"Why are they like this?"
The old, gnarled hands still continued to stroke over his fur, trying to calm down the tabaxi cub who was not dealing well with the levels of shouting and outright aggression in the hold that evening. It had been building for weeks now, and beside her was one of the only places safe from it spilling over. Even as riled up as people were, they respected their lorekeeper too highly to bring it in her direction, and Pine, always with her anyway, sheltered from it by her side.
She hummed a little at his question, never rushing to answer, if she answered directly at all. She liked to teach him through his own observation, astute enough to know he had the patience for it, and now was no different.
"Watch Delg and Harbek. When you think you understand, kitten, let me know and we can discuss it."
And he did watch them as the weeks turned, as her stories continued unabated, her teachings set in tales a cub could appreciate enough to hold onto. He watched the two clan warriors, both of them very different. He watched them talk, he watched them fight, he watched them interact with others from the safe space at the lorekeeper's side, or when he ventured from it to fill his own curiosity.
"I think I know why the fight happened," he told her a good two months after he had first posed the question, and watched her smile in pride that he had taken the time to find the answer. Many of his own clan of his age would not. "It's because one of them broke their word, even though that wasn't what they were fighting about."
So much pride in those ancient eyes, warmth of congratulations shining as she didn't seem able to stop herself from reaching out and smoothing those old fingers through his fur; tactile in her regard.
"That's right, kitten. To Harbek, his word is his bond, and the clan know that. If he gives his word everyone knows they can trust him to keep it. The trouble is when people trust and then find the person didn't keep their word. They feel betrayed, and that betrayal seeps into all their interactions."
She pulled him onto her lap, despite the fact he was a bit larger now than he had once been when his clan had first sheltered in the hold. She didn't ever complain about his weight though as she wrapped those arms around his body, and he knew from that alone to pay attention to what she was saying. She'd always done that when she needed to tell him something that she thought was important but he wouldn't like, as if she feared he might run off, or he perhaps would just need the extra comfort.
"You're not like a lot of them, Pine," she said to him, her voice lowered so that it wasn't shared by any nearby, "I think a lot of people won't understand you as you grow more into yourself, and you will need something for them to understand and trust in. The ins and outs of complex emotional bonds will be difficult for you, and people are not forgiving of those different. You need to give them something they can understand and trust in."
She was right, he didn't like it, and her hands resumed their stroking over his fur as he curled a little closer on her lap.
"It's a dangerous world, kitten," she resumed, understanding that he would not be verbally responding. He rarely did unless asked a question. "There is safety in a community, and so you need to give them few reasons to exclude you from it, at least until you are skilled enough to make your own way, if you do. Give them reason to trust your word and your promises, but be sure you can fulfill them first. If you are unsure, tell them so and do not promise, merely do your best. People respect that, even if they don't like being told something negative. If you promise something, see it through. Make your word your bond. It is a powerful thing."
And he had been watching Delg and Harbek for weeks, and so he understood that. He'd watched both of them swear or promise to do things. He'd watched Delg falter when a task got difficult, or put the work or blame onto another. He saw the ripple of discontent that caused in the muttered words and the looks sent the dwarf's way when the discontent started to fester. And he saw those around Harbek turn to him when they needed help, knowing that he would keep his word. He saw them speak open words of praise so that even when things on an outing didn't go his way, the people still respected him for trying, and pledge to go with him in future.
"Practice it until it becomes your nature, kitten," she murmured to him, fingers still soothing over his fur, "Survival isn't just about finding traps or foraging for berries."