Eli's moves on, Bethany behind-his own tread seems to glide over the forest floor-skillfully brushing over leaf litter, stray twigs and scree. He moves with hardly a sound, nor crushes a single plant or flower.
"Indeed. I suppose you'll want some basic training anyway...
The first thing you can do is watch my feet. Watch how I move, and why...see how I avoid the soft ground? Only once you've tracked someone or something will you understand, but every print is another stone in a road leading to you-for we are leaving that trail wherever we go. Imagine a foe is always capable pursuing us along this trail, as is almost always the case. You wouldn't build a road straight into your home from an enemy. Concentrate on minimizing your trail-leaving behind nothing but wind and memory. In time, I'll even teach you tricks to hide your scent. Not that I disapprove of yours personally." He says, with a smile.
Eli comes to a thorny bush-that seems near impassable, except for hacking it or stepping around. Instead, he simply lifts one specific branch-allowing Bethany and then himself to pass. A tight fit, but, one that doesn't disturb the land at all, nor incur the wrath of pricks.
"See? You don't hack and stomp through the brush...just move patiently, and with purpose. The wilds will show you the way through, if you respect them. And if you can find this path, you leave no trail, you make no sound-if you make no sound, you can be invisible...there is a time for battle, of course-the unavoidable killing blow. But, I have always believed slaying in one stroke spares your prey further shock and pain-and you further danger. And the only to do that is either with overwhelming power-of which your own is never assured against all foes-or great cunning. Of which is hardly less assured, but it is much easier to be cunning than strong-and neither of them denies the capability of the other, of course..." Eli says as they move along. Compared to how he speaks in a social setting-awkwardly-here, in his own element, he is amazingly calm, speaking in tones of great respect-it would almost be a religious reverence in his voice, if Eli did in fact follow any sort of deity.