Aivar continued to watch the fox-like man with unease. It remained a struggle for him to communicate with these wolves with whom he barely shared a language. Common was broken, but he felt he could mostly understand them. It made for a difficult time when it came to integrating, and while he did his best, culture and language kept him as an outsider.

I'm ready, he answered, though he did not fully understand the march. The concept he understood well enough, but reality, he was sure, was something else entirely.

Asking if Yaalk'ali was ready for the march seemed foolish. Of course a Lanzadoii was ready. It was in their blood. And so he chose a different phrase. I assume you're always ready for the march.