With Vree back, there was no reason to postpone his regular patrol-and every reason to complete it. There might be traces of those invadersthey might even still be within Tayledras territory, though Darkwind doubted it. In the past, those who had invaded to strike at the Hawkbrothers generally moved in, made whatever action they had come to take, and moved out again.
And there was still no telling if this was a danger to the Tayledras, or simply the foolishness of a trophy- hunter.
But when in doubt-assume the worst. The Hawkbrothers stayed alive by that rule, and it had always been the precept Darkwind operated on.
He went over his ground with eyes sharpened by anxiety, looking for traces of the interlopers.
He found only vague tracks, places where something had passed through, but the ground was too dry to hold marks, and it was impossible to tell what had made those traces. It could have been the marksman and his (presumed) companion; a thread caught on a thorn showed it was not simply an animal, despite the trace of lynx hair below it.
At sunset he completed the last of his circuits, being replaced by Starsong, Wintermoon's current lover. He thought she looked at him strangely when she passed him-a pitying glance as she vanished into the underbrush. He puzzled over that odd expression as he headed back toward his ekele, thinking only of changing, getting food for himself and Vree, and going back to the gryphons.
But as he hurried up the path, Vree suddenly swooped down in front of him, crying a warning. He froze, one hand on his dagger, as a manshaped shadow separated itself from the rest of the shadows beneath the trees.
Then Vree swerved away, his cry changing from warning to welcome. as a huge, cloud-white owl rose on silent wings to meet him. Darkwind's hand fell from the hilt of his dagger, as he recognized Wintermoon's bird K'Tathi.
'Brother-' he called softly. 'What brings you out here? I thought you were on hunt-duty for a while.' Wintermoon said nothing; only came forward. slowly, worriedly searching Darkwind's face with his eyes. 'Then-you have not heard?' Darkwind shook his head, alarmed by his brother's expression, and his words. 'Heard? No-nothing from the Vale, anyway. Why?
What-' Wintermoon clasped Darkwind in his arms, in a rare display of emotion and affection. 'Little brother- oh, little brother, I wish it were not so... I grieve for you, sheyna. Dawnfire... is dead.' He searched his brother's face... and saw only regret. Darkwind was prepared for almost anything but that. He stood within the protection of his older brother's arms, and tried to make sense of what he had just heard.
'Dawnfire? But-this was her rest day! She wasn't even going to leave her ekele, she told me so! Surely you must be mistaken.'
'No,' Wintermoon said, his voice soft with seldom-heard compassion.' No, there is no mistake. She was found in her ekele-' Then it hit him, with all the force of a blow to the gut. ' No!' he shouted, pulling away and staring at Wintermoon wildly.
'No! It can't be! I don't believe you!' But Wintermoon's pitying expression-exactly like Starsong's-told him the truth that he did not want to hear.
He was too well-trained and disciplined to break down-and too overcome with shock to move. His knees trembled, and threatened to give way beneath him. Wintermoon took his shoulders and gently steered him over to a fallen tree at the side of the trail. He urged Darkwind to sit as Vree dove in under the tree branches and landed, making soft whistling noises in the back of his throat.
Darkwind felt blindly behind his back and got himself down on the log before his legs collapsed. 'What- happened?' he asked hoarsely, his throat choked, his eyes burning. He blinked, and two silent tears scorched down his cheeks.
'No one knows,' Wintermoon replied quietly. 'Thundersnow came to see if she wanted to go hunting for game birds, and found her this afternoon. She was-' he hesitated. 'Little brother, did she full-bond with her bird often?'
'Sometimes,' Darkwind croaked, leaning on his left side. He stared out at nothing, more tears following the first. 'She-could not full-bond without trance, but Kyrr was so bright, she didn't need full trance often. ~ How can she be dead? Who could have touched her in her own home?
His fists knotted, and his stomach. More tears welled up and flowed unnoticed down his face.
'Little brother, it appeared that she was in full trance; that at least is how Thundersnow found her. There were no signs of violence or sickness upon her.' Wintermoon paused again. 'I would say... she must have undergone full-bond with her bird, and that something befell the two of them.' He paused. 'She was not known for caution. It may be that she sent Kyrr into the Outlands, and met something she could not escape from.' He rested his hand on Darkwind's shoulder. 'I am very sorry, little brother. I-am not known for words. But if I can help you-' Darkwind seized the comfort he had thrust away earlier, and clasped Wintermoon to him, sobbing silently into his older brother's shoulder.
Wintermoon simply held him, in an embrace of comfort and protection, while Vree whistled mourning beside
