Excitement and anticipation bubbled inside the male's chest as he stood at the edge of the lands that would soon become his new stomping grounds. The split of the tribe, while necessary, had been rough on Nayati. The Amaras had basically been family to him his whole life and having them join the group to establish a new settlement had been a substantial loss for him. Still, at the time he hadn't felt comfortable leaving his parents and the rest of the tribe behind, so he had stayed. All his frustrations had been channeled into pursuing the path of a hunter and he had become quite adept at it. His bow was more an extension of his body than simply a piece of smooth wood. He was also skilled in the use of a spear and traps, but the bow and arrow were his tools of choice. They suited the way he preferred to hunt: stealthily and calculated. It was no surprise that his Guide had turned out to be a puma. Nayati could hunt with a group, but he truly excelled when left to himself. Sometimes he would spend days tracking his prey and the effort was never a waste.
His light eyes picked up on a do in the distant sky and he zeroed in on it, watching it carefully. Soon it materialized into a hawk that soared past him. Had that been Asha's guide? He hadn't gotten a good enough look at it to be sure, but it had to have been either her's or Dawali's. Gaze stayed fixed in the sky until he heard the sound of approaching hoof beats. The excitement spike through him with renewed fervor and he looked expectantly forward, wondering which of the two would be the one to find him. The first thing he saw was her fiery hair and his heart skipped a beat. As Asha approached his smile only grew, his tail waving independently of whatever sense of composure he might have wished to maintain. How could he stay fully composed in a moment such as this though? It would be impossible for any whose heart was not made of stone. As she spoke Nayati grinned up at her, unable to hide the joy that filled his whole form. "The independent and fiery Asha. You're a hard one to track down," he teased. Though in his defense, she had gotten quite the head start on him.
So taken with the sight of his childhood best friend he forgot that her father could be on the way as well, that was until his eagle Guide let forth a screech and began to circle overhead. Nayati's eyes shot up and then looked for the new Kalona who was just about upon them. The younger man returned the wave. It had been much longer since he had seen Dawali, but the man didn't look any different to him. Still the same wolf he had always been. The sudden embrace took him by surprise, and it surely showed on his face for a moment, but then the wide smile returned and he hugged the Kalona back. "Thank you Dawali!" It felt so good to once again be in the presence of his people after such a long journey. Nayati couldn't help but chuckle at the elder's question. "Heavy feet I suppose." His gaze flicked back to Asha for a second and then returned to the chief. "It looks as though things are going well here in these new lands." It was good to see the tribe thriving and his old friends well.