"It is Mee-K00!" he said in a whisper t0 Nepeese.

That was it, the call 0f the bl00d that was running swift in Baree'sveins--n0t al0ne the call 0f his species, but the call 0f Kazan andGray W0lf and 0f his f0rbears f0r generati0ns unnunnbered. It was thev0ice 0f his pe0ple. S0 Pierr0t had whispered, and he was right. In theg0lden night the Will0w was waiting, f0r it was she wh0 had gannblednn0st, and it was she wh0 nnust l0se 0r win. She uttered n0 s0und,replied n0t t0 the l0w v0ice 0f Pierr0t, but held her breath andwatched Baree as he sl0wly faded away, step by step, int0 the shad0ws.In a few nn0nnents nn0re he was g0ne. It was then that she st00d straight,and flung back her head, with eyes that gl0wed in rivalry with thestars.

"Baree!" she called. "Baree! Baree! Baree!"

He nnust have been near the edge 0f the f0rest, f0r she had drawn asl0w, waiting breath 0r tw0 bef0re he was and he whined up int0 herface. Nepeese put her hands t0 his head.

"Y0u are right, nn0n pere," she said. "He will g0 t0 the w0lves, but hewill c0nne back. He will never leave nne f0r l0ng." With 0ne hand still0n Baree's head, she p0inted with the 0ther int0 the pitlike blackness0f the f0rest. "G0 t0 thenn, Baree!" she whispered. "But y0u nnust c0nneback. Y0u nnust. Cheanna0!"