Closed The Same, Yet Oh So Different (Lian Windrunner)

[Dinah]

.
.....Fall 15, 514av

It was insulting, or would have been if she had more experience, if she'd been a proper member of the Emerald Clan rather than some silly Ruby girl who had married into those best known for their hunting skills. She wasn't miserable at it, just new. Or, at least, that's what Dinah kept telling herself. With Fall came bigger concerns than training a novice, concerns like participating in the Great Hunt, seeing who would be brave enough to attempt to bring down a glassbeak, of making sure the moving city could survive the upcoming Winter. It wasn't that she was forgotten, especially not within the Stormsinger pavilion with it's handful of members, but there simply wasn't time, or so she'd been told. The girl had almost begrudgingly come to the conclusion she would have to make due with her pottery skills to make herself useful for that season as she had done before, but then her husband - bless his heart - had excitedly told her that while he couldn't help her directly, he had found someone to help. A friend of a friend of a friend knew a guy who was related to someone who knew someone else who apparently happened to be the ”Best hunter within the Sapphire Clan”. Dinah had almost laughed and said she rather stay with her clay for the season, but one look at a group of hunters setting out, at a memory of having experienced that thrill they would participate in, and the veil of amusement died on her lips.

So it was, with the early morning chill sweeping through the tents of Endrykas, that Dinah lead Niamh on foot towards the rich blues of the Sapphire Clan. She had mixed feelings towards it's members. If her mother hadn't still been considered an outsider when she had married her father, Dinah often thought that the woman would have fit right in among the other reimancers among it's lot. In truth, Dinah herself probably had more in common with the blue-clad djed users than most others within the city. Perhaps if things had been different, if everything hadn't gone to shyke, if she had been able to marry into the best match rather than out of desperation, she may have been among them instead. Maybe learning from one of them wasn't such a bad idea, after all. Gods, had this been the plan all along? She wouldn't put it past her husband… Or his brother… Or the Ankal. Sneaky sons of-

Niamh suddenly nudged the girl with her nose, forcing the girl to stumble slightly and the thought to go unfinished. Striders weren't supposed to be able to read minds, it was a known impossibility, but there were times when Dinah had to honestly wonder if the mare knew far more than she let on when it came to the inner working of the Drykas girl's mind. If nothing else she was far better at finding her way than the girl ever was. Whereas Dinah could vaguely remember the directions she had been given on where to meet the hunter, the Strider followed but wasn't shy on tugging the girl in a direction she hesitated towards while trying to decide if it was the right way or not. If nothing else, the mare picked up on and acted upon the instincts that Dinah spent far too much time questioning. It was nice to have someone around to still push her in such ways.

While there were plenty of others active among the pavilions, Dinah couldn't help but spot the single individual standing about as if either annoyed with waiting or the world in general. Maybe he wasn't exactly looking forward to dealing with a novice either. Confident attitude, tanned skin, bow that was probably just aching to be used, yep... hunter all right.

A wary glance was cast to Niamah before the girl approached, trying to look anything but lacking in the confidence that seemed to have fled. "It's Lian, right?" Her hand raised in a small respectful greeting that somehow managed to come across as disinterested.

"I'm Dinah Ember-" she cut herself off and took a breath. It had been a while since she had to introduce herself to anyone and apparently her former pavilion's name still clung desperately to thoughts best left abandoned by the wayside. "Stormsinger," she corrected.

An internal cringe came with the name. While Dinah had utmost pride in her new family, she knew the name was rather infamous in come circles. Particularly in the Ankal's blatant refusal to participate in the events following the epidemic that had claimed so many lives nearly two years prior. It was long enough of a time that most had let it slip from their minds, but still Dinah knew very well how many didn't look favorably upon the small pavilion.

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Tukant"

[Lian Windrunner]

