[where cen drove caan, seeking the shape of his son's transformation to potential heir, he found himself indulgent and thoughtful of Fa'liya. from time to time he brought her some bit of bone, a chip of antler. she too must become a hunter, but there was a softness in fa'liya that cen found himself ironically wanting to protect. emotional words were rarely within his grasp, unless it was to someone unrelated. unfamiliar. with his daughter, lanzadoii hunter did not unburden. but he became more gentle, and today he brought a caribou dewclaw, pulled from the inner ankle. it fell to the snow. he snorted and looked off over her head, toward the herds. are you ready to hunt, fa'liya?]

where cen drove caan, seeking the shape of his son's transformation to potential heir, he found himself indulgent and thoughtful of Fa'liya. from time to time he brought her some bit of bone, a chip of antler. she too must become a hunter, but there was a softness in fa'liya that cen found himself ironically wanting to protect.
emotional words were rarely within his grasp, unless it was to someone unrelated. unfamiliar. with his daughter, lanzadoii hunter did not unburden. but he became more gentle, and today he brought a caribou dewclaw, pulled from the inner ankle.
it fell to the snow. he snorted and looked off over her head, toward the herds. are you ready to hunt, fa'liya?

fa'liya eyed the gift where it landed in the snow. she stepped forward, nosing it once, then again more firmly. she had a small collection now—bone, antler, feather—each one brought by him. they sat in a hollow near where she slept, guarded as fiercely as fresh kill. this one would join them later, but for now her paw came down to claim it, light as a whisper.

at his words, her ears pricked. She didn’t catch their meaning in full but she understood his tone the word hunt. her tail gave a short sway, and she stepped from the bone and trotted a few paces forward into the open snow, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a quick, bright look. a silent answer.

yes, she was ready.

[fa'liya still had not spoken, or at least she had not spoken to him. cen did not press this. he blamed the foregone mother for whatever additional damage had been heaped upon their daughter while she was away. a girl who did not speak, a boy with a twisted leg -- this was what her deception had done, and he would not forgive. but the hunter said nothing of this. it was time that they hunted, that they were off into the world and pursuing the future laid brightly before them. today we will look at the cows and calves, and count them. it is good to know the strength and number of our herds. when they leave here, we will follow, cen explained as his tall body carved a path with his taller gait. and when we follow, we should know how many to kill each day. these were things absorbed with lanzadoii milk, but fa'liya had not had this benefit and now cen must speed her education to where she should be as one of the saatsine.]

fa'liya still had not spoken, or at least she had not spoken to him. cen did not press this. he blamed the foregone mother for whatever additional damage had been heaped upon their daughter while she was away. a girl who did not speak, a boy with a twisted leg -- this was what her deception had done, and he would not forgive.
but the hunter said nothing of this. it was time that they hunted, that they were off into the world and pursuing the future laid brightly before them.
today we will look at the cows and calves, and count them. it is good to know the strength and number of our herds. when they leave here, we will follow, cen explained as his tall body carved a path with his taller gait. and when we follow, we should know how many to kill each day.
these were things absorbed with lanzadoii milk, but fa'liya had not had this benefit and now cen must speed her education to where she should be as one of the saatsine.

fa’liya padded after him, her steps quick to match a long stride. she kept her head tilted, ears turning toward the deep rumble of his voice. she cannot catch the full meaning, but she tries to listen. to learn, based on context and tone, familiar words or cognates. when he glanced back to see if she followed, she met his gaze with sharp, intent blue eyes. a mirror of his own.

she wanted to understand. his words were broken pieces to her, fragments she gathered like scattered bones and tried to fit together into meaning. today. cows. calves. she caught those. others—strength, follow, kill.

she squinted into the white expanse ahead, ears twitching as if the very air might give her answers. he could fill in the blanks with enough direction. the caribou were distant shadows against the frost, but she could see them: mothers, heavy-bodied, calves close at their heels. a smaller group. her nose lifted, tasting their scent in the wind. count, she thought. that word, she knew.

mēre ampā cows, jēnqa calves. (eleven cows, six calves.) a pause, eleven. eight.

