---

The unnatural silence was broken only by a short bark. Samo turned to look at the wolf who’d given it, and greeted Nate with a respectful nod of his head. He met his striking blue eyes, finding himself again unable to look away; though a part of him was cautious of anyone new, he could see no reason to fear Nate. There was good in him, and warmth flickered in Samo’s gaze in return.

In any case, there was much their chief needed to be told. The stigmata on his face itched, and only then did Samo did look back down at his trap. He could not help but wonder about the scarring Nate himself bore, but he could see no recognizable marks. Even if there were, he was not sure he’d recognize them in his body. It did make him wonder if he and Nate had more in common than he’d initially realized, however.

He shook his head at the man’s question.

I was going to look for some hawthorn berries, said Samo. They keep well into winter, usually. But winters usually end… He trailed off.

Would they see another summer? The question lingered in his mind more often than he liked.

Would you like to look with me? he offered. Perhaps Nate already knew where to find some trees. If not, he thought, they could search together.