“You’re supposed to run after it and bring it back. That’s the throw game,” Simon said. Jackson threw another ball in the same direction, and this time the Wolves raced after it. After finding both balls, they trotted back to Jackson, who threw the balls again. Simon watched his friend and felt excitement bubble inside him. Jackson throwing a ball was part of the prophecy Meg saw for this community. “Roy Panthergard is going to resettle here. A female might be coming with him.” Jackson aborted the next throw and looked at Simon in surprise. “A mate? The Panthergard aren’t as solitary as regular panthers, but would two of them—could two of them—live so close together?” “Don’t know. Don’t know if the female is planning to stay or just wants to look at this part of Thaisia before deciding. Either way, Roy is going to settle here.” Simon hesitated. “What about you?” “Me?” Jackson’s next throw was so short the Wolves barely had to move to catch it. “You thought I would be staying? Why?” “Because Meg saw you here.” Simon shrugged. It was still too easy to believe that everything a blood prophet saw would happen in the future, especially when Meg had been right so often. But you couldn’t make assumptions about the visions. When Jackson looked uneasy, Simon continued. “This is what Meg described—you throwing a ball for juvenile Wolves. I thought it meant you would live here.” The Wolves dropped the balls at Jackson’s feet, then trotted off to explore the land around the houses, having had enough of the game. “I like living at Sweetwater,” Jackson said. “And Grace is from the High North and would miss the snow.” “We have snow.” Jackson laughed. “You don’t have what Grace calls snow.” He hoped no one relayed that comment to the Elementals in Lakeside. He didn’t want Winter to feel the need to prove she could provide as much snow as some of the Elementals in the Northwest or High North. “Besides,” Jackson continued, “the Hope pup is settling in, learning the land and how to take care of herself. And it’s different now, isn’t it? The Intuits are more interested in talking to us, exchanging information about the prophet pups, asking what would be helpful for the ones they’re looking after. It’s not just a weekly visit to the trading post anymore.” “And you’re the leader they talk to.” Simon nodded. “Like Joe is talking to the Intuits in Prairie Gold.” “You and your Meg showed Others and Intuits that it’s possible to really work together.” “Not all humans feel that way,” Simon warned. “Not all the terra indigene feel that way either.” Jackson picked up one of the tennis balls and frowned. “Don’t think you want to put this in with the clean ones.” “We’ll take those two with us and put the carry sack with the clean balls in the garage attached to the Sanguinati’s house.” When they were ready to leave, Simon called the juvenile Wolves.