He knew that Dawali must miss his relatives, but at the same time he had so much to focus on here that it undoubtedly helped to distract him and ease the pain of those absences. Perhaps that was what Nayati needed to do, to focus on his duty to the tribe and immerse himself in that to keep his mind from wondering to sad places. He worried for his family. He was the eldest son, and he had helped provide for their family for so long he worried how they were getting along without him. It was a somewhat foolish concern though. They had the whole of the Great Tribe to help make sure they were doing alright. The Utina man just needed to remember that. His family wasn't out in the wilderness by themselves, they were surrounded by the tribe, and that made all the difference.
"It is very odd. It almost seems like a ghost village. Though, the trip here helped to accustom me to fewer bodies around. I don't believe we really saw anyone after we left the Great Tribe until we found our way here. I was glad to have Onawa and Iye, I might have gone mad with loneliness if not for them." They weren't lupine company, no, but they were as family to him and they had made the long expedition possible and bearable. "That will help, yes. I couldn't imagine giving that up. It would be like cutting out a part of my soul, I think. It heartens me to know that that part of life isn't different here." The traditions were important. They were as much a part of life as their air they breathed and the food they ate. It sustained, perhaps not their bodies, but definitely their souls and their spirits. Abandoning them wasn't an option.
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