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Tobias quite enjoyed his time studying in the tribal lands. The air was fresher, the grass greener, and best of all his work wasn't confined to books and lectures; he actually got to use his legs. All in all, it was a must needed respite from the doldrums of the university and a great way to cope with the untimely death of his mother. Whenever he was reminded of her assault and death, the pain of loss would kindle an aching fire in his chest. The antelope knew that there was nothing he could do to make the pain truly go away, but for now, his time studying medicinal herbs was quickening the healing process. The healing capabilities of tribal herbs were multifarious indeed.

In the forest immediate to the Yew tribe Tobias was resting himself against the base of a tree, relaxing, soaking in the scenery of the evening forest. The trees surrounding the Yew tribe were towering pillars of brown, so high that the forest canopy seemed almost as a green sky, yet the leaved still produced a brilliant dappled light that shown down on the forest, giving all below a subtle glow of orange. It didn't take much time under such a forest for Tobias to come to learn that the sight of a leave falling from such high trees was one of the most beautiful he would know in his entire life. The undergrowth was a thick uneven thing, but its wild unfettered growth was still beautiful in its own right, and the orange limn gave it an almost playful aspect to its unruly structure. Eyes now closed, he could hear the babbling of the nearby brook, a gentle susurrus whispering sweetly into his ears. Tobias sighed in contentment to himself, feeling at peace for the first time in what seemed like an endless eternity.

Still, the buck knew that he should be spending his time under the auspices of the Yew tribe more efficiently: mingling with the locals, learning more of their customs, advancing his language skills... but he had done so much of that already, and still had many more opportunities to do so. For now he just wanted to rest, to be at peace. He owed himself that much, didn't he? He had already finished what he deemed a sufficient amount of work for the day, and now that he pondered upon it, his progress up to this point had been rather impressive. In fact, in the past month he had made serious progress on his botanical cataloging, having written full descriptions of over twenty different medicinal plants uniquely endemic to the tribal lands. Botanical catalogs were far and few between, even in the extensive libraries of the University, and as of Tobias' journey a fully extensive catalog of medicinal herbs had yet to be completed. Perhaps by the time under the hospitality of the Yew Tribe was at an end, he'd have enough information to produce his own catalog. He couldn't help but feel excited by the notion.

Eventually, Tobias' legs did begin to tire from such an extended period of standing, and his posture grew a tad uncomfortable. He almost decided to sit down on the rough earth, but he knew that wasn't in his best interest. Dirt and even grass stains were quite unpleasing on the eyes, and proper laundering was less easily achieved away from the everyday conveniences of Newport. It was true that he was given permission to wear the more simple tribal garb and loincloth during his stay, but he was still an ambassador of the Stone Tribe; he had to properly represent them in both etiquette and appearance.

Before Tobias could decide whether to leave or not, he heard an energetic, high-pitched voice calling out to him in the tribal tongue, "Oani, Friend Tobias!"

The buck opened his eyes and turned to see a light-brown furred deer happily jogging her way over to Tobias' side, deftly passing the undergrowth as if it were no more of an obstruction than low-hanging mist. It was Falling-Star, a young woman of the Yew Tribe, not many years behind Tobias himself. She was one of the kindest and more social members of the Yew Tribe, always smiling and almost always having something pleasant or interesting to say. The other members of the Yew Tribe seemed to absolutely adore her, and Tobias was of a similar position; he envied her innocent youthful mirth.

"Ah, Oani,_Friend _Falling-Star," Tobias replied pleasantly, only to find himself immediately flushing at the deer's rather exposed appearance as she finally approached his side. She wore but a brown loincloth that covered her groin, so as a result, her thin breasts were laid bare before Tobias. Though Tobias was by no means a carnal man who lacked self-control around women, he still found himself uncomfortable in such a scenario. It always seemed to be a roll of the dice whether Falling-Star she would put on a bra or not.

Most of the Yew tribe's older women with more developed breasts tended to wear bras, but, much to Tobias chagrin, many of the younger less endowed deer of the Yew Tribe opted to do away with bras altogether, seeing little purpose in them. He wanted greatly to tell the younger women of the tribes to dress less revealingly, but that would be far too imposing on his behalf. He was in a different culture; what may be seen as scandalous in his society might very well be considered entirely commonplace in another. This was simply the way things were here, and he was in no place to challenge them.

"You're usually back to the village by now! I was worried maybe you fell into a hole or got captured by an undesirable, but here you are resting against a tree! Don't I just feel silly!" the deer said with a humored smile and chirpy laugh, now at Tobias' side.

Even though Tobias was given one of the guest yurts for his stay as was technically living on his own, he almost felt as though he was under the care of Falling-Star and her family as if he were part of some sort of homestay. They were very gracious and generous with him, often inviting him to share meals, always answering any of his questions of Yew Tribe culture and helping him practice his Tribal Tongue.Falling-Star was particularly social with Tobias, and always seemed to bump into him at least three or four times a day.

