Winter had come to the High Plains leaving all in its icy grip. The Tala Clan had moved south to its winter camp leaving behind a mother and her newborn infant. Having recently lost her mate she had been staying with the Fala Clan who built their lodges in the red cliffs below and to the north of Lake Tala. When she had returned to her lodge she found herself and her daughter to be alone. She would rest one or two days before returning. On the evening before her return, she watched the sun, blood red, as it neared the southwestern horizon. To the northwest a gathering storm cloud was forming,...