When the Wanderer woke up in the morning, he was relieved to find his tent undisturbed. He heard the girl moving around the site, but doubted she was in a better humor. He lay inside his tent until the grating of metal on metal irritated him enough to get up. When he came outside, he was blinded again from the piercing rays of light. The girl was sharpening her dagger, and the blade caught glimpses of sun as she swept it along a rod. Two slain rabbits were draped across her lap. She must have gotten up before dawn to hunt. Finally, the grating that worked on the Wanderer’s nerves stopped. The girl tested the edge of the blade, satisfied that it was sharp enough, and then she set to work on the rabbits, pulling their hides off with sure strokes of the dagger. The Wanderer watched, mesmerized. He’d never met a woman who could hunt before, and her skill made it clear that she was very comfortable with it. After a few minutes, the Wanderer saw the girl’s stare riveted on him while the blade of her knife carved meat from bone.
