Trix felt the dread of the headman when the hunter spoke that he saw the others, but she also felt the falseness in his statement.  She watched him, there was a sharp awareness, an otherness about him.<br/><br/>The headman was no well versed at hiding his disgust with his own hunters, and niave enough not to try.  "What you hunt feeds ours.  You no poach, that cat has kits"  Holding up a hand with two brown and gnarled fingers extended.  He spoke to the outsider  "You will share our fire, eat our food and live as we do, until you pass from these lands"  With that he turned his back and began to walk back toward camp.  No one else though, no one moved.<br/>The headmans woman looked up and held up her hand with two fingers.  We replanted our signal flower, and began to shim down the vines.  I watched the outsider as I did, which caused Trix to slip because she was so intent on the stranger.  The gatherers formed a circle around the stranger.  Weaponless, and anxious, but with bright and eager faces, young men, young women, boys and girls stared at him, hope plain in thier faces.  With any luck, he would seed thier next generation.  A giant would be thier kin.  That much was plain.<br/><br/>Trix was in front of the man crowded round with many others waiting for his response.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>