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rs mingled with it。 My last chance； and I had failed。 I had not even gotten Will： Oh； he would be sick for a few days； but I doubted he would die of it。 Even now I heard them muttering over him。
〃Take him to a healer； then。〃 I heard Regal finally give the mand。 〃See if he can figure out what's wrong with him。 Did one of you kick him in the head？〃
I thought that he spoke of me； until I heard the sounds of Will being carried out。 So either I had gotten more into him than I had thought； or someone had kicked him in the head。 Perhaps his gasp had pulled it into his lungs。 I had no idea what it would do there。 As I felt his Skill presence fading it was relief almost as blessed as surcease from pain。 Cautiously I relaxed my vigilance against him。 It was like setting down a terribly heavy weight。 Another thought blessed me。 They didn't know。 No one had seen the paper and powder； it had happened too quickly for them。 They might not even think of poison until it was too late for him。
〃Is the Bastard dead？〃 Regal demanded angrily。 〃If he is； I swear； every man of you will hang！〃
Someone stooped hastily beside me； to lay fingers at the pulse in my throat。 〃He's alive；〃 a soldier said gruffly； almost sullenly。 Someday Regal would learn not to threaten his own guard。 I hoped he'd be taught it by an arrow through his back。
A moment later someone dashed a bucket of cold water over me。 The shock of it jarred every pain I had to new frenzy。 I pulled my one eye open。 The first thing I saw was the water and blood on the floor in front of me。 If all that blood was all mine； I was in trouble。 Dazedly； I tried to think of whose else it could be。 My mind did not seem to be working very well。 Time seemed to be flowing in jumps。 Regal was standing over me； angry and disheveled； and then suddenly he was sitting in his chair。 In and out。 Light and dark and light again。
Someone knelt beside me； ran petent hands over me。 Burrich？ No。 That was a dream from long ago。 This man had blue eyes and the nasal twang of a Farrow man。 〃He's bleeding a lot； King Regal。 But we can stop that。〃 Someone put pressure on my brow。 A cup of watered wine； held against my cracked lips； splashed into my mouth。 I choked on it。 〃You see； he's alive。 I'd leave off； for today； Your Majesty。 I doubt if he'll be able to answer any more questions before tomorrow。 He'll just faint on you。〃 A calm professional opinion。 Whoever it was stretched me out on the floor again and left。
A spasm rattled through me。 Seizure ing soon。 Good thing Will was gone。 Didn't think I could keep my walls up through a seizure。
〃Oh； take him away。〃 Regal； disgusted and disappointed。 〃This has been nothing but a waste of my time today。〃 His chair's legs scraped on the floor as he left it。 I heard the sounds of his boots on the stone floor as he strode from the room。
Someone grabbed me by the shirtfront； jerked me to my feet。 I could not even scream for the pain。 〃Stupid piece of dung；〃 he snarled at me。 〃You'd better not die。 I'm not going to take lashes over the likes of you dying。〃
〃Great threat； Verde；〃 someone mocked him。 〃What are you going to do to him after he's dead？〃
〃Shut up。 It'll be your back flayed to the bone as much as mine。 Let's get him out of here and clean this up。〃
The cell。 The blank wall of it。 They had left me on the floor； facing away from the door。 Somehow that seemed unfair of them。 I'd have to do all the work of rolling over just to see if they'd left me any water。
No。 It was too much trouble。
Are you ing now？
I really want to； Nighteyes。 But I just don't know how。
Changer。 Changer！ My brother！ Changer。
What is it？
You have been silent for so long。 Are you ing now？
I have been 。。。 silent？
Yes。 I thought you had died； without ing to me first。 I could not reach you。
Probably a seizure。 I didn't know it had happened。 But now I am right here； Nighteyes。 Right here。
Then e to me。 Hurry； before you die。
A moment。 Let us be sure of this。
I tried to think of a reason not to。 I knew there had been some； but I could no longer recall them。 Changer； he had called me。 My own wolf； calling me that； just as the Fool or Chade called me a catalyst。 Well。 Time to change things for Regal。 The last thing I could do was make sure I died before Regal broke me。 If I had to go down； I would do it alone。 No words of mine would implicate anyone else。 I hoped the Dukes would demand to see my body。
It took a long time to get my arm from the floor to my chest。 My lips were cracked and swollen； my teeth aching in my gums。 But I put my shirt cuff to my mouth and found the tiny lump of the leaf pellet inside the fabric。 I bit down at it as hard as I could； then sucked on it。 After a moment the taste of carryme flooded my mouth。 It was not unpleasant。 Pungent。 As the herb deadened the pain in my mouth； I could chew at my sleeve more strongly。 Stupidly； I tried to be careful of the porcupine quill。 Didn't want to get a quill in my lip。
It really hurts when that happens。
I know； Nighteyes。
e to me。
I'm trying。 Give me a moment。
How does one leave one's body behind？ I tried to ignore it； to be aware of myself only as Nighteyes。 Keen nose。 Lying on my side； chewing diligently at a lump of snow wadded up in the space between my toes。 I tasted snow and my own paw as I nibbled and licked it away。 I looked up。 Evening ing on。 It would soon be a good time to hunt。 I stood up； shook myself all over。
That's right； Nighteyes encouraged me。 。
But there was still that thread； that tiny awareness of a stiff and aching body on a cold stone floor。 Just to think of it made it more real。 A tremor ran through it； rattling its bones and teeth。 Seizure ing。 Big one this time。
Suddenly it was all so easy。 Such an easy choice。 Leave that body for this one。 It didn't work very well anymore anyway。 Stuck in a cage。 No point to keeping it。 No point to being a man at all。
I'm here。
I know。 Let us hunt。
And we did。
