Sun Mote Copse Jabberjay

Eljay's face didn't change when Wraen said he'd have plenty of opportunities to practise: now wasn't the time for practise, now was the time for efficiency. He needed to feed his family, not get better at a skill he'd tried loads but had never mastered at all. It wasn't a very good time for a bloke with his particular skillset with a family to raise. They were a pack, sure, but Eljay wished that he could contribute more.

Alright, I think, Eljay said, glad to latch onto the subject of Weejay instead. It made him feel a little bit like a failure to think of Weejay, but at least not as big a failure as thinking of Elfie. It's not always easy to tell what she's feeling. She's very sweet, though, and seems to be doing well, all things considered. Eljay realised she might not be showing exactly what she felt like though, but how was he going to find out? She's growing up so fast. They both were -- Elfie even faster, perhaps, as he had always been so headstrong, confident and self-sufficient, but Eljay pushed thoughts of his son aside for now to focus on his lovely daughter. That was the question, after all.