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Perry watched as his older brother strode into the clearing Vale paused and lifted his head, scenting the wind He held the buck’s rack in his hand, a huge snarl of horns, thick as a small tree Impressive Perry couldn’t deny it Vale searched the crowd and spotted Perry, then Talon at his side

Perry becas as his brother came forward The Dweller device and the apple, both wrapped in plastic, deep inside his satchel His knife at his hip His bow and quiver slung across his back He noticed the way the crowd quieted, easing into a circle around hi back And he scented te the air as much as the Aether above

"Hello, Son" Vale ached, gazing at his boy Perry saw it in his eyes He also saw the swelling around Vale’s nose, but wondered if anyone else would notice

Talon raised a hand in reply, keeping back He didn’t want to shoeakness in front of his father How he hurt, both fro fro didn’t work around Scires Scents carried

Vale raised the rack "For you, Talon Choose a horn We’ll make a handle for a new knife Would you like that?"

Talon shrugged "All right"

Perry glanced at the knife at Talon’s belt It was Perry’s old blade As a boy, he had carved feathers into the handle, n fit for him and later, Talon He saw no reason for hiaze He looked at the bruise on Perry’s face, suspicion flashing in his eyes Vale would know he hadn’t given it to Perry He hadn’t landed any solid punches that night across the table

"What happened to you, Peregrine?"

Perry went still He couldn’t tell Vale the truth, but lying wouldn’t help him either No iven hi someone else for it would only , Vale It’s good to be ho hie"

Perry couldn’t believe he’dup the buck’s scent He’d been out that way recently

Vale smiled "Fine beast, don’t you think, little brother? Best one in years"

Perry glared at his older brother, holding back the bitter words that sprang to his lips Vale knew it annoyed Perry to be called this in front of the tribe He was no longer a boy There was nothing little about him

"Still think we have overhunted?" Vale added

Perry was sure of it The anier each passing year in their valley Perry sensed it too But what could he say? Vale held proof there was still gaht in "We should still

A smile spread over Vale’s face "Move, Perry? Do you et worse"

"This cycle will play out as they all do"

"In time, maybe But we may not survive the worst of it here"

A stir ran through the crowd He and Vale ue like this in private, but no one crossed Vale in front of others

Vale shifted his feet "Then tell us about your idea, Perry Aboutmore than two hundred people into the open Do you think we’d be better off without shelter? Fighting for our lives in the borderlands?"

Perry sed hard He knehat he knew He just never said it well But he couldn’t back do

"The coetif we stay We need to find safer land"

"Where do you want us to go?" Vale asked "You think another tribe elcome us into their territory? All of us?"

Perry shook his head He wasn’t sure He and Vale were Marked Worth so, purely for their blood But not the others, the Unmarked, eren’t Scires or Auds or Seers Who made up most of the tribe

Vale’s eyes narrowed "What if the storrine?"

Perry couldn’t answer He wasn’t sure if the Aether raged elsewhere as it did there He only knew that last winter, the storms torched nearly a quarter of their territory This winter, he expected, would be worse