The rabbits exchanged a long, hesitant look. The young boy looked at the feathers and let out a small, muffled sob. Finally, the eldest looked up at me, seeing the sincerity in my eyes.
"The fowl your... mate... brought back," he started, his voice barely a whisper. "They were not wild. They are a specific breed of sacrifice raised under our care. We raise them with our finest so they are fat and heavy."
Ah, it was no wonder they tasted so good.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"We are weak creatures so we can do nothing when our safety is threatened. And that's why we simply have a quota we must meet for the ones who 'protect' us. With those two gone, we are short on what we must offer this time around. If the tribute is not full when the moon reaches its peak..." He trailed off, his eyes wide with terror. "Our tribe will be in trouble. They won't just take the birds. They'll take us."
