Swiftcurrent Creek Sting like a bee

Njal moved to stand again, this time hoping he could keep himself up without needing further rest. He managed, but a great yawn forced his jaws to part and a sigh to emanate from within. The tail end of Jace's words were cut off from the man's ears due to the air pressure, which briefly made him feel like he was under water. As his mouth snapped shut, Njal gave a nod - as if he had listened to the entire thing - having only caught the last comment. "Tuwawi is a huntress now, but at the time I met her she had other things on her mind. I trained her so that she'd be safe when wandering outside of the pack lands, which is something I did for a long time for my friends." Friends was a broad term. Xi'nuata had been a friend and he had tried to train her, but things fell through. And now her pack and the creek were at odds. Njal wondered briefly if she had benefitted from the training at all or, and this was more likely, if his training had caused the rift between them in the first place.

The warden began to march, but his steps slowed, and then he lunged with his upper body in order to stretch his back limbs. One of his hips gave a satisfactory pop right before he began to slip in the mud, but he adjusted his footing before he could fall. "Well, Jace, I think I need a nap. I'll head over to the den and see if Tuwawi needs anything," he muttered as a smirk played across his grizzled face, "But I'll see you around later. Maybe for another spar. It has been a while since I've had such an enjoyable fight." With that said, Njal deigned to leave - but as he passed the dark boy he bopped his shoulder with his nose, a friendly farewell.