Witch's Marsh haunt

"yes," lestan murmured with a nod for the young woman. he wasn't so good a judge of ages, but her stature made her seem as youthful as blossom. whatever was left of the mayfair's paternal inclination was stirring now. "i d-don't know the n-name redtail. but it was on a r-rise!" a flattened joke.
"akavir w-will take you in." i think! lestan fretted; it had been a good long while since he'd been back, and a good lot of bad things had happened in between. he doubted his cousin would be very warm to him, but these two? lestan didn't picture them being turned away.
he hemmed and hawed; he lifted his paw and set it down. all of him wanted to keep pursuing the woman and her stupid thrall, but —
but.