wolf. Which means he can't find his tail with both paws. She'll be the one taking care of him. Mark my words."

Lynny sighed. I'm glad my daughter is away from you. You can do what you want to me, but I'll never sit back and let you bully my loved ones again . . .

"Do not heave and moan," Bayne scolded, laughing lightly. "You are still such a boy, Norilyn. My little boy."

Lynny smiled.

"I love you, my son. Zaldy is my little boy too. Tell me what he did here for three days. Why did he vanish without seeing me!"

Because you make him feel like shit, Dad. "He had an emergency at home."

Bayne snorted. "What? Did his wife break a nail?"

Lynny's face darkened. He knew Bayne was not talking about Arorta but Julyan. Lynny had broken down and told Bayne about Julyan when his father demanded to know why Zaldon had left the village. Bayne had snorted and said contemptuously, "Typical! He leaves his father for cock!"

"What is it like over there in the sun village?" Bayne asked pleasantly. "I know my brother went there a lot. Eloein thought the females there were beautiful. A lot of them are tall, he told me. Tall like us, almost."

Lynny looked away, wishing his father would stop talking about Eloein for two seconds. "There are lots of banana trees . . ." he said after a pause.

"Ah," laughed Bayne, "no _wonder_Zaldy likes it!"

Lynny laughed. Oh yes. Lots of bananas . . .

"What else?" Bayne said. "I want to know about Zaldy's life. Tell me. I know he'll never tell me . . ."

"Maybe he'll come back and you can ask him."

Bayne snorted. "He'll disappear as soon as he knows I'm coming," he said miserably. "Or he'll clam up and barely say a word! I know . . ." Bayne said slowly, apologetically, "that I don't accept his - preferences - but that doesn't mean . . . I just don't understand it. I'm trying to understand it." He made a face. "I don't want to understand it. But I'm trying. And I can't try unless the brat meets me halfway!"

The trees were growing sparse, and in the distance, the shape of the village was growing larger.

"Well . . . stop calling him a butt fucker, Dad," Lynny said with a shrug of his powerful shoulders.

Bayne laughed. "I have never," he vowed, "called him a butt fucker to his face!"

Lynny's face darkened. "But once when you were drunk, you called him a pussy and an ass muncher. He didn't visit for six months."

Bayne cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Lynny . . . I was drunk . . . you know how I get when I miss your mother . . . And Zaldon is so sensitive. You can put up with me, but he . . . he never could."

"I know . . ." He _should_know. He'd been watching it for years.

"And now Ohana is far away . . . living with the enemy. I have failed. I have failed you as a father --"

"Dad, no . . ."

"-- and I have failed Ohana as a grandfather! Do not deny it. I tried to settle her with the male I thought was right for her and look what happened. Lallo is dead! Who would have thought that little summer wolf boy had the balls? I thought for sure he'd leave as soon as he saw Lallo . . ."

Maybe if you let Ohana decide in the first place, Lynny thought darkly. And maybe if I had stood up to you . . .

"And I know I spent a great deal of your childhood drunk, Norilyn. I know you resent me for it. It's my fault you grew up in a broken home. Sometimes . . . I thought about going to the summer village, taking your mother back from that summer wolf fucker who had her. I thought of killing him, then throwing her and Zaldon over my shoulders and carrying them home . . ."

Lynny had heard this before, and like every time before, he was dismayed and disturbed. He was twice as disturbed now, however: Bayne was sounding more and more like Lallo. That he had failed to see the warning signs sent a pang through his chest. The same possessiveness, the same complete lack of regard for the feelings of their wives. Bayne was big enough to let Joli walk away when he could have forced her to stay, but the fact that he had often contemplated forcing her to return was horrific.

"Mom would never have forgiven you for that," Lynny said. "You know it, Dad. And Zaldon would have hated you too."

"More than he does now?" Bayne said sadly.

He couldn't hate you any more than he does now. "Zaldon doesn't hate you, Dad. It's just . . . you've hurt him badly."

"I know." Bayne snorted. "You sound like your damn mother. Always defending Zaldon's delicate feelings! You know what I did when my father was a prick? I knocked him on his tail. He never opened a foul mouth to me again."

Lynny smiled, trying to imagine timid Grandpa Nilwin opening a mouth to anyone. "So Zaldon should . . . knock you out?"

"Hell, yes!" Bayne said at once. "And if I hurt your precious feelings, then you'd better male-up and punch me!"

Lynny laughed.

"Promise me!"

"Alright," Lynny chuckled, "I promise to smack your teeth out of your fucking skull, Dad, you motherfucker."

Bayne laughed heartily. "I'm so glad you're not a butt fucker like Zaldon. Seems like all butt fuckers are p-pussies . . ." He started to cough again, badly.