Tobias smiled at _Falling-Star_in return, though it was more of a mannered smile than a genuine one. "Oh no, I just felt like taking a bit more time to enjoy the scenery today. Though I do apologize for any worry I may have caused!"

_Falling-Star_swished her wrist dismissively in an exaggerated motion. "Oh well it's nothing to worry about now! Don't worry, don't worry!" Then suddenly, she took hold of Tobias' hand, taking the antelope unawares. "But let's not waste any more time! Mother wants you to join us for supper! Let's not be late!" she said as she broke into a brisk pace back in the direction of the village, dragging a surprised Tobias along with her.

Tobias certainly appreciated her care-free gesture, but he couldn't help but realize that if he were seen by others holding the hand of a young female, there might be certain implications that he would rather avoid. Falling-Star was walking at an uncomfortably fast pace that Tobias wouldn't care to match for the entire way back, besides. After a few moments of close travel with Falling-Star, Tobias had finally composed what he thought to be the most polite request for Falling-Star to release him of his hand. "Excuse me, Friend Falling-Star, might it be acceptable if we don't hold hands as we travel? Not that I don't enjoy holding hands, it's just happens to be the case that Stone Tribe men aren't supposed to hold hands with women as they travel unless they're in a committed relationship. I suppose that's not the implication for the Yew Tribe, but I would still prefer it if we could walk without holding hands." Tobias was still being taken by hand as he spoke; he didn't want to offend her by stopping or letting go of her hand without fair warning.

Slowing down her pace, Falling-Star was looking behind her shoulders at Tobias as he spoke, a giddy grin cracking on her muzzle as she heard his long-winded explanation. She complied to his request and let go of his hand, though she was chuckling to herself as she did so. "Oh, Friend Tobias, you're so shy and polite! But I suppose that's what makes you you, isn't it?"

Tobias smiled to himself at the Falling-Star's peculiar statement. It was a strange thought; were his manners really the most prominent aspect of his character? He didn't think so; but perhaps he was a tad more mannered than the average man. "Oh, no; I'm simply doing what is expected of me. This behavior is expected of all scholars of the Grand School." Tobias was of course referring to the University of Progressive Thought, but sadly the tribal Tongue lacked a cognate for 'University'. And since speaking the Common Tongue pronunciation seemed a bit garish, he used the best euphemism he could compose.

Falling-Star_smiled at Tobias with a droll amusement as he spoke, evidently still holding her own differing opinions of Tobias' mannerism. But as he mentioned the _Grand School, Falling-Star's eyes suddenly popped open with sudden realization. "Oh, that reminds me! Aunt Aesha wishes to speak to you after supper, Tobias. Do pay her a visit!"

Tobias' ears perked up in alarm. "The shaman? Oh dear... I don't supposed she has found complaint with my stay here? Have I overstayed my welcome?"

_Falling-Star_shook her head. "Of course not! Aunt Aesha adores you! We all do. She just wants to talk to you about your work is all. Now come on!" the dear said as she dashed ahead in the direction of the village, beckoning Tobias to follow. "We don't want to be late for supper!"

*

"You wished to speak with me, Shaman?" Tobias spoke as he took his seat opposite of the Yew Tribe shaman. The seat across from a Shaman's circle was a seat of honor, and Tobias felt somewhat out of place sitting there, though he dare not mouth any complaints. Adding to his unease, the shaman sat in a ring of pillows; smoking a mixture of herbs out of wooden pipe; the deep, sickly smell of it inundated the hut, causing slight discomfort on Tobias' behalf.

The shaman of the Yew Tribe, Aesha Humn was a deer in her fifth decade with an air of wisdom and grace Tobias had known in few other woman. This was partly a result of her manner of dress, which was that of a archetypical Tribal Shaman; today she wore two red body sheets, each slung down from her shoulders to her waist (covering her breasts, thankfully), and several different beaded necklaces of various colors and shapes. She had an elaborate long skirt made of dyed multi-colored feathers, and carved wooden bracelets around her wrists. Tobias also had to accredit her eyes for the poignancy of her sage appearance; they were of a dark green hue that inexplicably seemed to radiate wisdom. There was only one he knew to match the Yew Tribe shaman in these regards, but she was no longer part of the lands of the living.

"Yes, there was something... but first, care to partake in A Breath?" the deer asked as she extended her pipe forward in Tobias' direction.

Tobias knew that by all means one should not decline an offer from a tribal shaman, but still, Tobias politely shook his head in refusal. "No, I must refuse, thank you. As a scholar it is my responsibility to stay lucid, after all."

