These two aren’t the brightest huh? Still wanting to eat someone who has an army??? Specifically red because I thought he understood what was at risk here.

Yeah, I suspect Change will come with the kids. The adults here are real boomers.

Well, you have to remember: Us, the readers, getting to see the comic being released one page at a time, it gives us a lot to think about, when in the story, this is probably only taking place over a few days or so. These are adult wolves, who've lived their entire lives fighting for survival-- they're not gonna come to the conclusion that this is a truly good (and real) thing so quickly. It would honestly be entirely unreasonable to expect as much from them (and that's a very good thing in writing, is keeping reactions realistic to the characters personalities and mindsets).
The pups would naturally be more susceptible to the change in things, especially because they witnessed a prey animal killing their Uncle Seral, who chose to spare them afterward. Also, they're kids, so hopefully they can bring this up at some point and it would positively affect their parents views <3

Also, I'm not entirely sure they're convinced he has an army. I don't think even he is.

Just wait until they figure out how to make bows. I'm actually shocked they haven't figured that out already. Usually that (and flint arrowheads) comes before metal smithing.

It may mean one very interesting thing. They didn't invent metal smithing.

There's a center somewhere. A much more developed tribe. From which others learn bits and pieces. That tribe does metal, maybe bows and even armor. And it is somewhere to the far South.

Capuchin monkeys maybe?

could you all just stop with this boomer hate?

Nope. They deserve it.

Disgusting.

I would say Swift just made the correct choice in wanting to speak with Oren. She heard very much what was said by Rask and now is contemplating how to feed her family without risking their lives. She knows outside the woods they are dead when the Zenith find them and her encounter with the prey in the woods and what happened to Seral taught her that this prey is also deadly for them. So as a leader she knows a "diplomatic solution" is the best option for them. And she might have important information about the outside that the Hollow needs.

I would say Red comment was just teasing her that she did not take the easy way to feed her family.

Speak? Her last speech bubble doesn't suggest anything resembling peaceful intentions. More like "I have a plan..."

She made it clear she overheard everything Rask told Red -- who's sitting back there smirking, showing so much appreciation for the food Rask brought for their kids. She heard how the Hollow is defended, and how unlikely it'd be to "dig them out" before they were dead. Which means, you gotta draw them out instead. Negotiating in bad faith is such a tactic.

It seems to me like this is illustrating that it's damn near impossible for people to change once their mindset is locked in. The Change that Rask seeks won't be found with Red and Swift, but perhaps with their kids.

That's the way I read it. She's letting him go in the hopes of spreading the net wider and set up an ambush at the meeting on the assumption that Oren, being important, will not show up alone, and everyone else who shows up with him will just be a hapless herbivore with no means of fighting back. Free eats.

Yeah I don't see them taking a subordinate role, and she hasn't moved off her 'there's a ton of prey there' position we saw in the opening comic. I'm not sure why Rask would be all that obliging either, since he was tricked into range where they could treat him like his dad treated Sprig. Red didn't seem to listen much either, "that was a meal you let go", instead of "that had an interesting point". Well, will see how it goes.

What is the length of time we are talkng about since Swift first encountered Rask with the fire and the spike pit?
One day I think? Can't be a lot longer than that.

The fact she is willing the let prey go to talk with this 'Oren' and presumably alert any prey in the forest that isn't already aware that she and her family is there, is quite forward thinking on her part. Especially with some hungry cubs to feed.

Otherwise Rask would be lunch.

The situation makes me think of fishing -- catch a small fish (Rask), and you have a snack. Use that small fish as bait, catch a much bigger fish, and then you have a meal (the denizens of the Hollow).

Rask, despite his good intentions (road paving here), pretty much gave them military intelligence about the Hollow. Enough to come up with a clever plan to draw them out, as Rask indicated that trying to dig them out would just be courting death.

And yes, she was listening; Swift name dropped "Oren", so she heard much -- if not the entirety of, the conversation between Rask and Red.

My possibly impossible fan hope is that somehow they end up making nice and Red becomes a blacksmith's apprentice. Dude can do so SO little for his family, but his arms are fine. He could swing a hammer MUCH harder than Oren

I get a feeling that the two adults going to be kind of dumb about this whole thing and it's going to come to a stalemate with spears at the throats of the cubs before they pull their heads out of the orifices under their tails.

My hunch is that Rask is going to pick up two more party members for their travels. Remember they were just about ready to leave the Hollow for good when Swift appeared at their doorstep. We shouldn't forget that Rask and Egg are still considered "outsiders" -- at best seen as "guard dogs" by the prey species, and will never be truly welcome. Rask's dreams of Change won't be found there. Red and Swift aren't the only ones too entrenched in their ways.

Which if the cubs go with Rask and friends, then the outlook isn't so good for Red and Swift, who'd never willingly part with them.

The cubs are way to young to part with their parents either. only way i see that happening is if they get kidnapped or both parents die.

My thought about Red working a forge just.... i mean what else is he going to do? he can't WALK. so unless they kill him off I'm not sure what else to do with him.

