I ran like the wind through the groups of people marching wearily, but I was running in the opposite direction. They parted with flustered cries or stifled oaths as I brushed past.

I did not even stop to give a scathing retort to that insufferable Imarti and the gang of girls when they jeered at me. "Huh! running away from a squirrel, are we?" she said, and they all tittered. Never mind, I'll get them back in my own sweet time.

The Chief was not pleased with the news about the Aurochs Clan. His face darkened, and he growled "Curse that Yaska and his Aurochs clan! He's probably laid claim to the best part of the plain around the stream. Well, we'll see." Then he turned to me, and told me to run back to Kuros, and tell him to send envoys to the Aurochs people, to set up a meeting of the Chiefs and their counselors.

I ran right back to where Kuros was waiting for me. His men were gathered around in a circle watching two of them play at Toss the Bones. (Oh, you don't know what that is? Well, there are three identical shaped flat pieces of bone, polished and carved with a deer's shape on one side, and a wolf on the other side. The bones are tossed in the air, and the players make bets on which figures will be the ones facing upwards.)

Kuros heard the Chief's message, and immediately picked two men from his group as envoys, an older man named Vidur, and another named Aja. Then he turned to me and said, "do you want to go?"
Of course, I jumped up readily. I was to be the herald and hold the sacred symbol of our tribe, a carved wolf, hand over the gifts given to the Chief of the Aurochs, and keep my mouth shut while the others spoke.

"Can you manage that without getting in trouble, wolfcub?" Kuros looked doubtfully at me. I noddded enthusiastically, and as I walked away with the fierce Wolf held in my hands, I looked back and he was smiling.