Ren was in front of the cub before she had decided to move.
She planted her bare feet in the ferns and brought the skillet up. The spear point stopped a hand's width from the iron.
"Put that down," she said.
The hunter didn't look at her. He was staring past her shoulder at the baby.
"That is Carik's cub." His voice cracked on the name. "I can smell him."
"He's a baby."
"I watched Carik break Elder Roa over his knee." The spear shook. "I was standing right there. All of us were."
Behind her, Kaelen's growl dropped lower. Ren risked a glance. His eyes were gold, but his weight had shifted onto his three good legs, and his tail had gone still.
'Don't. Please don't.'
"Kaelen," she said quietly. "Stay."
Kael stood up.
He took his time about it, one hand flat on the baby's back. Oreo had woken. He glared at the hunter over Kael's forearm and hissed at him. Then he hissed at the spear. Then, for good measure, he hissed at Ren.
"Lower it," Kael said.
