[Jaykobell]

Sigurd didn't say a thing about Naerna's sudden outburst, but she could understand. She wouldn't be able to get around it if Senervel would die. Only Sandford's death had managed to shake her a little. She sighed.

Severe snarled, flicking his tails. "I'm leaving. This family reunion is stupid," he barked, walking away, clearly upset by... well, whatever.

Ultamei grumbled while Tryst didn't say a thing. But she did turn to Marcello, saying, "Oh, yes. She's one of the many Kuhnas at the Pen. She often speaks of this Ryen. She gets nervous when letters arrive. She's always scared it's one saying Ryen died." She licked her chest fur, observing her markings a little.

Orreck flicked his tail lightly, turning around. "I shall be heading off..." he said, walking away and leaving the others to themselves. He wanted to have some time alone, so maybe he would head somewhere else eventually...

[Sigurd: 43, Orreck: 11 -- left, Ultamei: 11, Tryst: 11, Severe: 11 -- left]

[SpringsSong]

Marcello nodded, saying, "There's a collection of Kuhnas that have been 'reborn' in a sense--Ashilata, Fire's Trikuhna, said that they are called the Fourteen--and she is reckoning that thirteen of them will be living with us.  Right now, only three have been 'reborn'; a Trikuhna and two Ancient-born Kuhnas.  From what I understand, they also are scared to look at the letters as well; for fear that their Leader has died." He said, looking at his own markings for a minute.  "I myself keep steady tabs on the letters; hoping, praying, that there won't be one that says my grandmother has died."

Scarlet scoffed as Orreck and Severe left, and then, turned to Sigurd.  "So, someone important to you has gone off to the war too, eh?  I mean, I don't know either of my grandmothers, but I know that they're both Imperial and that only one of them went to war.  I don't see why everyone's worried for her.  She's quite capable of caring for herself." She said, looking at Sigurd, Ultamei, and Tryst again before awaiting a response.

{Marcel: 12||Scarlet: 6}

[Jaykobell]

"You could say that," Sigurd replied, getting now into a sitting position. "Two of my acquintances and one I know well but never got to meet personally," she explained, flicking her tails. "They went so they could protect those who needed help against the invaders." She didn't mention how proud she was of them; she thought that female would see it as a weakness or as something ridiculous.

Ultamei sighed. Now he had no one to talk to, so he sat down beside his sister, licking her ear affectionately. "Mind if I join?" he asked her.

Tryst giggled as her brother licked her ear. "Sure," she replied, proding him in the side teasingly. Turning to Marcello, she said, "This was is being stressful for us all."

[Sigurd: 44, Ultamei: 12, Tryst: 12]

[SpringsSong]

Scarletti nodded her head.  "I see." She said, simply.  "I cannot say that I am pleased with my family's faction; for I do not believe in the invasion whatsoever.  Then again, I fail to see why my trainer involves herself at all.  It could spare a lot of people some stress: my grandmother and her mate, Ryen and his mate, Ashilata and her love... Naerna and her trainer's family." She added, looking over at the other three.

Marcello nodded his agreement.  "Indeed it shall be." He barked, looking at the two siblings and wondering why he and Scarletti couldn't have that bond.  "I know that I would have a hard time getting around my grandmother dying... or any of the warriors that I know either by acquaintence or by blood." He said, suddenly regretting his Imperialist status.

{Marcel: 13||Scarlet: 7}

[Jaykobell]

Sigurd nodded. "Yes. Wars bring many deaths and a lot of sadness. It's not something for fun." She looked down and laughed. She thought about Sandford, how the Khimera was probably ecstatic about this whole war thing, how happy he must have been when it started. He who loved to kill... She sighed. Although she didn't like him, Sigurd knew she would miss the Khimera brother of her mate. He had been harassing them since the very beginning; she would miss him...

Ultamei shrugged. "I say that, no matter which side you're on, you're who you are. Even if you're an Imperialist, it doesn't mean that you're evil. Maybe you have reasons to fight for them. Even if you're a Purist, maybe you're not nice, but selfish. It depends. Sides mean nothing." He blinked. "To me, in any case. You'll always be who you are."

Tryst nodded. "Yes. I know what you mean." She licked her shoulder. She was completely agreeing with her brother.

[Sigurd: 45 -- level up, Ultamei: 13, Tryst: 13]

[SpringsSong]

Scarlet chuckled as she said, "Well, death is a natural part of life, no matter how you look at it.  Some people would rather die of natural causes than in a war, while others--like my fool of a grandmother--would rather die honorably in war." She said.

Marcel smiled as he said, "That is true.  I feel like a Purist in an Imperial's outfit, though... nearly my whole family's Imperial." He shrugged.  "I guess that's just what happens when wars start: the majority of your family takes one side, even if you might be the other." He sighed.  "How do you two manage it?  Living knowing that your father is in the war?" He asked.  He was having trouble accepting that his grandmother was away at the war.

{Marcel: 14||Scarlet: 8}

[Jaykobell]

Sigurd shrugged. "I suppose so. Although, some simply don't care how it's going to happen." She personally didn't care how she might end up dying, and truly she didn't want to think about it, to be honest. She didn't say anything about Scarletti's lack of respect towards her Grandmother; she figured business between families were for the family only.

Ultamei tilted his head. "Well, I know dad will come back to us once it's over," he barked, flicking his tails. "I've never met him, but I'm sure that he's amazing."

"Mom's told us many stories about him," Trust continued. "He sounds so... chivalrous." Her eyes were shining with pride and happiness as she said "chivalrous." It was not needed to mention that she loved her father.

