The hunt had been equally ineffective at flushing up any game. None of them were hungry, but the knowledge that they had nothing to eat-except for the gleanings of the timid others-weighed heavily in everyone's mind.
Timmorn's nameless daughter had followed the hunt after sunrise, fully aware that they'd find no trace of her father. He had come to her in the dead of the night, scaring her half out
of her wits, and demanded her assistance. She had carried him around the waterfall and taken him to a glade where, he promised, he'd remain until the two moons were both above the treetops. He was not gentle with her as he told her what he expected her to do.
In the frosty time before dawn, as she scurried back to her lair, she'd almost decided on a name. One of the fancy words that the others used when they didn't want the hunt to understand: Starcrossed. It fit her mood.
And there was no doubt that she needed a name now. Eyes followed her every move-or the movement of Timmorn's spear, which she kept at her side. Timmorn's Daughter, Spearbearer, Firstchosen-those were the more complimentary names she heard whispered from mind to ear. The hunt had other names, names that would remain with her if she lost the spear.
The tense air exploded after sundown when the hunt, which scorned the others' glean-foods as always, used their own failure as an excuse to make a challenge.
**We'll starve with you as our leader,** Threetoe snarled from the darkness on the opposite side of the cold fire pit.**We're starving already.**
Her fingers grew cold and clammy on the smooth wood of the spear. "Food was set before you-to share equally with the others." Her heart pounded but it sent no strength to her trembling legs or to her frantic mind. Timmorn had said she'd find leadership within her; at the moment she didn't think she could find her way back to her lair.
"Roots and leaves," another voice-Rustruff, Threetoe's lairmate and the dominant female of the hunt. "What are we? Forest pigs? The blood of true-wolves, not pigs, moves within us-or have you forgotten?"