Nova Peak Akiani

Her mouth formed a moue at his comment, wondering if her barrage of questions made him uncomfortable. Before she could ask, Issorartuyok obliged her with a response that, in turn, answered her unspoken query. Ah, shoot.

"Oh, hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not doubting you or your skills," Meerkat said quickly, feeling a bit of a flush as she hastened to explain. "I just wanted to pick your brain. Sorry for all the questions." Her lips twitched into a sheepish smile. "I've never wanted to be a leader, myself, so I just... it's impressive. You sound absolutely qualified, for what it's worth."

She offered another contrite look, then considered backing off and leaving him to it. But he'd entertained her questions, so maybe he wasn't really that bothered by her inquisition. Hopefully her explanation cleared the air a bit too. She was genuinely impressed and her curiosity was authentic.

It occurred to her that she could invite him back to the glacier, though he'd specifically mentioned he'd only follow a leader he deemed good enough. They might share a physical resemblance, yet Meerkat wasn't sure Issorartuyok would be impressed by Wintersbane. She liked him in part because he was so easy on the eyes. And he'd made a lot of babies, which she hoped to help rear. Somehow, she doubted this guy would be won over by these things.

"Are you thinking of settling here?" Meerkat wondered, sticking to a single question at a time now.