Brother, Brother

It was a mild relief that Exodus recognized him, though Pal had to smile and correct him. “Yeah, it’s me; but I changed my name to Paladin a while back. You’re not gonna die, either.” He added, voice stern. ”Not if I have anything to say about it.” It almost felt strange to speak Common, though all Nomads spoke it just as fluently as the Old Tongue. In fact, the Nomads as a whole were language hounds, eagerly learning any language that they happened across, and spreading their knowledge along the lines to the rest. He, himself knew a few other languages, though not as fluently as Old and Common. He’d heard them called Irish and English, but he preferred the names the Nomads used.

As the apprentice arrived, he smiled, swiftly switching to the Old tongue without thought. "Go raibh míle maith agat an méid sin, Tavamos. Socraigh iad ag a cheann. Ba mhaith liom an lamhnán gar go leor dó a bheith in ann a ól gan puinn dua." He nodded to Xodus’ head, indicating a spot by his muzzle. The bladder was actually the stomach of a small prey animal that had been painstakingly sealed at one end by one of the Nomads’ companions, a primate of some kind with nimble fingers. He hoped to one day find a companion as wonderfully intelligent and useful at that one.

To Exodus, he smiled, flipping back to Common as he nodded to Kavamaya as she leaned to gaze down at her dark nephew, taking in the similar markings. Less of her sister dwelled in this boy’s features than they did on Paladin’s frame, clearly taking after the father. She hoped she could meet the male that had sired such a fine, bright mind, and a strong, stubbornly resistant to death boy such as Exodus, here. “This is our Aunt Kavamaya. She’s mother’s younger sister. We’re with the Nomads, Xodus.”

He paused to pick up a stone another apprentice had brought. It was sharp along one edge, and he picked it up in his jaws, and carefully drew the edge along the soft underside of several Aloe leaves, exposing the gel. Carefully, he flipped the opened leaves and bent to nose the gel into Exodus’ pads, rubbing the soothing stuff into each toe and discarding the emptied leaves as he went.

As he went, Kavamaya turned to Tavamos and smiled gently, giving the eager young wolf a task. "Tavamos, más féidir leat a fháil ar roinnt de na seithí úsáidimid a chosaint ar na laonna 'cosa sa bhfásach, a bheadh iontach." As the apprentice left, a pup popped from the bustling wolves, bouncing to approach and sniff at Exodus, her bright green eyes glancing quizzically up at Paladin.

"Cé atá sé, Uncail Paladin?" Her voice was piping, sweet and clear, and her tail began wagging hard enough to send her staggering slightly onto her rump as she added excitedly, "An bhfuil sé cara nua?!" Paladin smiled, nudging Xodus to look at the water bladder Tavamos had left by his head and ordering ”Drink, but slowwwly. Your body needs a chance to absorb it. Little laps.” To the pup, he added ”Yes, Yalamaya, he’s a friend. This is Exodus, my brother. And he doesn’t speak the Old Tongue well, so let’s speak Common.”

Yalamaya squirmed, dashing a quick lick over Xodus’ face by way of greeting, with all the exuberance of a pup who had never had to learn that not everyone was a friend in the world. ”Hello, Ezodus!” Then something diverted the girl’s attention, and in that way pups had, she was off like a shot, present company forgotten as she tackled the next adventure in her young life. That adult’s tail, for instance.

Paladin smiled fondly before turning his attention back to his brother. "Can't wait to have some of my own, someday." He grinned.