Wheeling Gull Isle there's nothing left for me to stay

they exchange more words in their native tongue and atausiq wonders if he should invest time in learning it ...or if by suggesting that he do might take away the privacy the sisters are otherwise enjoying. Naumani. he assures ying — is to-be sister-in-law — as she speaks to him in the northern tongue of his mother's people. he is rusty, far from as fluent as he could be but he knows enough to scrape by. there hadn't been much use in learning it in easthollow aside from his own enjoyment.

he gives a small wag of his tail at the affectionate kiss hua gives his cheek, gaze volleying between the sisters before it draws once more to ying. did they? it is only now that atausiq feels the smart of embarrassment, that 'her friend' said he needed training ...and as far as he aware the only one he told had been mal. personal betrayal or not, it remains true. yes, he admits, salmon pink tongue drawing across his jowls. i will dedicate myself to learning how to fight. so i might protect my wife — a glimpse is secreted to hua then. — the children and the pack. as is my duty.