Lynny rubbed his father's back, wondering what he would say if he knew both his sons were "butt fuckers." Lynny had been messing around with his best friend since he was fourteen. Marc was his first and only lover until he met Kel. He smiled. Irresistible Kel.

"My good boy," Bayne said, clearing his throat, "likes pussy. My healthy, hearty boy!"

Lynny was silent. He knew the only reason Bayne had never figured him out was because he had never slept with any males beside Marc and Kel. Marc was married now and uninterested in fooling around, while Lynny was only interested in Kel. He winced every time he thought about that night a year ago when he had taken Kel under his tail . . . while Idella was off in the Summer Fields harvesting its bounty. If Idella ever knew what he had done . . . He sighed miserably. But he just couldn't help it. He didn't know why, but after that first tender night with Kel, when they were but teenage boys, when Kel had been so afraid and Lynny had hugged him and kissed him . . . he knew he had fallen in love. Even after he met his sweet Idella, even after her fell in love with her and married her . . . a small corner of his heart was still reserved for Kel.

Idella didn't have a clue about anything. She didn't know that Lynny had feelings for Kel or that he slept with Kel once after they were married - or that he thought about sleeping with Kel even now. Idella only knew that Lynny loved her - madly, deeply, and desperately - and Lynny told himself everyday that it was all she needed to know. If she knew anymore, she would leave him. And . . . Idella leaving was his worst nightmare.

He would never forget the first time he saw her. In the middle of winter, the winter wolves released their young into the pine forests for the mating season. Lynny had never been with a female before Idella and had never even thought about it. But then he saw her standing there . . . . frightened and uncertain and so pretty and shy. He took her in his arms and she yielded sweetly, and after that . . . he never let go.

They entered the village, which seemed dismally silent after the funeral pyre. The smoke was still trailing red across the sky, and winter wolves were standing around, staring at it with tilted heads.

"It's an omen," a female moaned. She pointed at Bayne and shrieked, "A terrible omen! This is your fault! Oh god . . . Lallo!"

Bayne glowered. "Take me home, Lynny. Fast."

"Yes, Father."

"These fools," Bayne panted as they went faster, "might do something stupid. Start a riot, blame me for the red smoke." He snorted. "That red smoke means jack shit."

"An omen!" a male shouted.

Females wailed and covered themselves with ashes as they knelt before the remnants of the pyre. Small children were still crying and confused. Lynny wished they would all go home already. He wanted to stop thinking about Lallo for two seconds. It hurt his heart every time he was forced to.

More wolves crowded the streets and many glared at Bayne and Lynny.

Bayne snorted. "Superstitious fools."

They reached the house when night had fallen. They could smell supper cooking in the kitchen. Bayne knew Idella was happy to be cooking. It was her favorite pastime and always soothed her when she was sad. While mourning for Lallo, she had probably cooked up a big feast just to comfort herself.

Nayati was sitting beside the fire in the front room when they entered, looking tired but pleased with herself. Lynny could only assume it meant she had succeeded in helping Kilyan. He smiled at her, feeling relieved as he and Bayne joined her at the fire.

"There's my lovely niece," Bayne said, beaming at Nayati.

Nayati fluttered her lashes. "Hello, Uncle Bayne."

Lynny restrained himself from rolling his eyes and instead warmed his paws over the fire. Bayne doted on Nayati - and all of Eloein's children - often going on about Eloein to them as if their father had been some sort of hero or martyr. Nayati had no idea the extent of her father's evil: with the exception of Eno, Eloein had always behaved in front of his children. Glancing at Bayne, Lynny thought it was better if Nayati remained ignorant. Sometimes it was better to believe ones father was not an asshole.

"How's Kilyan?" Lynny asked her.

Nayati smiled. "He is just fine, Lynny. I had him patched up and walking in one day."

"Pft," snorted Bayne contemptuously. "So the summer wolf didn't keel over from his injuries. I thought for sure his short little body would give out. Then Ohana would return here, and I'd get her married proper again!"

Nayati glowered and drew herself up. "Now, now, Uncle," she scolded. "Do not begin your diatribe! Kilyan is a hardy, enduring young male, and it has nothing to do with his heritage but with the strength of his spirit! A fine spirit looks out from that boy's eyes!" She nodded with conviction, and the white feathers in her mane fluttered.

Bayne made a sour face, and Lynny almost laughed: Nayati was the one female in their family he could not bully or control. Because of Zaldon, Nayati had been placed in a position of great power, and there wasn't a male in the village that could tell her who to marry, what to do, what to say, or what to think. Bayne - and all the males in the village - deeply resented the fact. But he still doted upon Nayati simply because she reminded him so of Eloein: she inherited a great deal of his looks.

