Dragoncrest Cliffs i saw the bottom of the ocean; my pores would pour my soul down there

his words are met with obvious distaste, though the reason for it isn't clear until the leader continues. immediately he discerns that raimo must not have made a favorable impression on these wolves, and his apparent reticence on this matter has not improved it. based on these quickly-gathered assumptions, zephyr cannot fault the leader for her reaction. he assumes she will turn him away, and that, too, strikes him as a reasonable reaction.
but she doesn't. instead she lays out conditions of his acceptance; again, not unreasonable, but undeniably harsh. it's a relief. too much kindness from a leader who obviously feels disrespected by and disdainful of the man who is to be the father of his children would have made him wary; to be turned away would have left him weary. he dips his head once again as she finishes, grateful and suddenly feeling tired in a different way than he would have in the face of rejection. the kind of tired that hits when you open your front door after a long, hard day at work, not quite able to relax while you know the next day will be just as long and just as hard, but safe and calm enough for the moment to really feel how much the day has worn you down.
of course your children will take priority; i understand, he answers, knowing that he would be no less harsh than the scarred leader, were he in the same position. thank you. i'll address things with raimo, as well, and ensure you receive proper respect and transparency moving forward. if not from raimo, then from himself; he leaves that part unspoken, feeling it is implied.
just as he finishes speaking, raimo arrives, lending a new awkwardness to the scene. zephyr says little to him outside of what is necessary, eager for the meeting to be done with so he can start the process of rebuilding once again. he'll deal with raimo's lack of transparency later, without the looming threat of making his new leader's first impression of him any worse than it already is.