Old Shadows

There was a lot to be said for going to bed early.

Avery woke at dawn with a wonderfully clear head. None of that heavy, sluggish feeling she remembered from staying up too late staring at screens.

She lifted her hide, and the cold morning air sent a shiver through her, waking her even more thoroughly.

After dressing, she pushed aside the leaf curtain and stepped into the main room.

It was dark there, too. These houses were inconveniently designed; without a fire, they seemed to remain dim at all hours. Fortunately, her new eyes had no trouble with it.

She went straight to a window and lifted the covering leaves.

Outside, daylight had not fully arrived. She knew nothing about this world's geography, or even which hemisphere she was in. She tried briefly to reason out how winter sunrise might work here, then abandoned the idea.

She did not even know whether she was still on Earth. The old rules might not apply.

What time did the gathering party leave?

A little under half the clan had gone out on the hunt, leaving relatively few people in their prime behind.

She raised the door and propped it open. It hinged upward instead of swinging sideways.

Then she surveyed the yard.

The house was bare, and the yard was even worse. Not a blade of grass grew there.

People walking over the ground had packed it hard, making it difficult for weeds to take root. Silas's diligent cleaning had taken care of anything that might have grown in the corners.

Avery looked over the flat, dark brown earth on either side.

It seemed fertile enough. Had anyone here begun trying to cultivate plants?

She leaned out to inspect the neighboring yard.

There was a fair distance between the houses, perhaps to leave these active beastfolk room to move, but her sharp sight made it easy to see the other property.

Neatly stacked wood. Assorted belongings. A few plants that looked as though they had been transplanted, though she could not identify them.

Good. Somebody was trying to grow things.

Depending on hunting alone was unreliable. One full meal followed by hunger was no way to live. Add cultivation, and at least there might be something to fall back on.

When she went gathering today, she would look for plants that might be easy to grow.

Feeling slightly more settled, she raised her eyes—and met a startled stare.

One of the neighboring female's mates was watching her.

"Oh. Avery," Bram said awkwardly.

In the months since she had come to the clan, he had never seen her up so early. He was rather afraid of her, too. She beat people often, and it was frightening.

At least she normally left mated males like him alone.

Why was she out at this hour staring into his yard?

His female was away hunting. There were only a few useless males at home.

A thread of fear ran through him.

He held a wooden bucket and appeared to be on his way to fetch water.

"Bram." Avery gave him a small smile.

People here had no elaborate system of formal address. Young or old, they used each other's names, changing only their tone.

"What time does everyone usually leave to gather? Are you going today?"

"Oh... everyone meets when the horn sounds. My female isn't here, and she took our girl with her... so I can't go today."

He answered automatically, studying her in confusion.

Before, Avery had behaved as though males like him did not exist. When an encounter could not be avoided, she looked at them with contempt.

Today she had spoken to him first.

And she was being pleasant.

Perhaps she only treated Silas and Ronan that way. Come to think of it, she did not beat anyone else. Those two were not leopards, after all. And what female never struck a male?

Besides, she did not normally approach males who already had mates. Some females even harassed men who belonged to other households.

Viewed that way, Avery was quite well-behaved.

Bram's expression immediately became friendlier.

Meanwhile, the warmth of his bed had let Silas sleep later than usual.

Voices drifted through his half-formed dreams. One of them sounded like Avery's.

The moment he recognized it, he jolted awake.

He sat bolt upright and lifted the leaves over the window.

It was already getting light.

Avery really was awake.

He threw off his covering. His fingers brushed the thick, soft fur, bringing back the memory of last night.

She had given him such a good hide to sleep under.

Surely being this kind meant something worse was waiting for him.

The trader had said he would fetch more if he were fattened up...

He shook the thought away and hurried into his heavily patched clothes.

When he lifted the leaf curtain, he saw Avery at the front door, apparently speaking to someone.

He had woken later than her.

The water had not been fetched. Breakfast had not been cooked.

Last winter, he had been so sick that he could not get up. Fever had left his head swimming. Ronan had looked after him briefly before going to do the chores.

When Avery found out, she had not let Silas rest even half a day. She had stormed into the room, whipped him, and dragged him out to the woodshed.

The shed had not been repaired. It stood open to the weather, with snow piled inside.

Burning with fever, he had been thrown onto that snow. Blood from the whipping soaked into the white beneath him.

Avery had only told him coldly not to make her sick as well.

If Ronan had not knelt and begged, then brought back a furry snow rabbit on that bitter night, Silas might have died there.

The memory washed over him.

His legs felt weak. The certainty that failing to work meant punishment had settled into his bones long ago.

He found the water bucket and made his way shakily toward the door.

Fear left his ears ringing and his head light.

Only when he reached the doorway did he realize Avery was talking to Bram next door.

Bram was deeply conservative. He believed a male who was beaten must have done something wrong. He also disliked outsiders and never had a kind expression for Silas.

"Silas. You're awake."

Avery saw the bucket in his hand and smiled faintly.

He paused at the same gentle voice she had used yesterday. Curiosity, however, could not make him brave. He lowered his head and murmured an answer.

Bram saw it all quite clearly.

Morning light spread quickly. A moment ago, the yard had been dim; now a pale wash of daylight covered the ground. His vision was not as sharp as a female's, but it served him well enough during the day.

He was astonished.

He had not seen Avery treat Silas kindly in all this time.

"I... I'll get the water."

Silas tightened his grip on the handle.

Normally, it was done before she woke. She disliked him being seen outside. But doing no work at all frightened him even more.

"All right. You don't have to be so nervous when you talk to me. Why don't I come with you? I don't know where we fetch it from yet."

She moved aside to let him through.

Seeing that he was still tense, she sighed inwardly. Such deeply rooted fear would not change overnight.

Silas would never dare let her do his chores.

"There's no need... This is a male's work."

He had never even seen a female child fetching water.

"I just want to see where it is. Here, let me carry that. I'm stronger."

She reached out and took the bucket. He could not match her strength; it slipped from his hand as easily as that.