[his jawline tensed in perfect hatred to hear those words. of course it was what fa'liya would know, but cen wanted to snap at her, to drive out anything not lanzadoii from his daughter's voice. but to do so would be to crush the budding trust between them; see how easily she had come to his side? this was her world, the culture denied for those months in traitorous withholding, and he knew he must do nothing to damage what had already been created. and so cen kept his counsel, his silence on that matter. he answered fa'liya in lanzadoii, offering her the number-words in place of those she had spoken. look at the calves. count only them, and then of that number, tell me how many seem weak. to lead her under the hooves of a protective cow would be unthinkable, but oft mothers defended only those young able to rise and outrun in flight the fangs of wolves. too weak, and the cow might well preserve herself and leave to fate what she could not stop. cen met those eyes, so like his own, and fa'liya was granted a smile, a rare and almost unsure bow to the man's mouth. quickly she learned, and he was grateful for her acceptance, as it meant the spaces between their language and ways might close even faster.]

his jawline tensed in perfect hatred to hear those words. of course it was what fa'liya would know, but cen wanted to snap at her, to drive out anything not lanzadoii from his daughter's voice. but to do so would be to crush the budding trust between them; see how easily she had come to his side? this was her world, the culture denied for those months in traitorous withholding, and he knew he must do nothing to damage what had already been created.
and so cen kept his counsel, his silence on that matter. he answered fa'liya in lanzadoii, offering her the number-words in place of those she had spoken. look at the calves. count only them, and then of that number, tell me how many seem weak.
to lead her under the hooves of a protective cow would be unthinkable, but oft mothers defended only those young able to rise and outrun in flight the fangs of wolves. too weak, and the cow might well preserve herself and leave to fate what she could not stop.
cen met those eyes, so like his own, and fa'liya was granted a smile, a rare and almost unsure bow to the man's mouth. quickly she learned, and he was grateful for her acceptance, as it meant the spaces between their language and ways might close even faster.

fa’liya blinked up at him when the new sounds came, foreign but steady, laid beside the ones she had given. translations for her. she repeated them in her head, clumsy at first but clinging, shaping themselves slowly in her mouth even if she did not yet dare speak them back.

she turned her eyes to the herd, ears twitching. her gaze darted between the small shapes tucked against their mothers' flanks, the lighter tracks left by unsteady legs. she counted them in her head, lips twitching as though the numbers themselves might spill out.

one. two,— three.

her body lowered into a crouch, mimicking him as she fixed on one calf—thin-hipped, its step dragging half a beat behind the others. the weakest among them.

her chin tips up to her sire, nose pointing in the direction of the calf, eyes bright. this one?

[fa'liya was quick despite the fact that her first footing had been gotten elsewhere. but of course she was; lanzadoii blood ran in her veins, and her visage was the image of himself unmarred. truly the caribou spirits had protected fa'liya and guided her back among the saatsine's fold. cen put all thoughts of bitterness from him. exchanging a look with his daughter, he spoke not, but led headlong into the speed that carried hunters in beeline for the cow and beleaguered calf. caribou sprang away as the dark racing came, and the cow ran in the opposite direction with ailing young tucked for now at her flank. chieftain swerved. in retreat, there was little threat to fa'liya, but quickly could that change with all abruptness, and he kept himself slightly between her and the prey, teeth gleaming as he demonstrated how best to harry the fleeing creature's heels and draw slow blood from ekeing flesh.]

fa'liya was quick despite the fact that her first footing had been gotten elsewhere. but of course she was; lanzadoii blood ran in her veins, and her visage was the image of himself unmarred. truly the caribou spirits had protected fa'liya and guided her back among the saatsine's fold.
cen put all thoughts of bitterness from him. exchanging a look with his daughter, he spoke not, but led headlong into the speed that carried hunters in beeline for the cow and beleaguered calf. caribou sprang away as the dark racing came, and the cow ran in the opposite direction with ailing young tucked for now at her flank.
chieftain swerved. in retreat, there was little threat to fa'liya, but quickly could that change with all abruptness, and he kept himself slightly between her and the prey, teeth gleaming as he demonstrated how best to harry the fleeing creature's heels and draw slow blood from ekeing flesh.

