Hushed Willows and they raise a toast of bulleit rye

before boone could get the chance, reverie swung ahead of him and rushed to the side of the shellshocked girl. hey, hey, you're alright, it's okay, he'd called to her from halfway down the slope, until her voice met his ears — i beg you to stay where you are.
the realization struck him instantly. it was him. it was his size, it was his — his body, his face, the heft of his paws, the strength of his muscles, the sharpness of his teeth. she was afraid of him.
and it shattered him, this thought, the terror in her voice, the far-away glaze of her eyes. but it was not his place to convince her to let go of that fear. that was something she must do on her own. and it was not his fault, he knew this, and yet—
he gives a small nod of his head and backs up with slow, quiet steps; as quiet and as small as he can muster. he must go back up to the ledge, he must pick up the remains of this milestone event now ruined.
as i was sayin', a pause, as he fights the crack of his voice; each of you have somethin' to offer. each of you will carry your weight. each of you are important pieces of this puzzle.
you're all gonna have to be comfortable in your positions. for our punks, he gestures now to the trio he had named. a good chunk of your tasks will be outside of our borders. huntin', scoutin', makin' sure no one's comin' our way. and, a pause, followed by another gesture. we have neighbors to our south. epoch. nice folks. one a' their healers came to help reverie a while back, and i wanna repay 'em. when we're all fully settled and hunkered down, i'm gonna send two of you out to bring 'em some gifts on our behalf. until that time comes, i'm gonna be watchin' to see which of you buggers is fit for such a task.
he turns now to his middlemen. as for you two, you are also gonna have some shit to do outside. eventually. but right now, you're gonna be trainin' with miss reverie. she knows more than i do about all'a'that plant stuff. she'll do good by you.
his gaze lingers upon the sunflower gold of his wife; the rays of soft white that sparkle along the slender back. his heart sings with admiration; with adoration.
i'm gonna take a second here to emphasize that my beautiful wife reverie is just as important as i am, if not more. she is our coach. she is the spirit and the heart of hearthwood. she is the reason we are all standin' here right now. and i would sure as hell not be doin' all'a this without her. even if she cannot see it, the smile that warms his jaws is for her — all for her, and this rag-tag bunch he had come to know as their new family.