"Very well. I shall respect your ways as a scholar," Aesha spoke as she took one last drag from her pipe, before placing it down on the wooden tray to her side, a tray that held various other blended herbs. "But this is nothing formal, I just wanted to check in on our guest. So tell me, Friend Tobias, how have you enjoyed your time with the Yew Tribe? It's been near a full cycle of the moon since you first arrived, I believe."

Truly, it had already been a full month since Tobias first arrived, yet somehow it only felt like he had been a part of the Yew Tribe his whole life, he realized. "I have greatly enjoyed my stay with the Yew tribe. I find the people very kind, helpful, and friendly, and I feel as though I have learned much from my time here." Tobias smiled shyly as she spoke his next words, "In all honesty, sometimes I wonder that I might belong here more than I do back at the Grand School..."

Aesha tilted her head at Tobias' curious statement. "Really now? And why do you say that?"

It was such a basic follow-up question, and yet Tobias found himself taken aback by it. Why did he feel this way? What was it about Tribal life that appealed to him so much? It took him a few moments before he could compose his response. "Somehow... life seems more honest here, more genuine. I feel as though I have more freedom to be who I am here, and, even though it may sound foolish, I feel as though I'm learning more out here than I did studying in the halls of the Great School..."

Aesha nodded her head slowly as Tobias spoke, dreamily taking in every one of Tobias' words. "It's not foolish to think that way, Friend Tobias. I imagine that you truly have been learning more here than at your University." She spoke the Common Tongue word for 'University', though it was heavily accented. "Memorizing information and statistics that others have long since known is not true learning. Such easily measurable information is superficial knowledge at best. The trees, flowers, rivers and living inhabitants of this world are the true teachers, and they teach us things that cannot be so simply put into words."

Tobias was in utter awe as he listened to the shaman speak. Somehow, these words spoken to him seemed truer than any he had heard during his time studying at the University. The University saw learning as a process of absorbing information like a sponge, where learning amongst the tribal people was a firsthand, one where the answers weren't so textbook and calculated. How had he failed to see this before?

"There is much truth to your words, shaman. I suppose I have been unsatisfied for the university for some time some. It just took some time away from it to realize." Tobias found himself frowning. "I wonder if it's even worth it to go back..."

The Shaman was surprised by his response, and put on an expression of concern. "Is that so? You do not wish to return to your home? Does it not hold a place in your heart just as our village does?"

It pained Tobias to realize that there was once a time where he had something to return to, or somebody, for that matter. But that was all taken away from him that one day, by the bloody hands of some unknown assailant. Remembering the painful memories, Tobias let out a deep, heavy sigh, laden with discontent and sorrow. "I'm afraid there's not much left for me back in Newport, Shaman Aesha..."

"Mm... Perhaps you see it as such now, but desires of men are wont to change, just as the seasons are. I would not forsake your life amongst your people so soon, young Tobias. You may find yourself nostalgic of your Stone Tribe life sooner than you think..." the deer smiled warmly at Tobias, taking the edge of the dark feeling that had swelled up inside his gut. "But of course, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"I... thank you graciously for the kindness of you and your people, Shaman Aesha," the antelope spoke nervously, humbled by the hospitality of not just the Shaman, but the entire village at whole. On impulse, Tobias deemed it worth to bow downward in gratitude, being careful not to scrape his horns against the dirt floor.

Aesha light-heartedly laughed at this gesture. "Well, no matter where you go you will always have your manners. But tell me... What will you do when you are expected to return to the University, Friend Tobias? Will you go back to this place for which you care little?"

Tobias slowly retracted from his bow, pondering the question. How very expected of a talk with a Tribal Shaman to make him question his life's direction. "I suppose I owe my scholars the learnings that I promised them... And I suppose it would be a waste if I didn't finish my degree. But after that, I don't know..." Tobias said with an incredible uncertainty.

The shaman let out an audible 'hmm', and then placed her hand to her chin. "Well, after that... why not work for both your homes? Put your unique talents to use."

Tobias' ears flicked to the side curiously at the shaman's nebulous notion. "Shaman Aesha?"

The shaman smiled beamed at Tobias proudly in an almost motherly fashion. It was an beautiful smile, Tobias realized. "Admittedly, there is still much the Yew Tribe has to learn from the Stone Tribe, and much they have to learn from us too, I imagine. And, you Tobias, who walk between both worlds, are key to this scenario. You can teach us of the many ways of your people, and you can enlighten your people as to our ways, just as you are now with your study of our plants. We can work out the details later, but for now, what do you think... interested?"

Tobias was taken aback; he was entirely speechless. Him, a lesion between two tribes, and the opportunity presented it to himself just like that. And yet it seemed so right... Was this sudden opportunity given to him by some divine being to balance the pain of his past? Or was a result of his own working? He could not say. But he did know that it was rude to refuse an offer from a tribal shaman.

The pronghorn licked is lips nervously before he responded, "I... would be honored."