"Tell me about this Kilyan then," Bayne said, a little humbly. "If he's going to take care of my grandbaby, I want to know."

"You had the chance to know him," Nayati scolded, "while he was here! And how did you treat him? Idella has told me of your outburst. Look at this room!"

Lynny glanced around. The wall display was broken and lying in shambles on the floor. One shelf was cracked from when Gurwin chucked his spear, and a chair was missing a leg from when Bayne brandished his cane and smacked it over. A few potted plants had also toppled, spilling their soil across the floor. The only thing Idella had bothered to clean up was the food off the floor and her shattered carvings . . . the ones Lynny's mother had given her. Joli sent them in a pouch, attached to a carrier pigeon as a wedding gift. Idella had treasured the figurines dearly. Now they were broken, Lallo was dead, and Lynny knew Idella was too distraught to clean up anything else.

"You're blaming me?" Bayne said in amazement and laughed. "Those summer wolves came here and acted like hooligans --"

"Hooligans, Dad?" Lynny laughed softly. Bayne sounded so old.

"Well, they did," Bayne protested sulkily.

Nayati sat with her breasts thrust out and her paws on her hips. She was glowering, but her anger had very little effect: she looked like a cute teenage girl or a pup. Nayati had always looked far younger than she really was. She was actually twenty-nine winters old. She was twelve when Zaldon killed Eloein. She was old enough to hate Zaldon, but also old enough to learn to forgive. In fact, over the years that Zaldon raised her and her siblings, she came to look to him as a father.

"Kilyan," Nayati said, folding her arms, "is a deeply sensitive, caring boy. Judging by his injuries, he is also a skilled warrior. He managed to dodge many of Lallo's blows and came away with scrapes that should have been stab wounds. Lallo's strength fractured his arm right down to the elbow, and he took a stab that would have killed him if it had been an inch or so to the left. But he wasn't even worried about himself when he woke up. He was worried about Ohana!"

Bayne's ears flattened humbly.

Nayati hugged herself. "Ohana is a lucky girl. I wish I had someone who cared about me as deeply."

"You would, Nati," Bayne said with affection, "if you would let me help you. There's this fine boy I could --"

"No!" Nayati said at once, frowning. She pointed a long nail at Bayne. "That is exactly your problem, Uncle! You did not allow Ohana to choose - you did not allow Lynny to say no to you!"

Lynny's chest heaved miserably. He was glad when Idella entered with a large silver platter of food. Nayati rose to help her, but she continued on.

"I will choose a mate for myself!" Nayati declared proudly. "Without the help of a male! Without my uncle or my cousin deciding what is best for me!"

Bayne shook his head. "You foolish child. You will wait for love? What will love get you? Winter wolves are sturdy and practical, and marriage is no different among us. What you need is a big male with a big dick --" Nayati blushed furiously "-- who can make dozens of big children with you. So long as he is strong enough to protect you, that is all that matters."

Nayati rolled her eyes and sat, passing around the plates that Idella filled with food from the platter. Everyone tucked in, and for a moment, there was only the sound of appreciative chewing and moaning. Idella was a marvelous cook.

Lynny glanced at Nayati and wondered what she would name a child of hers. She would have to have children soon, after all. Or there would be no one to pass on the knowledge to. Her child would probably have a name with a bunch of N's . . . like most winter wolves.

"Don't you understand, Uncle?" Nayati said, spearing a morsel of meat with her fork. "A female should not rely on a male for everything. A female should not rely on a male for protection! In other villages, females are allowed to fight --"

"Zaldon," Bayne said angrily, "has been filling your precious head with stories of female warriors in the sun village! Put it out of your mind! You will not enforce those changes here, girl. I guarantee it."

Nayati's breasts heaved and she ripped the morsel from her fork with her teeth almost violently.

Lynny exchanged a glance with Idella, and they both knew who was responsible for Nayati's sudden interest in the welfare of females. It seemed as if Kilyan had done more than simply ask after Ohana.

"Change does not come without bloodshed," Bayne told Nayati quietly.

"I'm prepared for that," Nayati said at once, though Lynny thought she didn't look prepared at all. Her eyes darted around uncertainly and her lip trembled the slightest bit: she was thinking of Lallo.

"Prepared for that! You're a female! There's a reason why females are not in control."

Nayati and Idella glared at Bayne.

"Leave her alone, Dad," Lynny muttered to his plate.

Bayne scowled. "What did you say to me, boy?"

Lynny lifted his head and looked at his father. "I said leave her alone, you motherfucker."

Bayne suddenly chuckled, and Lynny grinned when his father clapped him on the back.

"That's my boy!" Bayne said happily. "That's my good, good boy!"