"I fear if I shoot it, it might flee where we can not follow." Tristan lets the string back slowly, still watching the badger as the peripheral world swims back into attention. "This is not what I would like it to be. I had hoped we could lead it home, and it would do no further harm. But I think it is offended by our presence here. If we wound it and it flees, it will be in great pain, and it will most likely exact a greater pain in retribution after some time. If we are to be about this ugly business, let it be decisive." 

"We need the wind of surprise at our back to carry us. In that I see two options: I attack it with such fury it faces us. Or we trap it, and execute it. The second seems more sensible but... there is less virtue in it." Read: Killing something in a trap would make Tristan [i]sad[/i]. "We may be at the limit of what can be gained from stalking. I see no further advantage we could gain, can think of no more favourable terrain to face it in."

The arrow is still nocked and steady, the owner is under more tension than the bow. Tristan will be indecisive until it is time to act. He does not want to be the one to call the hour. 

What weighs on his mind is that he does not want Nin to get hurt in a fight, but he does not want to insult Nin by voicing this. He holds Nin in great respect, and would cut out his tongue than risk implying otherwise. It is only fair they get to decide the level of acceptable risk.