This was a really fun page to work on, beyond just getting to revisit some old characters. I don't tend to deep dive into "my intentions" on a page because I want the work to speak for itself, and I also don't want to bully people into interpreting the story any specific way-- but one small exception here just 'cause. Feel free to skip reading the rest if you're happy with your own interpretation!

In the scene with Oren that Rask is recalling (pg 241) Oren is speaking to the other prey animals specifically, about how not to give in to their instinctual fear. However, I knew Rask would interpret his words in his own way and internalize them. This whole page is about the small parts of the whole we take away and what we make of it, even when something isn't meant specifically for us.

Quannaq is from all the way back on page 39, this time from an angle closer to how Rask would have seen him as he wondered what was the point living if everyone else was dead.

While it's actually Sprig that says Rask's name as he dies, Yarrow saying his name is meant to reflect the fact that for a /moment/, just before Hemlock killed him, Rask saw Yarrow's expression change, suggesting he might be open to listen.

And, last-- it's not stated explicitly in the comic and just lives in my head but you might as well know, too. The dead mouse in the snow is Rask's first solo kill, which is first referenced on page 109 when Rask and Sprig are speaking.

(Anyhow, if you're interested in stuff like this, I now have a Discord server for Patreons! It's a place for folks to chat about the story/I lurk and chime in occationally, etc.)

www.patreon.com/teagangavet