The wilds

Near the ridge, the morning grass is wet enough with dew for Bram to lie on a damp surface. Gorse stands within hearing of a stonechat, while lower folds of land hold mist around a distant caller. As sunlight reaches over the distant hills, moisture rises from the slopes in small vapours. The meadow beneath Bram's resting place contains grazing beasts, and their feeding continues in a morning described through warmth of colour and slow movement. The lower meadow gives way to gorse and undulating hills in the direction Bram examines. The distant area lies in a quarter of the country he has no previous reason to visit, beyond the grazing ground.

Walking toward that quarter involves slopes with easier alternatives to either side of Bram's chosen direction. A narrow path used by sheep offers one diversion, but he keeps his course by watching a distant reference point. A nearby depression contains an empty hillside with gorse, grey stone, and thorn bushes bent by wind. The surrounding hills obscure the exact place Bram seeks, and his inspection reveals no tracks, sheltering den, or fallen object.

The large grazers belong to nobody, and Bram regards owning them as impossible. Their familiarity with him develops over two summers, until they permit him to rest among them as they feed in the meadow. Bram sometimes spends cold nights beneath the stars with Mott against him, far from the village. On especially clear winter nights, the number of visible stars and the immense scale around him produce an overwhelming feeling. Bram maintains direction across the terrain using the same method as older trackers. People also question Bram about Mott, although his answers about his companion do not satisfy their requests for identification.