Free The Sight by David Clement-Davies

done as Fell glared up at him resentfully.
    ‘Why don’t you share that hunting call I showed you, Kar?’ said Skop.
    At this Fell turned jealously to Kar.
    ‘He doesn’t look like he’d know a hunting call,’ he scoffed, looking scornfully at the newcomer.
    ‘Stones are raw, they blunt my claw,’ said Kar straight away, ‘but words will never hurt me.’
    Larka liked the look of the newcomer immediately.  Kar liked Larka too, for her eyes were twinkling mischievously.  Kar was about the same size as Larka and Fell, though his coat had the classic grey colouring of a wolf and he had a long, thoughtful muzzle like Huttser.  He stood there, peering timidly between the two of them until Larka suddenly stepped up and touched his muzzle with her nose.  The three of them trotted off to play.
    It was only when Skop was sure the children were out of earshot that he swung round to address the pack again.
    ‘Things grow dangerous, Palla.  The Night Hunters are crossing heedlessly into pack territories  now, breaking Tratto’s Blessing wherever they go.  They murdered Kar’s parents.’
    ‘Poor little thing,’ gasped Kipcha.
    ‘That’s why I brought him here.  I don’t know what else to do with him.’
    ‘But why are they attacking?’ asked Khaz.
     ‘To spread hatred and fear among the free wolves.  But they wanted the cub too.  They took his brothers and sisters and it was only because he was playing beyond our Meeting Place that I managed to get him away at all.’
    ‘What does she really want with them?’ growled Huttser angrily.  ‘It has nothing to do with a census, that’s for sure.’ Palla shuddered as she thought of how close her half-sister had come to the den and her own cubs that night.
    ‘The talk gets darker and darker,’ said Skop, lowering his voice even further, ‘of the old evil and of the cult of Wolfbane.’
    Bran looked up and they all thought of Morgra and this child.  The legend had said that Wolfbane would return.  Bran wished he knew what it all meant.
    ‘What of it?’ growled Huttser.
    ‘Think about it, Huttser, is not the Evil One said to feed on cubs?’
    The pack shuddered as they listened, and now they all turned to look at the children.  The three of them were chatting blithely together.
    ‘Skop,’ said Palla suddenly, ‘Morgra is around here somewhere.  She tried to join our pack.’
    Skop looked at his sister in amazement and his muzzle curled into a snarl.
    ‘And now this human too,’ said Kipcha.  ‘This legend of the Man Varg.’
    ‘Hush, Kipcha,’ snapped Huttser immediately, but Skop’s ears were quivering.
    ‘I know about it already, Huttser,’ growled Skop, ‘word is spreading through the forests.’
    ‘If Morgra has taken a human child—’ said Huttser.  But Skop interrupted him.
    ‘But I don’t think Morgra has stolen it,’ he said.  ‘On my way here I heard a rumour.  That a Dragga has taken the child.’
    The pack looked at each other in bewilderment but Huttser seemed pleased.
    ‘I would believe anything of Morgra,’ he growled.  ‘But I don’t think this has anything to do with a legend.  Brassa says that a wolf with the Sight would steal a human.  Even if Morgra did have the Sight she hasn’t taken this child.  No.  It’s just wolves hunting, that’s all.’
    Again came a rumble of thunder, but this time it was more muted and as Palla’s eyes turned to the castle she saw the sky was clearing again.  The storm had passed the valley by.
    ‘Come,’ said Huttser suddenly, as he saw the three cubs walking back towards them.  ‘The dogs may come back.  Skop, you’ll join us for a while, won’t you?’
    Skop nodded and he picked up Kar.
    ‘But keep a keen eye,’ growled Huttser.  ‘Tonight is the full moon.’
    It was Kipcha who grabbed Fell in her jaws now, more carefully than Huttser had done and Palla went to pick up Larka, but Khaz stepped forward.
    ‘No, Palla.  You’re tired.  Let me.’
    As