Moonsong Glacier If we run into red full speed

"There should be," he replied, his tail swinging as he recalled the day that Chakliux had visited with Raiyuk. "We can bring them an offering of meat to entice them closer," he suggested. And then he laughed, delighted by this new thought: "Only, you must keep this secret from Chakliux and his son. I don't know how they feel about feeding their food."

Their common place, where they ate together at times, was not far. Far enough, however, that the panther's ears pinged upward once more.

"Stories?" he asked, his tone just short of casual. There was bright, almost childish intrigue in his eyes. "Will you tell me one? I will trade you something for it, if I must. Only name your price."

He wondered if Simbelmyne knew what Chakliux had said about her. If it was true at all. A woman like this would not need to seek a man — a good one would surely be attracted by her beauty and demeanor, would they not? He decided that this must have been an impish trick on the seal hunter's part, perhaps meant to bring them together with this subterfuge. He congratulated himself on figuring this out before he'd made too much of a fool of himself — for he was happy enough to keep Simbelmyne's company, and did not want to risk losing it so early on.

But perhaps Chakliux was on to something — perhaps she could be convinced.