How did I manange to get myself into this? Lian wondered in annoyance as he gathered his hunting gear. He was going to escort a beginning hunter out into the Sea of Grass. Him of all people. The man who had, as a young boy ignored his lessons as much as possible in favor of practicing Webbing until his little sister had come along and looked to him as a role model...was going to teach a beginner how to hunt. When he himself had very little idea of what he was doing out there. The idea was laughable. And yet...there had been no way out of it. He owed his friend a favor, so he couldn't say no. And his friend had owed another friend a favor, and so on. So now he was stuck. But that didn't mean he was happy about it. Talise stuck her head through the open tent flap, and snorted him. Lian looked over his shoulder at her. "What? I have no business teaching anyone how to hunt. It will be like..." Lian fell silent, and shook his head. He didn't even want to think about how much of a disaster this could turn out to be. "Well, there's nothing for it, I guess. We'd better get going." Lian grabbed the rest of his gear. Talise moved aside so he could leave the tent now that he was moving at a speed she seemed to approve of. He stroked her muzzle gently as he moved passed her. Then he placed his yvas on Talise's back, and buckled it so it fit her snugly. He attacked his yvas bags to the rings, and they were off. Lian didn't want to ride through the throngs of people going about their tasks, so Talise followed him as they made their way to the meeting place. Then he waited...and waited...and waited some more. Annoyance flickered through Lian's thoughts. Were he going out alone, he'd already be out in the Sea of Grass hunting. And he needed all the time he could get if he hoped to bring down any game. But he only had himself to blame for waiting so long. He had come early, after all. When Lian heard his name, he turned towards the speaker. His first impression was of piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare through him coldly. Those eyes commanded attention, and Lian imagined that their owner was judging what she saw, and finding him lacking. It irritated him. He was the one who was doing her a favor, and she found him lacking? And yet...wasn't it true? She was here to learn how to hunt, and Lian was little more than a rank beginner himself. He had no right to teach anyone. For that reason, he was able to suppress most of his irritation. The girl had long, brown hair. Strangely enough, there were none of the braids that were popular among Drykas women in evidence. The only wrap in sight was an emerald ribbon, and from this, Lian knew that she was part of the Emerlad Clan. So this was most likely the girl he had been waiting for. She looked to be a few years younger than he was, but she also looked a number of years older than his captive. Lian nodded, acknowledging the young woman's greeting. "Lian Windrunner." he offered neutrally. His hand flickered through a brief, but polite greeting of his own. The girl introduced herself as Dinah. But she started to say a different family name than the one she ended with. That led Lian to believe that she was newly married. It took a moment for the significance of her name to sink in. But when it did, Lian's eyes widened a little. The Stormsinger pavilion was well known for their views about the captives. Lian didn't have anything against them for their views, but...he had a captive. It was entirely possible that Dinah would have something against him for that. "It's nice to meet you, Dinah." Lian said politely. His hands betrayed the apprehension that he felt. "I feel that I should warn you before we go any further, though. I own a captive. She is carrying my child. It is my hope that this will be the first of several children. It isn't something that I am especially proud of...but I am not married. I believe firmly in doing my duty to my people, and for now, this is how I can do that." Lian flushed, realizing that that could be taken to mean that he thought her pavilion was not doing their duty to their people. He meant no insult, so he spoke quickly to try to take the potential sting out of his words. "I do not mean to imply that you and your pavilion are not doing your duty to our people. There are many ways to do that, and I am certain that you are doing so in another way. Siring children on my captive is simply one of my ways of fulfilling my duty. I mean no insult." His hands shifted through a series of signs that emphasized his sincerity. "I do know how your pavilion feels about the captives, however. So I will understand if you do not wish to work with me because of this." Lian's tone gave no indication of whether he wanted Dinah to take his offered out or not. He wasn't particularily happy about the idea of trying to teach someone how to hunt when he himself was trying to figure out what he was doing. But he had agreed to do it, and he wouldn't back down now if she wanted to go with him.

[Dinah]

An eyebrow arched as Lian spoke of his captive, of his duty to their people. It wasn't something unspeakable, not really. After the plague most pavilions had taken on such things. There was a big auction and everything, even some mandate that unmarried men take a wife and wedded ones take another. Dinah remembered how uneasy she had been, she was having a hard enough time being a wife by herself, she didn't need another woman competing for husband's affections, trying to be a rival or a friend. She even dreaded the thought of her brother-in-law getting a wife as she just knew it was going to be some unbearable catty wench who...

Dinah dragged her thoughts away from such things, letting herself instead remember the gruff, stubborn words of her Ankal. She couldn't remember them exactly, as they'd been a far deal more colorful at the time, but the long and short of it was They can do what they think is right for their families and I'll do what I think is right with mine. It shouldn't have been surprising, really. It wasn't the first controversial thing that had come out of the Stormsinger pavilion. No, she was more to blame for that little incident.

"We all do what we have to, sometimes," she offered with a shrug and a small wave of dismissal. The last thing she wanted to get into was some breeding argument. That always seemed to end with them asking why, after two years, she hadn't managed to give her husband a child.

