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He responded gracefully to her presence, and her thought went to other encounters and friends she had made in a very similar situation. He dipped his head and so did she, aware that the customs that she had grown up with were very different than those of this place. Once he started to explain, the councilwoman found herself smiling again, both happy to hear that on of "hers" had been so hospitable as to aid the male, and happy that he would value it so highly that he returned. "You are most welcome back, Hadley. And I am happy that you found a friendly place here. We value hospitality greatly." Her hand reached out to receive the item, and she soon held it up to study it. The pendant was carved with skill that far surpassed Ulilohi's: she sometimes amused herself by making ornaments, but was not very good at it, aside from making tiny dreamcatchers. The shape of the Great Fire was obvious to anyone studying the pendant, and Ulilohi gave a wag of her tail in enthusiastic approval. "It is beautiful. How very symbolic." Their Great Fire was at the core of their existence, and the very omphalos of their territory, in perhaps much the same way as hospitality was core to their way of life. Cupping the pendant, she held it gently and paused for a moment before inquiring. Her voice was her usually hoarse deep, but her intonation clearly conveyed her pleasant mood. "How did it happen that you stayed here for awhile? I hope you'll forgive me for not being aware — I travel quite a bit between the southern packs." The brown giantess glanced at the pendant again, quite impressed. She was determined to present the gift to Hadley's benefactor as soon as she knew who it was. It was very obvious, from her stance and her questions, that these bits of a story had tickled Ulilohi's curiosity.
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