Tayui nodded quickly when Dawali spoke. She was somewhat surprised at his offer, but tried to take it in stride. Even though she was taken aback by his obvious kindness and generosity, she tried to look grateful since she was. She was glad to have Dawali as a friend.
“Thank you,” she replied quickly and a little quieter than she would have hoped. She glanced up to catch the Chief’s eyes, hoping to add another thank you, but couldn’t quite manage it. When Dawali wondered if he could visit, Tayui quickly replied: “you’re welcome to visit! As long as you respect their borders, I’m sure Naniko won’t mind.” She punctuated this with a small smile, though it quickly faded like all of her smiles lately.
When Dawali questioned her about Claudius, she had to look away. She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes for a moment to get her bearings. “No, he’ll be staying here,” she replied. She lifted her head a bit and tilted it, watching the Chief out of the corner of her eye. “He was rather upset when I told him I’d be leaving. He feels like his whole family is abandoning him.” And then: cue the guilt.