Mudminnow River shrike

mistmantled and with the same carved grace that sun eater had come to recognize, the woman stood before ghelan.

their mouths moved in words he could not yet hear. his eye moved from the small tangle of cows he was watching back to the stranger whom his son had intercepted.

now long dark limbs carried sun eater toward them; his posture was relaxed, firm in his assured position as chieftain. ears flicked. he had come only in time to hear her shift to common, but the accent there was undeniably —

sun eater did not interrupt, only took a supportive pose beside his son to regard the woman. a stranger, striking, with eyes that did not overlook a single detail.