Ridahne watched silently as Darin rebuked Ravi, and it took everything in her to stop from applauding her companion. When they'd first met, Ridahne had wrongly pegged Darin as a little mousy, but by now she knew she had just as much fire in her as Ridahne did, it just came out in a different way. Ridahne approved. She'd seen a trend among human women, where they were quiet and docile creatures. Some probably were in truth, but some Ridahne guessed were taught to behave that way. Some human males liked their women quiet. She never understood that, but she was all the more thankful that Darin was not one of those types. She did what she wanted, did what she felt she had to do, what was right.

Darin stormed off and Ridahne watched her go. She would follow eventually, but she would give the human some space, too. Because Ridahne was a pragmatic person, she put the contents of Darin's plate onto a cloth napkin and wrapped it up in a neat bundle for later. She'd want it when they were done training. Ridahne finished her own food quickly, and when she did, she stood, bowed to her hosts, and said to Ravi, "You were right. We are more alike than I guessed." And taking Darin's food with her, she left to go find her. 

There was a whole flock of animals clustered around Darin. Animals that never would rightly be together like rabbits and foxes and yet they were there together for that moment. Ridahne approached and greeted Talbot with a few strokes of his silky neck, then sat near Darin with remarkable resemblance to the barn cat that lingered near by. She had two bundles in her arms, one was clearly a table napkin and the other was larger and the contents were elongated. She set both aside.

"For what it's worth, Darin, I thought you did well back there." Ridahne offered one of her rare, genuine smiles. "You had every right. And.." this was more personal territory but she thought she'd risk it. "If you ask me, I think you'll see your mother again. And she will be proud of you." She did not add that she knew what it was like to miss home--Darin knew that already.