Sawtooth Spire all ashore

Alya didn't seem entirely convinced, but Nikai was certain that Valette'd love Alya. He didn't really think that he could bring home any girl that Valette would oppose -- especially if it meant that he was moving back home. Nikai didn't yet fully grasp what it would mean to Alya to be part of a pack that was not her birth pack that she had lived in forever -- and he probably could not grasp what that meant, not until he would leave Easthollow to be in a different pack some day perhaps.

At the notion of Alya's parents, Nikai let out a laugh. He'd not have admitted it if she hadn't asked, but... Yeah, a bit. They're, uh.. Not much into small talk, are they? Strong silent types, he guessed. Or, uh, showing emotions. He didn't mean it as rotten as it might sound, but Nikai was just used to an overly motherly parent who wore her emotions pretty much on her sleeve.