"Those pups." Cliver answers Sky, pointing to the wiggling messes of fur clutched in Dreks arms. "We found them in the cave, abandoned. We're lucky they're old enough to not need milk."

That's what he said, but uneasiness churned in his guts. He respected the woods, but he also firmly believed the woods should stay in the woods. Men that went amongst the woods for too long were liable to go funny, and he knew that the opposite must also be true. Bring the woods amougst man and it was bound to go funny too.

Maybe he was worried for nothing. Sarrai'a and Clover were around, so perhaps it wouldn't go bad. He'd feel a lot more comfortable, though, if Clover wasn't also a being of the woods.

"If you guys have got a good hold on those little goofballs I say we head out. If we start now might be able to catch the tail end of breakfast."