"For what it's worth, I wish you tons of happy little babies," A short sardonic laugh left her as she shook her head. "It's none of my business. It's not like you're brutalizing the girl or something horrific like that."

Niamh suddenly and roughly nudged the girl against her left arm, causing a cringe from a sudden flare of pain in wounds Dinah had sustained earlier in the season. The Strider knew very well what she was doing and it got her point across well enough, stop being a bitch.

"Sorry," Dinah offered, both to the more seasoned hunter and to the mare at her side. A quick sign of apology followed with a sigh. "I'm not really great with working with others and I really should be thanking you for this opportunity, not... You know."

She wasn't sure why the whole captive thing had suddenly put her on the defensive, it wasn't like Lian had implied her family wasn't doing their part. He'd actually made a point to say the exact opposite. Was she trying to pick a fight? Gods, what was wrong with her?

Another deep breath left her in a huff. "Let's, try this again, shall we?" She offered, a small smile forced through a thin veil of embarrassment that was creeping on her. "We're both here to do something to help our people today, hopefully. I think that's more than enough reason to put aside any differences we may have in opinions on other things and just focus on bringing in some decent game. So, that being said... It is an honor to meet you, Lian Windrunner. I look forward to seeing what you can teach me."

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Tukant"

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian felt a wave of relief when Dinah didn't seem offended that he owned a captive. He almost offered startled thanks when she wished him "tons of happy babies." After Waisana's harsh criticism on his dealings with Seirei, finding someone who seemed to realize he wasn't doing anything wrong was a relief. But her next words washed over him with an icy cold chill. Not brutalizing Seirei? Well...if Lian was completely honest with himself, he had to admit that it wasn't true. His punishments for her defiance before he had succeeded in getting the girl pregnant could be considered brutal. Even if she had deserved the punishments...mostly...Lian found himself feeling rather guilty. So he suppressed a flinch, and nodded. With luck, that would be the end of it. When Dinah apologized, Lian accepted the apology gracefully. "I understand. I'm not the greatest when it comes to working with others, either." Lian didn't say that he was glad to help train Dinah, for that would be a lie. In fact, he had deep misgivings about it. But a promise was a promise, and he wasn't going to back out of the agreement now. Lian offered a small smile of his own at the woman's next words. "I think we should try this again. It is a pleasure to meet you, Dinah Stormsinger." Lian thought quickly. "As far as teaching you goes...why don't we start by you telling me what you already know? That will give me a good idea on where to start. I feel that I should warn you that I'm not a very good teacher, though. I've never had to teach anyone before." And it's just as well, because I have no right to try and teach anyone anything when it comes to hunting. I'm the one who could use a good teacher. Why didn't I pay more attention to what my father and Lukar wanted to teach me when I was younger? Talise nudged Lian sharply, and snorted. Lian chuckled ruefully. "It seems as though Talise feels that we should get going, and I agree. Maybe you can tell me what you know as we ride?" he suggested.

[Dinah]

Dinah gave a small nod and a halfhearted sign of agreement. Niamh seemed about as enthusiastic about the idea as the girl, but probably for different reasons. Dinah's reluctance to ride since she had quite embarrassingly fallen from the Strider's back was a bit of a point of contention between the two. The mare continually nudged the girl, trying to force her back towards normalcy while Dinah seemed shaken even by the prospect. Sure, she'd been sleeping a bit better and so the overall cause wasn't an issue any longer but the lingering scrapes and bruising she'd received that day were a not-so-friendly reminder that Dinah was having trouble ignoring.

There was probably something overly negative to be said about the girl as it apparently took showing any signs of weakness or reluctance in front of someone new to finally get Dinah past her hesitations, but as the Emerald clan girl hoisted herself up she really couldn't care less; even if she couldn't stop the flinching as bandages tugged against healing flesh. It did take a bit of time and far too many deep breaths to stop the pounding of her heart, though.

As they set out, thankfully Niamh seemed aware of the girl's condition and took each step as light as possible to keep from sending the small jolts of pain to a minimum. Dinah gave the Strider an appreciative pat against the side of her neck before turning her attention back to the other hunter.

"I guess I really only know the basics," she began, her mind wandering over the small amount of lessons she had learned from her newer family. "Really, I guess I've only been on one major hunt and didn't do a lot during it. Someone else was in charge of finding the animals, they tracked a small herd of gazelle. It was chaotic when we finally found them..."