[Sigurd: 46, Ultamei: 14, Tryst: 14]

[SpringsSong]

Marcel chuckled as he said, "I'm sure my grandmother will return from the war as well.  From what the rest of my family has said, she's like charity's very soul: caring, generous, always ready to sacrifice herself." He said, his admiration for her quite clear.  "I know she'll come back after this war finishes, and all of us back home have taken to praying for Ryen and Ashilata, that they may return safely to the ones they love after this is said and done." He said, holding his head high.

Scarletti nodded in agreement.  "Yeah, I'm one of those.  Just so long as I go down after a good fight and with bloodstained claws should I have to go out fighting, I'll be happy.  If I wake up one day in the netherword... well, I'll just have to accept that too.  Just so long as I don't fall and can't at least fight back, I'm fine." She said, her head held high.  "But pulling away from this dark doomsday talk of war, how is life for you?" She asked.

{Marcel: 15, level up||Scarlet: 9}

[Jaykobell]

As Ultamei was listening, he started getting nervous. "I just thought about something..." he meowed, shuffling his paws uncomfortably. "What if... What if your mother and our father meet? What will happen then?"

Tryst gasped softly, shifting her tails. "If they're both two of the strongest pets on the Lands... there's no telling what could happen. Dad could only fight experienced Lucain and pets." What would happen then?

Sigurd shrugged. "A bit lonely, ever since Senervel's left," she started. "But it's become more lively with the babies about. Ultamei is a tiny ball of energy that can never stop, and Tryst is one good philosopher, despite what I could have imagined. Severe... he's a bit troubled mentally. But I imagine all of this will be settled once the war is over, when he'll be able to hear the truth from his father." She licked her chest fur before looking up at Scarletti. "And what about yours?"

[Sigurd: 47, Ultamei: 15 -- level up, Tryst: 15 -- level up]

[SpringsSong]

Marcello shrugged.  "I don't know what could happen.  My grandmother would only fight Lucain and other experienced pets as well..." He said, his tails waving nervously.  While he knew that there was only one opponent for his grandmother, he didn't want to wish ill on these Lucain's father, either.

Scarletti shrugged.  "Eh, things are... they're okay.  I mean, I used to live with my dad, but my mom's trainer traded my other brother, Dukonu, to my dad's trainer for me.  I haven't seen hair nor hide of my mother, and the rest of my family is... well, they're worried for my grandmother and her companions in the war." She said.  She didn't have, nor did she want, any pups of her own right now.  Looking over at her brother, she merely shrugged.

[Jaykobell]

"I don't understand why there is a war," Ultamei whined, his tails lying down behind his back, his ears drooped. "It only brings sadness everywhere."

Tryst licked her brother's ear. "Don't worry. I'm sure dad will come back alive... And he'll send us more friends, too," she said, rubbing against Ultamei to sooth him.

Sigurd shrugged. "I don't really have a home. I live wherever Senervel lives. I don't care, as long as I'm with him. All those other things, I don't care about," she said, licking his chest fur briskly. She looked over at Tryst and Ultamei; how much they had grown already...

[Sigurd: 48, Ultamei: 16, Tryst: 16]

[SpringsSong]

Marcello nodded in agreement.  "Yes, wars do only bring sadness... and pain." He said, laying a paw over his heart.  "Any of us can feel when another goes off to battle or dies.  One of m compaions; Ryen, actually, has gone off to battle." He said, a hint of a canine whine in his voice.

Scarlet inclined her head.  "I wish I could say the same, in all honesty.  No one likes us any because of who my grandmothers are.  They hat us because our family is so large, but I don't see what's wrong with that.  I mean, honestly.  So what if I have one of the largest families on Evelon?  I should be able to have as much of a chance as a Lucain who just... appears, no?" She asked.

{Marcel: 17||Scarlet: 11}

[Jaykobell]

Ultamei nodded. "I've heard about that battle, too," he replied, blinking in surprise. "I wonder how it's going to end..."

"It's ended already, hasn't it?" Tryst interrupted. "Marble was against him, if I remember right..." she put in, her ears tweaking in sadness.

Sigurd shrugged. "Every line is going to expend its might sooner or later, anyway," she replied, shifting a little to adjust her swollen belly. "Want it or not, Lucain breed. Want it or not, lines obviously get bigger."

[Sigurd: 49, Ultamei: 17, Tryst: 17]

[SpringsSong]

"True, true." Scarlet  replied, her head nodding as she said, "I, too, heard of that battle, and it might as well have been as though one or the other had Subduing Strike, for they both live.  My grandmother, however..." Here, she laughed sarcastically.  "She ought to have forgotten that she ever met Sethor, for it is detracting from her ability to fight."

"Scarlet, do not spek of Grandmother that... way..." As Marcel said this, he doubled over as though he had been clawed from either the stomach or the back.  "No..." He whispered, trying to remain in control of his emotions.  No, he couldn't lose it now... not in front of his new friends; regardless of faction.

{Marcel: 18||Scarlet: 12}

[Jaykobell]

"News from that battle came," Sigurd said, flicking her tails. She yawned, her eyes small by now. "Senervel won against your Grandmother, but she was revived." She didn't tell Sandford had been revived as well, since this matter didn't truly concern them.

She then turned to Tryst and Ultamei. "C'mon kids, we're going home," she said, getting up. "I can feel something odd around here... I'd prefer to go back home to check it out," she said, walking off.

Tryst and Ultamei turned to their mother, ears tweaking. Tryst shrugged and walked off, waving a goodbye with her tails to Marcello and Scarletti.

"See you again some other time," Ultamei told them, going after his sister.

[Sigurd: 50 -- level up, Ultamei: 18, Tryst: 18 -- all have left]