Hunter woke suddenly. A noise.<br />It was a noise unlike anything he’d ever heard before. Close! Very close.<br />Like it was on him. Like it was . . .<br />Just in one ear.<br />He twisted his head. It was full night. Black as black in the woods far from the starlight.<br />He couldn’t see anything.<br />But with his hands he could feel. The thing on his shoulder.<br />His ear . . . gone!<br />A terrible fear wrung a cry of horror from Hunter.<br />He couldn’t feel it, his ear, or his shoulder, couldn’t feel with anything but his fingers and he felt, reached beneath his shirt, felt the flesh of his belly pulse and heave.<br />Like something inside him.<br />No, no, no, it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair!<br />He was Hunter. The hunter. He was doing his best.<br />He cried. Tears rolled down his cheeks.<br />Who would bring meat for all the kids?<br />It wasn’t fair.<br />The sound of munching, crunching started again. Just in one ear.<br />Hunter had only one weapon: the heat-causing power in his hands. He had used it many, many times to take the life of prey.<br />He had fed the kids with that power. And in a moment of fear and rage he had accidentally taken the life of his friend, Harry.<br />Maybe he could kill the thing that was eating his ear.<br />But it was too late for that to help.<br />Could he kill himself?<br />He saw Old Lion’s head, eyes closed, hanging where he’d hung him for skinning. If Old Lion could die, so could Hunter.<br />Maybe they would meet again, up in the sky.<br />Hunter pressed both palms against his head.