Kel nodded at the mention of the herald, one he had also heard a little of thanks to the unseasonal festival, but at the mention of a library his lips quirked into a fond smile for his friend. Books were not, by and large, very popular within the Grove. The paper produced from trees felled in their prime to make them were considered wasteful and potentially cruel since there was no way of knowing if a dryad’s tree had been sacrificed in the making. Still, he knew that this particular ravenkin had a fondness for them as fonts of knowledge and tales, and he squeezed Rance’s hand gently in support.
The questions that came at his admission brought a flicker of pride to the young man and he straightened his spine, giving a bashful grin. “In the jungle, yes. Town was… too crowded. Too noisy. Too… dangerous. I built it. Well. With help.” One friend and one friendly acquaintance, at least. ”You’re welcome to come see it if… if you need a place to stay.” The offer was shy but hopeful, even as Kel’s hand stayed wrapped firmly around Rance’s, unwilling to let him go now that they were reunited. It would be a tight squeeze for two, but they’d make it work the way they always had before.
Lost in their reunion, the hunter was also oblivious to the approaching danger until it was too late. A sharp keening rose in the air as a tawny leopard pounced from concealment to bear the smaller cloud manta to the rocks. Its mother circled and swooped helplessly above, trying to distract the feline but unequipped with any claws or fangs to drive it from her offspring.
The questions that came at his admission brought a flicker of pride to the young man and he straightened his spine, giving a bashful grin. “In the jungle, yes. Town was… too crowded. Too noisy. Too… dangerous. I built it. Well. With help.” One friend and one friendly acquaintance, at least. ”You’re welcome to come see it if… if you need a place to stay.” The offer was shy but hopeful, even as Kel’s hand stayed wrapped firmly around Rance’s, unwilling to let him go now that they were reunited. It would be a tight squeeze for two, but they’d make it work the way they always had before.
Lost in their reunion, the hunter was also oblivious to the approaching danger until it was too late. A sharp keening rose in the air as a tawny leopard pounced from concealment to bear the smaller cloud manta to the rocks. Its mother circled and swooped helplessly above, trying to distract the feline but unequipped with any claws or fangs to drive it from her offspring.
