"Where is Grant? I haven't seen him lately." I sent him to my father. I was afraid what you would do to his garden if he really irritated you." I am s...orry about the garden, I wasn't paying attention." It was true."You weren't paying attention?" No, I started irritated with the twit, but after I lost most of my irritation I was able to focus on individual leaves. I worked on my precision. I would cut the stem of one and then bisect the leaf on its way to the ground. I guess that I got a bit. I started to get the suspicion that Maria WANTED to get me off balance and so she came in looking the way she did. The thought seemed to galvanize my resolve."Maria", I said. "When I agreed to watch over and protect you last night, I did not intend to be your master all day, every day"Some concern rose in her face, "djou don' wan' me after all?" That's not what I said", I quickly explained. "I don't want to be in complete control of you and everything you do" Oh", said Maria a bit. I looked through my binoculars and saw that the wagon had a broken wheel. Standing beside the wagon was a man, a woman, and three small children. I decided to see if I could help, so I sped up to a fast trot. It didn't take me long to reach the wagon."Good day," I said as I approached. "Though it looks like yours has started off less than that." Yes," said the man. "Bad luck has plagued us the last few days. We just now bumped over a rock and broke a wheel. We have a replacement wheel, but I. When Glade at last collapsed into exhausted slumber, a restless Ivory stared into the dark shadows and reviewed her situation. She recognised now how happy she’d been during the time Glade and Chief Cave Lion were absent. She’d enjoyed the regular evening camaraderie with the other villagers around the blazing fires. She’d risen well to the challenge of being the village shaman and Ptarmigan had done well as the Chief’s deputy. And now what did the rest of her life have to offer? Would she and.