The day was hot. Taryn took a deep breath, removed the mask and wiped the sweat from her eyes. Jax had gone in search of breaches in the wall. He would make note of them so Taryn could detail repair crews when they returned.<br/><br/>Taryn scanned the horizon for more signs of a sand storm but found nothing but a steel wool sky. In the closer distance, Jax was casually strolling near the Wall. He stopped occasionally to sniff the air and then he would shake his head as if he had taken in a bad smell. Once he stopped to sift the dust between the fingers of his paws, as if he were considering the content. Taryn knew this was a way to determine who had been there, like a finger print, a skill that none of the Hume had developed. She smiled as she thought fondly of the advantage of evolution had afforded the Beastkin. She was lucky to have had Jax's insight and loyalty.<br/><br/>Twice just today since she had been put out of Home, she and Jax had run into a lone Kyote. She shook her head. The Kyote would be formidable if they were smart enough to band together like the Wuf. The fight with the Kyote, both times, was exhilarating. Both of the Beastkin were good fighters. Burying them with respect and honor had been in order even though Jax had offered to skin them to make her a cape.<br/><br/>"I am Hume," she had patiently, repeating her philosophy easily as if it were a recording. " I do not skin my enemies. The fine line that separates the Hume from the Beastkin is the humanity of treatment of others. I would not wish to be skinned upon my death and so I will not treat my adversaries differently."<br/><br/>Jax's ears rose and fell as if they had life of their own. He took a knife from his belt and wiped it on the flap of his Hyena loin cloth. "Wearing the hide of an enemy is a great honor. You honor the fallen and take him into battle with you sose he never dies while you live. You take in the strength and wisdom of a worthy opponent. What a waste to leave the Kyote to the ground. You are arrogant and unfeeling when you disregard this opportunity. But what can be expected of the Hume?"<br/><br/>Taryn smiled to herself as she repositioned the face mask. Jax was so funny in his Hase traditions. No matter how long he had endured the Hume, he refused to change his culture. She sobered. Both times today, she would have been dead from the Kyote spears had Jax not been true with his throwing knives. Her blood bubbled in her veins. The excitement had been fabulous. Now she felt alive, the adrenaline pounding in her body. This is what living outside the Walls did for a person. Taryn knew she shouldn't question the Elders but somewhere along the line, the choices made to preserve their lives was slowly choking them as surely as the face rags of the childer allowed poisonous gases to pervade the lungs of the future.