There wasn't really anything to say to that. K'ile wasn't sure why the women had decided to put the discussion on hold to give speeches about family and unity, but it was clear from how K'ailia twisted it into her argument that the girl had lost all concept of what being a member of the tribe actually meant. What's more, she hadn't truly listened to a word he'd said, nor to K'haali or K'nahli or even her own mother for that matter. But he shouldn't expect any more from a woman-child who'd taken foreign mentors and only returned to the tribe to grace them with what she probably supposed was wisdom. No matter how many times he saw this act, he never grew to hate it any less.
K'ile Tia bit down on his teeth and concentrated on turning the fire in his hand. It was a great challenge not to shoot some sort of scathing remark at the girl, whose bright young eyes and well-intentioned grin made an excellent frame the fount of pompousness oozing like sap from her throat. K'ile had said his piece and said it well; speaking again would weaken it.
At least it was likely that the elders were better listeners than the girl. Despite K'ailia's success and keeping the conversation focused on that single option, the only people to speak in outright support of it were herself and K'rei, both of whom were themselves outsiders in part. If they looked for alternatives, they would find them. All the girl's fake wisdom would fade away like the cry of a distant bird that one would never see, but that was so faint in the first place that perhaps one had never heard it at all.
A few breaths later, the turning of the fire in his hand churned a thought to his tongue and he found himself saying, "If K'ailia's to show off the places she's explored outside the desert, I'll go to see them. I think a Tia, who after all does nothing but play with his fire and dream of one day being Nunh, would be easier to spare than huntresses during a famine. If the Elders agree, K'haali and K'luha should come as well, to help us understand how the land could be used for the purposes of harvesting and trade."
K'ile Tia bit down on his teeth and concentrated on turning the fire in his hand. It was a great challenge not to shoot some sort of scathing remark at the girl, whose bright young eyes and well-intentioned grin made an excellent frame the fount of pompousness oozing like sap from her throat. K'ile had said his piece and said it well; speaking again would weaken it.
At least it was likely that the elders were better listeners than the girl. Despite K'ailia's success and keeping the conversation focused on that single option, the only people to speak in outright support of it were herself and K'rei, both of whom were themselves outsiders in part. If they looked for alternatives, they would find them. All the girl's fake wisdom would fade away like the cry of a distant bird that one would never see, but that was so faint in the first place that perhaps one had never heard it at all.
A few breaths later, the turning of the fire in his hand churned a thought to his tongue and he found himself saying, "If K'ailia's to show off the places she's explored outside the desert, I'll go to see them. I think a Tia, who after all does nothing but play with his fire and dream of one day being Nunh, would be easier to spare than huntresses during a famine. If the Elders agree, K'haali and K'luha should come as well, to help us understand how the land could be used for the purposes of harvesting and trade."
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