Rising Sun Valley discovery · sunbeam lair

Njal respected the role of leadership in the pack, even if it was held by someone younger and less qualified than many other wolves may have been comfortable with. Fox had a level head on her shoulders (most of the time) and knew what to look for when it came to the power of Swiftcurrent. He waited for her to give the go-ahead (and dreaded the possibility of a refusal), but she did neither. Instead, the girl remarked that it would take more time to come to a decision. It was a neutral response, one that on some level, bothered Njal. But he would accept it; there was no point in pushing the issue if Fox required more time. He understood. And with a dim look of unhappiness he gave a little nod, and let the expression pass.

"Thank you." He commented next, although there was a lacklustre quality to the man's usual timbre. "Just to have our desires considered is.. Good." There was no ignoring the fact that Njal was dissuaded by her response, depressed by it, but he knew it would take time. Work had to be done, and the man would happily prove his worth - and Tuwa's worth - to the rufus girl. The happiness of their growing family was tantamount to the Delta.

Taking on a more pleasant expression, Njal began to climb down the rest of the way from his perch. He stumbled awkwardly, but managed to reach the bottom without harm; and then began to scout out the rest of the cavern. It was dark and deep, with few trails of light to help him where the boulders naturally blocked it. In an effort to move past the topic of children, the grey man poked his head over some of the smaller boulders and watched Fox, chuffing playfully. "Do you think there are beasts in here? Maybe I should root them out."