Luckily, the girl was strange enough to accept his name without a titter or giggle, which would have confused Kiche. Those he had shared his name with had the good graces — or maybe the ignorance— to overlook the ridiculousness of the nickname his humans had given him. Vlarindara had given him the smallest of looks, perhaps, but she had said nothing. The poor saint had no idea how stupid he looked masquerading around in the pet name he had worn as a child in a human world. All he knew was that felt familiar and safer, it felt like he was letting someone in. But that raised a red flag. Suddenly, Kiche was wary of himself, of this openness that had snuck into his soul when he hadn't been paying attention. He didn't trust this feeling. Especially not since... not since Aisling. No, he wouldn't think about that. So caught up in the muddled emotions that whorled and roiled in his stomach, Kiche did not catch the fleeting smile on the girl's lips. A shrug was the only response he could come up with, not believing his motives to be particularly sweet. It was out of need that he taught the pups —he needed them, and they needed God.
"<b>Could you...</b>" As quickly as he had opened his mouth, he snapped it shut, no longer sure of what he had been planning on saying. There were five thousand thoughts bouncing off the walls of his skulls, thoughts of Aisling, thoughts of the puppies, of being a teacher. He was an awfully poor teacher, now that he thought about it. His faith was so worn and shattered and he was only just beginning to pick up the pieces. And what else did he really have to offer the children besides that? He could not track, it appeared, and he didn't know if he had it in him to kill. But before him stood a perfectly good heathen... and... he could be a good student. Parting his jaws again, he whispered, "<b>Could you teach me... how to hunt?</b>"
</blockquote>