Redtail Rise still miles to go till i arrive

he was a man of very few words, tuhin noted wryly. not something they could well be accused of...indeed, sometimes their tongue had been the cause of much aggravation. there was always need of one to soothe ruffled feathers, to remind their people that they shared a common goal...yet some saw blood as the only binding that would suffice.

they expected he would be much the same.

for a long moment, then, they stared at each other. examining. they had thought his questions to be dismissive, truly, but it seemed they had their purpose. a man who ate only what he killed was not like to be a man who only hunted alone; the well-groomed fur, smoother and denser than their own, spoke at least of someone not given to empty words.

perhaps they did not admire these predators in the way of some, but tuhin could respect such prowess, even if it might differ from their own. for the meanwhile. violence applied too liberally led only to chaos.

but here, at last, came the purpose they had been awaiting, and for all their considerations, tuhin examined it with some surprise.

"i am," they said, slow and deliberate. "so say your piece, and i will listen."