Patrick has been busy, what with meetings and patrols and giant turtles and all.  He has not returned to the Throat since leaving to begin that patrol.  Ilios came across him at the magic tree under the eye of the leather-backed, big-voiced, gift-giving creature though and did not seem too put out over finding his son roaming alone beyond the safety of home.  This revelation has made the boy just a bit more bold about his wandering, though he is still likely to be secretive with the actual coming and going.  After all, Xolani might not feel quite the same on the subject of these adventures.

It is evening, several days after he went out in the first place, when he returns to the mainland shore again.  Normally he would go right up to the gate and attempt to, quietly, grab the attention of a shore-patrolman (or woman) to let him back in.  This time he simply begins to hunt along the beach, muzzle to the ground as if there is something very important that he must find.  Perhaps he thinks it will be harder to gain re-entrance without undue notice at this hour and perhaps he is trying to invent an excuse for being out here but whatever the reason he very quickly does find something. Two somethings, in fact.

They are young and not so very much larger than Patrick's own childish frame.  Their horns are more developed than his and of a much different type.  They also both have rather thick, very feathered wings.  This last feature draws a disdainful snort from the thin, fuzzy, buckskin boy when his gaze pass over them.  He is still far enough away at the time that this sound is highly unlikely to be overheard by anyone else though.

These are not kids who belong here... at least not who belonged here before I went to look over that Heart place.  I have not met everyone who lives in my big home, but I have at least seen most of them from a distance.  These I've never seen or smelled before.  Also, they have wings so if they were supposed to be here they probably would have just flown on in instead of waiting near the bridge like I have to do.  Still, even if they are not supposed to be here they don't really look like they mean trouble either.  Hmmm...

I've never been told what we are supposed to do with strangers on our boarder, probably because, while I am apparently old enough to be trusted with scouting missions, I am not old enough to be assigned to guard anything.  Well, if they do mean some kind of underhanded trouble at least if I intercept them then the presence of watching eyes might make them think twice.

His head is up now and he trots purposefully over the rocky beach to stand a polite distance away from the two strangers.

" 'lo.  What bull-horned ones need in Throat?"

The tone is offhandedly curious and not at all challenging but his gaze is pointedly direct and his eyes watch both of them with obvious care.