Chapter Twelve
Feather still moved like a cat.
He was headed back to the Settlement after a trying time hunting with the Storm. They had found little game in three days, though the gathering of greens and tubers had been fair. Their mood was low, and Feather’s own heart was heavy as he tracked down from the ravine towards the Settlement walls. He had wanted to send his hunting partners back to the tribe laden with provisions. Instead, it seemed they were headed for another lean winter. His frustration bit at him. As he pushed through the long, browning grasses of the plain, he pondered how to negotiate another sharing arrangement with the Settlement Assembly.
It was autumn, time for the season’s Assessments back in the Settlement. Though he and Jana had avoided the Assessment festival t
