The Outcasts

A’tim, a half‑wolf, half‑husky outcast, prowls the wind‑scoured plains of the Montana border. Born in the far Northland among Cree trail dogs, he now drifts through willow‑laden flats, haunted by a gnawing hunger that never quite fades. The evening sky bleeds pink over the Rocky silhouettes, and the distant thrum of an Indian council whispers of the upcoming buffalo run, a promise of sustenance that sharpens his keen senses.

At a nearby camp, the bull Shag arrives, gruff and proud, trading barbed jokes about the feared “Camous” long‑knife who haunts their talk. Their banter reveals a fragile camaraderie forged by shared exile, as A’tim’s wild instincts clash with the human world he only half understands. With the Buffalo Hunt looming, the dog‑wolf balances his feral cravings against the uneasy peace of the prairie’s restless tribes.