"That's dangerous right now," Veer pointed out. "We're still being hunted. Making contact with others risks exposure."
"Everything is dangerous right now," Kaya countered. "But we can be smart about it. We don't go to populated areas. We look for isolated individuals, outcasts like Serra who are already living alone in harsh conditions. They're less likely to report us, and more likely to be interested in joining."
"I know of a few," Serra said slowly. "Individuals I've encountered over the past two years. A bear who was exiled for refusing to participate in territorial raids. A fox who left her clan over a dispute about trade practices. A lynx who was cast out for—" She paused. "—well, the reasons were never clear, but he's been surviving alone in the eastern ranges for at least a year."
"Could any of them be trusted?" Kaya asked.