Her voice drifted off as she tried to remember the day, the thrill of coming across the animals, the way the other hunters had made it seem effortless as they used their chosen weapons to make the kills. Her brother-in-law had been with her and she'd barely managed to entangle the legs of a small gazelle with her bolas before the other hunter finished the animal with his bow.

"I only have a set of bolas, they seemed pretty natural to me when I tried out a few different things, so I haven't actually made a kill myself. Guess I'll need to find some way to fix that one of these days, especially if I ever plan on going out by myself." A sardonic laugh left her. Right, like anyone in her pavilion would ever let her go out on a dangerous hunt alone.

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Tukant"

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian listened intently to Dinah's words. If she knew the basics already, Lian wasn't sure that he had much to offer in the way of teaching. He himself really didn't know more than the basics. He had been on more hunts that she had, though. So that was something, at least. And it sounded like he might be able to teach her a bit about tracking. Not that he knew much about that, either. Lian perked up a bit when Dinah mentioned that she used the bola. That was something that he himself wanted to learn. And better yet, someone who could use a bola would work well with his own limited abilities. They might not do quite as bad as he thought they would after all. "The bola is a good weapon. I don't know how to use it myself, but I'd like to learn. I use the short bow. If we work together, perhaps you could trap our prey with your bola, and I could bring it down." he suggested. He didn't really want to admit how much of a help that would be. How many times had he missed his target, allowing the prey to flee? Or worse, taken so much time to ready himself to take the shot that the prey was well out of range? Lian knew that he was improving slowly and steadily, but he was painfully aware that he still had a very long way to go. "Most of the hunts I've been on are solo hunts, but I have never gone after any of the truly dangerous game. I stick to deer, and small game. Not birds, though. Unless I'm lucky enough to catch one on the ground, I wouldn't stand a chance. I just don't have the skill to bring a bird down out of the sky yet." he admitted ruefully, remembering how badly he had fared when he'd tried to hit flying targets the last time he'd gone to the Hunter's Allegiance to train. "I have started experimenting with traps a bit, but I don't really know what I'm doing with them yet either." Lian paused a moment to allow his mind to slip into the welcoming embrace of the Web. Once there, he looked around to see if there were any dangerous predators near by. There were not. Unfortunately, there wasn't any likely game within easy reach either. Satisfied that they were safe for the moment, he returned to his own body once more. It didn't take long, but he might well have seemed distracted for the couple of chimes he was "gone." And Talise, knowing that he would need a steady seat while "otherwise engaged," held rock still for that short time for fear that he might fall if she did not. "We're safe enough for now. There aren't any predators anywhere near us." Lian said with confidence. "We should probably head for the nearest stream. If we're lucky, we may catch something off guard as they stop for a drink. Even if we don't, it's more likely that we will run into a trail we can follow if we start looking at a stream."

[Dinah]

Dinah couldn’t help but feel the hinting of a wry smile form as Lian began speaking of what he knew. She wasn’t quite certain what she had been expecting, but to hear him speak of his skills and knowledge it was a far cry from the boastful talk from others that had attempted to reassure her this was a good idea in the first place. Best hunter Sapphire has to offer, huh? More like only hunter you could get to agree to accompany me. It wasn’t an overly bitter thought, and she didn’t for even a tick doubt his capability. Truth was she was almost comforted by the fact she wasn’t with someone who could immediately find her methods, or lack of them, entirely laughable - it sounded like it might actually take a bit before Lian would form that opinion, even if he did apparently approve of her weapon of choice.

It would have been easy for Dinah to learn to use a bow, not due to any apparent latent skill, but just in the sheer number of others that used it; among their number was her brother-in-law and Ankal, after all. Not to mention the fact her husband’s lack of love for hunting was more than made up for with his skill in crafting the weapons used by the Emerald Clan. Maybe it was for those reasons alone she had shied away from the bow.. Too easy, she had decided after chalking it up to one more thing she could use as a form of penance for a crime only Dinah believed herself guilty of. Stubbornness won out over practicality and so the girl had gone for the bola instead and had been contemplating what else she could use to bring down game that didn’t involve arrows. Of course, that was if she actually stuck with hunting long enough to really dedicate her life to it. The same stubbornness that had lead her to choosing the lesser used weapon also kept her from trying to find something more fitting of her gift with reimancy. Foolish.

It was only as Lian spoke up about their safety that Dinah realized she had become lost in thought in the lull in conversation. His suggestion about the stream seemed sound, everything had to drink water at some time, after all. As she nudged Niamh to follow the girl let her eyes wander over the plains around them, searching for some sign in the tall grasses that would lead her to the same conclusion as the other hunter regarding nearby predators. She frowned as she saw nothing of the sort, but maybe it was that lack of feedback that had allowed him to ease his guard. Still, she was supposed to be learning.

