Balam glanced at Dorian again, then the owl, and shook his head. What the hell was the thing so upset with the stranger for? It didn't exactly seem pissed at him...
Heh, it was cute for a bird to act so strangely.
He reached out carefully and stroked a finger over the owl's feathery head. "I think you're right about it being hurt," Balam noted to Dorian as he kept an eye on the bird. "Sorry for startlin' ya, but there's plenty of other trees for you to hide in," he murmured. Maybe he'd burned the thing's home? Oops.
He put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up. "I ain't gonna hurt you or anythin' unless you want to fight, but it's probably best you find somewhere else to play," he said to Dorian. "I really don't look forward to playing referee if someone else on my side sees you."