her heart leapt into her throat when he surged forward. snow exploded beneath his stride, shuddering the land with the stampede of hooves, and she was swept up with him. she was no hunter yet, not truly—but instinct screamed “go!” so forward she went. the herd split, thunder in the ground, and her heart hammered like hooves.

her blood thrilled. though much of lanzadoii culture was still lost on her, she could understand this. the chase, the narrowing of the world. it was only hunter and prey. only this. only them.

the cow veered sharply, dragging the limping calf alongside, and fa'liya's instincts screamed at her to throw herself headlong after them. her father swerved too, his great shadow angling across her path to put his body between her and danger. she skidded, startled, then caught sight of his teeth flashing as he snapped for the calf’s hock.

quickly she gathered herself, darting sideways to mirror his steps at the calf’s opposite flank. she didn’t lunge yet, not quite bold enough to make her move, but she drove close enough to nip at the snow where its hooves struck. snow burned like salt on her tongue. a clumsy imitation, but earnest.

her gaze flicked to him, breath heaving, waiting. give the signal.

[fa'liya was not unsteady, and cen did not sense terror. a healthy fear, perhaps, a caution which was starkly aware of her own limitations. this was good for any hunter, but especially those of the sun clan, who warred as fiercely as they killed prey. cen's daughter was also heedful of his position and his own, and he did not trip over her or have to force back a spirited lunge. her eyes were on his face, and he thought she would strike then, or in some seconds. but his focus had been diverted by the cow, who had decided to make a bid for her calf after all. snarling was heavy, snow spraying around their legs as he tangled his teeth in the fur of the caribou's shoulder. fa'liya must avoid this fray, and he trusted she would. the calf was unguarded by dangerous antlers while cen struggled with its mother, and he prayed that his daughter would see her opportunity. cow swung her blades, one, two, three, and on the last she drew a trail of scarlet from his shoulder. cen grunted and leapt back, still sinking paws into the snow between the raging mother and fa'liya. a bark, a growl; she was retreating, but not quickly enough.]

fa'liya was not unsteady, and cen did not sense terror. a healthy fear, perhaps, a caution which was starkly aware of her own limitations. this was good for any hunter, but especially those of the sun clan, who warred as fiercely as they killed prey.
cen's daughter was also heedful of his position and his own, and he did not trip over her or have to force back a spirited lunge. her eyes were on his face, and he thought she would strike then, or in some seconds. but his focus had been diverted by the cow, who had decided to make a bid for her calf after all.
snarling was heavy, snow spraying around their legs as he tangled his teeth in the fur of the caribou's shoulder. fa'liya must avoid this fray, and he trusted she would. the calf was unguarded by dangerous antlers while cen struggled with its mother, and he prayed that his daughter would see her opportunity.
cow swung her blades, one, two, three, and on the last she drew a trail of scarlet from his shoulder. cen grunted and leapt back, still sinking paws into the snow between the raging mother and fa'liya. a bark, a growl; she was retreating, but not quickly enough.

fa'liya startled at the clash—a mother's fury meeting her father’s weight, . Her paws shuffled to lengthen the distance from them, instinct clawing at her belly to stay away. the cow was a storm of legs and sharpened crowns, dangerous in ways she wasn’t yet built to face.

but the calf would stumble without its mother’s shield, she knew, and the cow was too busy with father to lunge for her. fa'liya’s breath hitched, and she saw this for what it could be: an opportunity.

she darted forward, low to the ground, snow burning her tongue as she snapped at the calf’s side. her teeth grazed hide—shallow but sharp enough to sting, enough to drive it stumbling further from the cow’s reach. she drew back just enough to rebalance herself before she lunged again, aiming for the soft of the throat, teeth closing on warm fur at the nape as she hauled and yanked to unbalance the youngster. die fast, go quick.