"How do you know?" Dinah asked as their Striders took pace alongside each other. "About the predators, I mean. It looks like the same old Sea of Grass out there to me." Her voice trailed off as she made slight gestures of interest and curiosity

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Tukant"

[Lian Windrunner]

Dinah's wry smile was very revealing to Lian. He bit back a grimace, carefully schooling his expression so it wouldn't reveal his thoughts. She thinks that my skills as a hunter are pathetic...and she'd be right about that. If it weren't for Webbing, I'd be hopeless. Why do I get the feeling that she was led to believe that I'm a far better hunter than I actually am? he thought ruefully. Lian held his peace, though. It was hardly Dinah's fault that whoever had sent her off to hunt with a complete stranger had misrepresented the true level of his skills. Or lack there of. When Lian told his companion that they were safe, she immediately looked around to confirm that they were, in fact safe. Lian didn't blame her. In her eyes, he must appear to be a complete failure as a hunter after the let down she must be feeling now. But she didn't see any signs to disporve his words because there weren't any. Then Dinah asked him how he knew they were safe. Had her hand signs showed the scorn and dismissal he was more than half expecting, he wouldn't have answered her. Instead, they showed interest and curiosity. She seemed to genuinely want to know rather than mocking him. This time, it was his turn to grin wryly. "Magic." he said after a tick. "More precisely, Webbing." Talise snorted, and tossed her head. It was obvious to Lian that she was amused by his discomfort. "When I was a child, I was determined that I was going to be a Webber. I wanted to be the best Webber our people had ever known." Lian chuckled ruefully at the folly of such thoughts. "As a result, I didn't pay anywhere near as much attention to learning how to hunt when my father and older brother tried to teach me as I should have. Instead, I focused on practicing my webbing abilities whenever I got the chance. It took the birth of my younger sister Lily, and my desire to be a good big brother and be a good role model for her to get me to really start trying to learn rather than simply going through the motions. And even then, I didn't practice any hunting skills on my own. I still devoted every spare moment I could to honing my skills as a Webber." Lian chuckled ruefully again. "The joke is on me, of course. It never occurred to me that I would have to join the Watch if I wanted to work as a Webber. Or that I wouldn't be able to join the Watch on the basis of my Webbing skills alone. Now...well. The Watch won't have me, and I have no one to blame but myself. Perhaps that will change in the future, but it will take time for me to master the skills that I should have learned as a child." he said, feeling more than a little foolish. Lian's grin faded slowly. "Ankals use webbing too, of course. But...that is rather pointless in my case. Although you could call me an ankal, there is very little point. I am the last surviving member of the Windrunner family. And so I am an ankal of a pavilion of one." There was no bitterness in his voice as he spoke, but the pain in both his eyes and his tone betrayed his true feelings. His hands moved without his conscious control, signalling that the death of his family was a loss that he would never truly get over completely. After a couple of chimes, his grin returned, but it was a pained one that did not reach his eyes. "Perhaps that is why I was so quick to take a captive when the opportunity presented itself. Any children I have can never replace my brother and sister. I know that. But to have a family again..." Lian shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. "That isn't what you asked, though. To answer your question, Webbing is my greatest tool as a hunter. With it, I can make up for my lack of other skills used by hunters. I can make certain that there are no dangerous predators near by, and I can locate and track my prey. As a result, I can get by as a hunter despite not being especially skilled in hunting, tracking, or any number of other skills a hunter usually needs. I am still trying to teach myself those skills, of course. Webbing is a great help to me as a hunter. But there are risks to using it too much. If I miss the signs of the presence of a predator in the immediate area when I enter the Web, or if one changes direction unexpectedly and reaches my physical location before I notice it...well. You get the idea. There are the more traditional dangers associated with any form of magic, as well. Not overgiving exactly. But the Web is a very...welcoming place. It is all too tempting to stay "just a little while longer" to explore the Web, or to push aside the troubles of the physical world for a little longer, or...well. There are a great many things you can do in the Web, and a great many reasons to lose track of time and remain longer than you should."