CHAPTER THIRTY…THREE
Wolf Days
THE EXERCISE FOR centering oneself is a simple one。 Stop thinking of what you intend to do。 Stop thinking of what you have just done。 Then； stop thinking that you have stopped thinking of those things。 Then you will find the Now； the time that stretches eternal； and is really the only time there is。 Then； in that place； you will finally have time to be yourself
There is a cleanness to life that can be had when you but hunt and eat and sleep。 In the end； no more than this is really needed by anyone。 We ran alone； we the Wolf； and we lacked for nothing。 We did not long for venison when a rabbit presented itself nor begrudge the ravens that came to pick through our leavings。 Sometimes we remembered a different time and a different way。 When we did； we wondered what had been so important about any of it。 We did not kill what we could not eat； and we did not eat what we could not kill。 Dusks and dawns were the best times for hunting； and other times were good for sleeping。 Other than this； time had no meaning。
For wolves； as for dogs； life is a briefer thing than for men； if you measure it by counting days and how many turns of a season one sees。 But in two years； a cub wolf does all a man does in a score。 He es to the full of his strength and size； he learns all that is needful for him to be a hunter or a mate or a leader。 The candle of his life burns briefer and brighter than a man's。 In a decade of years； he does all that a man does in five or six times that many。 A year passes for a wolf as a decade does for a man。 Time is no miser when one lives always in the now。
So we knew the nights and the days； the hunger and the filling。 Savage joys and surprises。 Snatch up a mouse； fling it up； eat it down with a snap。 So good。 To start a rabbit； to pursue it as it dodges and circles； then suddenly； to stretch your stride and seize it in a flurry of snow and fur。 The shake that snaps its neck； and then the leisurely eating； the tearing open of its belly and nosing through the hot entrails； and then the thick meat of the haunches； the easy crunching of its backbone。 Surfeit and sleep。 And waken to hunt again。
Chase a doe over pond ice； knowing we cannot make such a kill； but rejoicing in the hunt。 When through the ice she goes； and we circle； circle； circle endlessly as she battles her hooves against the ice and finally clambers out； too weary to evade the teeth that slash her hamstrings； the fangs that close in her throat。 Eating to satiation； not once； but twice from the carcass。 A storm es full of sleet to drive us to the den。 Sleeping snug； nose to tail； while the wind flings icy rain and then snow about outside the den。 Awake to pale light glistening in through a layer of snow。 Dig out to snuff the clear cold day that is just fading。 There is meat still on the doe； frozen red and sweet； ready to be dug from the snow。 What can be more satisfying than to know of meat that is waiting for you？
e。 We pause。 No； the meat is waiting。 We trot on。
e now。 e to me。 I've meat for you。
We've meat already。 And closer。
Nighteyes。 Changer。 Heart of the Pack summons you。
We pause again。 Shake all over。 This is not fortable。 And what is Heart of the Pack to us？ He is not pack。 He pushes us。 There is meat closer。 It is decided。 We go to the pond's edge。 Here。 Somewhere here。 Ah。 Dig down to her through the snow。 The crows e to watch us； waiting for us to be finished。
Nighteyes。 Changer。 e。 e now。 Soon it will be too late。
The meat is frozen； crisp and red。 Turn our head to use our back teeth to scissor it from the bones。 A crow flies down； lands on the snow nearby。 Hop； hop。 He cocks his head。 For sport； we lunge at him； put him to flight again。 Our meat； all of it。 Days and nights of meat。
e。 Please。 e。 Please。 e soon； e now。 e back to us。 You are needed。 e。 e。
He does not go away。 We put back our ears； but still we hear him； e； e； e。 He steals the pleasure from the meat with his whining。 Enough。 We have eaten enough for now。 We will go； just to still him。
Good。 That's good。 e to me； e to me。
We go； trotting through the gathering darkness。 A rabbit sits up suddenly； scampers away across the snow。 Shall we？ No。 Belly is full。 Trot on。 Cross a man's path； an open empty strip under the night sky。 We fade across it swiftly； trot on through the woods that border it。
e to me。 e。 Nighteyes； Changer； I summon you。 e to me。
The forest ends。 There is a cleared hillside below us； and beyond that a flat bare place； shelterless under the night sky。 Too open。 The crusted snow is untracked； but at the bottom of the hill； there are humans。 Two。 Heart of the Pack digs while another watches。 Heart of the Pack digs fast and hard。 His breath smokes in the night。 The other has a light； a too bright light that shrinks the eye to behold。 Heart of the Pack stops his digging。 He looks up at us。 。
e； he says。 e。
He jumps into the hole he has dug。 There is black earth； frozen chunks of it； atop the clean snow。 He lands with a thud like deer antlers on a tree。 He crouches and there is a tearing sound。 He uses a tool that thuds and tears。 We settle down to watch him； wrapping tail around to warm front feet。 What has this to do with us？ We are full； we could go to sleep now。 He looks up at us suddenly through the night。
Wait。 A moment longer。 Wait。
He growls to the other； and that one holds the light to the hole。 Heart of the Pack bends his back and the other reaches to help him。 They drag something from the hole。 The smell of it sets our hackles ajar。 We turn； we leap to run； we circle； we cannot leave。 There is a fear here； there is a danger； a threat of pain； of loneliness； of endings。
e。 e down to us here； e down。 We need you now。 It is time。
This is not time。 Time is always； is everywhere。 You need us； but perhaps we do not want to be needed。 We have meat； and a warm place to sleep； and even more meat for another time。 With a full belly and a warm den； what else is to