That's kind of why I suspect we're steamrolling into tragedy here. You're right, there's no way Red and Swift will part with their pups. But I think that Change is going to come with the pups -- their world has already been irrevocably changed (flying rabbits who can kill grown adult wolves, and the same flying rabbit was ready to kill them too ... and instead chose to show mercy) so they're primed to go a different route from their parents.

But their parents, and the denizen of the Hollow (even Oren) don't share Rask's epiphany or his hope for Change. Rask changed when he realized the prey he was eating wasn't just "dumb animals", but thinking beings who have families and lives of their own just the same as him -- all equally deserving Life. That's why he had his crisis of conscience "I'm going to starve!" (good thing for him that fish and birds don't seem to share the same level of sapience!). In fact, Red held a conversation with Rask -- an intelligent exchange between two living beings -- and was still perfectly fine with eating him. He had the same opportunity to experience the same crisis of conscience as Rask did -- and he didn't. That's why I think he, and Swift (also definitely understands Rask is a living, thinking being able to communicate like themselves) are not going to change. In modern human terms, if cows could hold intelligent conversations with humans -- Red and Swift would still be eating steak.

The Hollow, unfortunately, isn't much better. After overcoming the "communication barrier" (by learning how to perceive language spoken at a different pace -- they're really lucky to benefit from "universal linguistics" here) never accepted Rask. Remember the small ones quaking in their homes as Rask passed by as he entered the Hollow, saying "He's a killer...". Oren, who we first thought was the enlightened one of the Hollow, sees Rask as a useful tool -- a predator who will not prey on them and instead will protect them -- that's why I say Oren considers him to be just "a guard dog", certainly not an equal. The Change Rask's hoping for, thus, won't happen there either -- he saw that, and was ready to leave to find ... his future, I guess.

So yeah, the wolves joining the Hollow is a neat idea, but without some ... heroic efforts let's call it ... I don't see that happening.

But who knows! Let's watch the story unfold!

Also Swift has no good options

She has Four choices from what I can tell

Try to hunt, and die:
She hasn't gotten it through her head yet just how utterly outclassed she is. In fairness she had no reason to realize the situation when she entered the forest, and is mostly confused by the fire and the pit rather than really thinking it though. The forge is an 'outside context problem' Something she can't even conceive of enough to react to it. For example, her running into a bear would be a big big problem, but she knows how teeth and claws work, and how to run and dodge and all that, so she has the 'context' on how to deal with a bear. This though is something she presently can't even really comprehend, and the tech advantage is CRUSHING to her.

Try to pass though the forest, and die:
there's mountains on the other side. she and red discuss that the 'pass' is only usable if there aren't "cats" there, but as far as we know there could be. Presumably she means pumas, which are wolf scale and NOT dragging an invalid and kids.

Go back, and die:
A bloody army of Zeniths AND Bison that think she is a loose end that need snipping is out there. She left the grass for a reason. Going back out there is turbo deadness for her and she knows it.

Join the hollow, and.. MAYBE live:
For reasons that are obvious, as she currently is she wouldn't even begin to consider this. Swift needs a Vegeta level third act breakdown, or beatdown, to even think about playing nice with the Hollow. Something the Hollow themselves are fully equipped to hand her if need be, but whether such a beatdown is survivable is a different question.

I really Hope she doesn't become a tragic backstory in her kids lives, and a part of me wonders if the kids will end up being her lifeline. Hemlock the murder rabbit won't hurt kids, even wolf kids, and even acted to save them once already. Those same kids are probably the only thing that would stop Hemlock from turning Swift into a pincushion and Swift's love of them may be the only thing strong enough to overcome her pride and stubbornness at fully accepting how utterly hopeless her position is.

cool happy new year ... :)

"kill me or release me wolf, but do not waste my time with talk"

were it so easy

*sudden Marty O'Donnell sound track*

So sad. : (

I hope Rask tells Oren that the wolves have no peaceful intentions.

Definitely obvious. Rask put himself into a vulnerable position as a "gesture of good will" when Red asked him to do so. Only for his mate to violate it at the first opportunity.

As they say, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." The wolves just blew their credibility to kingdom come (especially Red, who interfered with Rask's escape), they'd be fools to trust the wolves' words ever again. The Hollow better have the mother of all ambushes prepared. Again, too bad they haven't figured out bows, that would have given them an immense force multiplier here.

I definitely agree.

I get the feeling that last panel about the first song is in the plains. Probably about to switch back to the wolf / bison "group".

Swift gonna talk the TALK.

Swift : you shouldn't compare my mate to carrion.
Rask: Well, Carry on, then.

I am liking these Wolfs less and less.

Like
...less than hemlock.

I swear if they do try to pull one at this meeting, then fuck em all.

swift you act mighty smug for a girl on the balls of her ass rn lmao

So it's gunna be one of those lull them into a false sense of security until the wolves turn on them all and eat them plot. -_- isn't it?

Swift really likes dictating her own terms, even when what someone else is offering is favorable to her

Well said! Swift is a pack leader, *not* a follower. Rask is a middleman here, and if this is going to work out, talks of alliance is in order. I doubt Swift could ever be a subordiante like Rask, who craves the safety of the Hollow

Really losing my sympathy for these wolves lol

Bugger! I just saw the hiatus for another 2 weeks. I was so excited for a new page and kept checking hourly >_<