The wind whipped around XueLing, carrying the scent of pine and a healthy dose of bewildered feather-tribe member. He, ever the picture of stoic indifference, barely registered the cacophony of gasps and choked exclamations that followed their landing on the rocky outcrop that served as his tribe's new home. XiShi, on the other hand, looked like she was trying very hard not to burst out laughing at the sheer, unadulterated shock plastered across every avian face. Honestly, you'd think they'd witnessed a dragon hatching a teapot, not just their notoriously unattached elder bringing a female back from who-knows-where. What was that look ? Pity?

The sheer audacity of it all! XueLing? Mated? It was enough to make even the most seasoned feather-tribe member question the very fabric of reality. After all, this was the same XueLing who once declared that relationships were an unnecessary expenditure of energy and that the pursuit of personal power is superior to any fleeting emotional attachment. The same XueLing who spent more time preening his magnificent, if somewhat obnoxious, plumage than he did interacting with, well, anyone. The same XueLing whose self-admiration was so profound, it could probably power a small city.

And now, here he was, strolling casually towards his cave as if he hadn't just shattered the collective understanding of their entire tribe. He was, of course, radiating an aura of smug self-satisfaction that could be seen from across the valley. It wasn't like he'd actually done anything to earn this level of awe. He'd just existed with a female―his female, close by. Clearly, this was a miracle comparable to the sun rising in the west.

XiShi, bless her heart, seemed utterly unperturbed by the gaping stares, the dropped tools, and the general air of utter disbelief. In fact, she seemed to derive a certain amount of twisted amusement from it all. It was probably the only thing keeping her from rolling her eyes at the dramatic tableau.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of stunned silence, XueLing, displaying his usual delicate touch, scowled at the assembled tribe members, his piercing gaze sweeping over them like a hawk assessing its prey.

"Well?" he barked, his voice dripping with thinly veiled irritation. "Are you going to stand there gawking all day, or are you going to get back to work before I decide to test your flying skills by throwing rocks at you?"

The effect, predictably, was instant. The tribe members scattered like startled crows, muttering apologies and scurrying back to their tasks, their hushed whispers still trailing behind them. XueLing, ever the charming leader, barely noticed. He simply turned toward his cave, no doubt eager to bask in the glow of his newfound partner's presence. He was probably imagining the admiring glances she'd give him while admiring his collection of shiny rocks.

But......

"Elder XueLing, we need to talk....."