[Dinah]

Dinah would never admit it, even to herself, but hearing the vague hinting regarding Lian's lost family struck a chord with her. It wasn't the same for her by any means, as far as the girl was aware all of her siblings and both her parents were still alive, but her mother and eldest sister had left Endrykas shortly after her twin had and Dinah had never really gotten on well with her other siblings. It hadn't been death that had taken her family away from her, but the rift was there regardless. True, she had a new pavilion now, but the ever present reality of what had been never really left her thoughts.

Needless to say she was rather thankful when the other hunter directed the conversation back towards what she had really asked about. Webbing? Of course she knew about it, but her skills were limited at best and she never knew you could use it like that.

"I didn't know you could do that," Dinah echoed the sentiment that had run through her head. "I learned webbing from my father but never really used it much, I'm afraid."

It wasn't a lie exactly, but it certainly wasn't the entire truth either. Dinah's father had taught webbing to her elder brothers in anticipation of them one day starting their own pavilions, but Dinah had never been one to settle for not being included in something deemed so important. Just like she had stubbornly insisted on being initiated into reimancy from her mother, her father had been badgered until he relented and introduced her to the web. It had only been a taste though and any attempts at goading more information or training out of the man had resulted in offhand dismissals and excuses.

She knew all too well of the draw that Lian spoke of, she could remember how much it frightened her and kept her from looking to the web. Almost as much of the fear that her twin would find out what she had been taught that he hadn't.

A nervous thought formed in her mind and she half considered letting it remain there instead of being spoken. She liked the idea of learning more though, of being capable of something the other hunters would never consider. "I don't suppose... you could teach me how you do it?"

"Pavi" | "Common" | "Tukant"

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian thought that Dinah seemed surprised that Webbing could be used in hunting. "I don't know how many people use Webbing in this way. Had I actually paid better attention to what my father and older brother wanted to teach me when I was a child, I would have mastered...or at least learned the skills that I now use Webbing as a substitute for. I might never have thought to try and use the Web to help me hunt had I not been desperate. And yet...I'm glad that I did. It allows me to use something that I truly love almost daily." Lian's tone was somewhat rueful, but his reflexive hand signs betrayed the excitement he felt at getting the chance to use Webbing as often as he did. In some ways, it was like the excitement of a little kid getting a much desired treat. And his eyes were lit with the smile that he managed to keep off of his face as he spoke. While he truly regretted not learning what his father and Lukar had wanted to teach him while he'd had the chance, that regret was partly soothed by the opportunity to use the magic he loved so much. "Webbing can be used to aid in many elements when it comes to hunting. It can alert you to the presence of danger, and how close that danger is. It can show you where you need to go to find your prey so that you don't spend endless hours searching in vain. You can use it to tie your weapon into the Web, so you won't lose it. In my case, I've tied my arrows into the Web. That way, I can find the ones that would otherwise be lost when they miss my target. So I don't have to make new ones, or buy them as often. And I mentioned that I've started experimenting with traps. I've tied them into the Web as well. In doing so, I've made sure that I can't ever forget where I set them up, and lose them. Or if I do, it's an easy matter for me to find them. I don't ever go on hunting trips that would require me to spend the night out in the Sea of Grass, but if I did, I would be able to use Webbing to set up a barrier of sorts. It wouldn't prevent anything from approaching, of course, but it would warn me if something crossed it." The passion in Lian's voice was probably painfully obvious, and it was echoed in his posture and hand signs. When Dinah asked if he would be able to teach her, he gave the matter some serious thought. Then he decided that although he wasn't a master of Webbing yet, he still knew enough to be able to teach her some things. So he smiled, and nodded. His eyes lit up with excitement once more. "Yes, I think I could. But it would be best if we wait for another day for that. When I was first getting started, I found that it was easier to enter the Web if I was somewhere completely safe where I could make myself very comfortable. It was also easier to enter the Web if I could shut out all of the distractions around me. Meditation isn't necessary, but if you can do it, it does help at first." Lian fell silent as they neared the stream he wanted to use as a starting point. He slipped into the Web for a moment to make certain that there weren't any dangerous predators near by. Then he dismounted, and walked towards the stream swiftly. As he walked, he looked at where he was placing his feet so that he wouldn't destroy any tracks that might be there. "You should come over here too, Dinah. The first thing we need to do is see if we can find a trail that is clear enough for us to follow. Do you know what a deer hoof print looks like?" Lian hoped that his companion wouldn't take exception to the question. He didn't know how good a tracker she was, after all. And he himself usually relied on Webbing to find his prey. It was only recently that he started trying to use his half remembered lessons as a child as guides to teach himself how to track in the normal way as well.