Northstar Vale macaroni art

The silence was comfortable for Tryphon, who had lived for an excessive number of days without ever speaking a word, or uttering any sound at all. It was the constant desire of others to fill those quiet gaps that made him uncomfortable. Thus, it was easy for him to fall in to step behind Dagfinn — substantially more difficult once the hunting began, and Dagfinn started the lesson.

That's sort-of what it was, now. A lesson. Teaching the boy about the birds, while in a way Tryphon was teaching the other man about how to feel comfortable in this new environment. Tryphon wasn't entirely aware of the unease within Dagfinn as they made their departure, but there was a distinct shift in his behavior as they settled among the grasses of the meadow.

When Dagfinn mentioned the hens, Tryphon gave another small nod. In his mind he pictured something akin to a starling, or maybe a crow, a gull — a tiny bird up to a middling sized creature — and he wondered as he searched just what have I signed up for?