Noah noticed the way Lyra’s attention changed when she looked at the table. Hunters did the same thing without thinking, taking inventory of the world around them, reading small details the way others might read a page. That careful way she studied the supplies told him she was someone who did not step blindly into unfamiliar ground. It gave her more credibility as a search and rescue responder.
When she mentioned Nova he gave a small nod, the movement easy and unsurprised. Safrin’s daughter had a way of appearing in the paths of many lately, like a bright star slipping across the sky where it was most needed, even with Marcus. But Lyra’s concern about slowing them down drew a sharp click of his tongue, though his eyes were still warm and genuine, and he leaned his weight lightly against the table as he looked at her.
"Everyone who hunts started somewhere," Noah said, the words steady and matter-of-fact rather than reassuring in the empty way politeness had a way of being. His glacier eyes rested on her with a groundedness, as if the idea of her being a burden had never truly occurred to him. "You won’t slow us down. Teaching is part of the point tomorrow. Nova’s learning too, and hunts like that move slower by nature. It’s less about bringing back the biggest kill and more about learning how to read the land."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the door, then back to the woman, "And you’re Attuned now," he laid his counter arguement, "that shift will help more than you think. Strong nose, endurance, instincts that know how to move through difficult terrain. If anything, you’ll probably surprise yourself."
When she mentioned Nova he gave a small nod, the movement easy and unsurprised. Safrin’s daughter had a way of appearing in the paths of many lately, like a bright star slipping across the sky where it was most needed, even with Marcus. But Lyra’s concern about slowing them down drew a sharp click of his tongue, though his eyes were still warm and genuine, and he leaned his weight lightly against the table as he looked at her.
"Everyone who hunts started somewhere," Noah said, the words steady and matter-of-fact rather than reassuring in the empty way politeness had a way of being. His glacier eyes rested on her with a groundedness, as if the idea of her being a burden had never truly occurred to him. "You won’t slow us down. Teaching is part of the point tomorrow. Nova’s learning too, and hunts like that move slower by nature. It’s less about bringing back the biggest kill and more about learning how to read the land."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the door, then back to the woman, "And you’re Attuned now," he laid his counter arguement, "that shift will help more than you think. Strong nose, endurance, instincts that know how to move through difficult terrain. If anything, you’ll probably surprise yourself."
the sentinel of the north
