the centuries fade below my feet

He may as well have said some of the magic words. Mordecai unknowingly strove for those to follow him, especially in light of his coming into power. Of course, the yearling's skills were just as important. They needed hunter just as much as they would have needed those that could protect them; Mordecai still had no real idea just what winter would bring to their neck of the woods. If anything, he would have preferred them to be over-prepared than not at all.

“That's good.” He did not mask the fact that he was pleased. There was something about this fellow that told him that he had already figured out where Mordecai stood in the grand scheme of things. “How well can you handle privacy, though?” he queried, rising to his feet to come in for a closer look… and to gauge how well his own intrusion would be handled.