[Jaykobell]

Shinboku nodded. "Yes! She lives with us. She's a Festive Kuhna, isn't she?" He tilted his head. "She's always so worried. I've had the chance to talk to her a little, but she's always so worried. She prefers staying alone... I guess I can understand, though. It must be so stressful, what with your mate at war..." He shook his head in dismay. "I personally hate war. Violence, too. It brings only more of it. I prefer words," he meowed, waving his tails softly, his fur brushing against the short lawn.

Rothsaydan watched as the two kits started challenging one another. He loved how kits could be so carefree and playful, unlike the adults, who needed to remain serious and show experience for the little ones to follow. To show them the right things, to teach them what they needed to know, to watch over them... Life for a grown-up was hard, sometimes.

[Shin: 6, Roth: 6]

[SpringsSong]

Rhyia nodded.  "Yes... she is a Festive Kuhna..." She said, shaking her head.  "I am relieved that the fight in question is over, but now..." She sighed.  "I'd rather not speak on it.  It's... hard to.  Then again, everything about knowing someone--or three someones--in a war is hard, no?" She said, tears in her eyes.

Kanika smiled playfully as Aubie pounced on her.  "Oooh, a warrior, you say?" She asked, interested.  "Sounds fascinating!  I prefer the proffession of art, though... My Lady back home is quite an artist herself." She said, smiling from underneath the Nightwind Kuhna.

{Rhy: 33||Nika: 3}

[Stoffelees]

Deutchie was also watching the two rambunctious kits with a smile upon his muzzle. There was a glimmer of something in his eyes, as seeing these two brought back memories. Or perhaps it was a hope for the future of this generation's kits, brought up in a harsh time of war. He then looked up to see the female Common Kuhna begin to tear up. A single tail of his reached over to brush away the salty drop, "Now now Fr?§ulein, zu know those in var ist hard, ya? But zu cry ist as if zu forget their contributions zu de greater good. Ve must honour them, und vhen they come home, ve must show our gratitude."

The night-colored kit was beaming with pride as he 'released his prey' and stepped aside. "An artist?! Isn't that boring? I mean, you're all by yourself and you don't get to 'splore! How can drawing pictures be fun?" His na?Øveness was amusing, one could tell that he was still developing an open mind.

[center]{Aubie 6 | Deutchie 6}

[Jaykobell]

Rothsaydan nodded towards Deutchie's statement. "You're always so amazing, Uncle Deutchie," the Pumpkin Kuhna said, his voice showing great admiration for the young Adler Kuhna with such a grand view of things. "You always know what to say. I hope I can get that trait when I get older, too," he meowed, waving his tails with glee. "But I sure hope our three fighters will be all right, back at the war fields," he meowed as he turned towards Aubie and Kanika. Such young souls, carefree and playful, aware most likely the bitter things of this world still. He kind of envied them.

"Hey! Hey, come and see this!" Shinboku cried to the others, his bum raised in the air as he was looking down into the stream that was flowing nearby. "Come and see what I found!" he urged, looking over his shoulder shortly and flicking his tails to motion for the other Kuhnas to come over.

[Shin: 7, Roth: 7]

[SpringsSong]

Rhyia nodded to Deutchie and said, "Yes, yes; but it still is hard, knowing that those close to you could possibly face death." Turning at the sound of Shinboku's voice, she ran over to where he stood, a curious mew coming from her throat.

Kanika chuckled.  "Part of artistry is exploring, Aubie.  If I stayed inside all the time and didn't go out and about, then I wouldn't get any new ideas for paintings!  And my Lady says that she gets to travel all over the place, performing--she's a musician, which is a different type of artist." She said, purring.  "Part of an artist's job is to explore.  And in addition to that, artistry isn't just drawing pictures; no, it could be playing an instrument or singing a song or writing a story or dancing.  It's not all just paints and canvases." She said, looking over to her Aunt Rhyia.

{Rhy: 34||Nika: 4}

[Stoffelees]

The Adler chuckled at Roths' statement, one might even say there was an extra shade of red under the black of his cheeks. "I don't alvays know vhat to say, I simply speak mein mind." He raised his head at Shin's cry, and promptly padded over to find out what all the fuss was about.

The curious kit listened to Kanika with ever-growing interest. He nodded every so often, and once she was done he thought for a moment before commenting, "So...if painting is an art...and music is an art...is fighting an art?" Enthusiasm surged in his voice with the last few words.

[center]{Aubie 7 | Deutchie 20}

[Jaykobell]

Rothsaydan's ears pricked as he heard Shinboku meow. "What is it?" he meowed, turning around to head towards the Common Kuhna. From the tone his cry had shown, Roth figured Shin must have found something interesting. As he stepped beside the Common Kuhna, crouching his head to look into the water as well, he meowed, "What did you find?"

"Look deep inside the water," Shin instructed, waving his tails with excitement. "Look! Don't you see it sparkling?" he meowed, turning to Rothsaydan. "I guess there are some pearls in that river," he said, drowning one of his forepaws into the water to pull it back up shortly after, a small, shining pearl held inside his paw. "Look, look!" he meowed, staring at the pearl.

[8] [8]

[SpringsSong]

Rhyia's eyes widened as she saw Shin pull back a pearl from the water.  "Oh!" She exclaimed, her voice soft.  She looked deep into the water and found another sparkle there, and she gingerly extended her paw to grab the pearl.  At first, she only grabbed a rock; much to her dismay.  "Okay... let's try that again..." She muttered, this time grabbing the white stone in her paw.

Nika smiled.  "I guess it could be.  Some people study fighting as an art." She said, chuckling.  "You never know.  Sometimes, I look at everything as an art." She added, turning to look over at the "older" Kuhnas.  "What d'you suppose they found?" She asked.

{Rhy: 35||Nika: 5}

[Stoffelees]

Deutchie padded up next to the trio and gazed into the sparkling-clear stream. "Das ist beautiful!"

"I dunno, let's go find out!" The excitement in his voice was obviously what one would expect from a kit.

Deutchie watched the younger Kuhnas pull the perfectly round gems from the water. Then, raising his head to the sky, he noticed how far across the sky the sun had traveled. With a sigh he spoke, "It seems dat it ist time for us zu go." He gave a bow to the group and made his way over to Aubie. "Come junge, ve must return zu your mutter."

Aubie fell onto his side in an attempt to make it harder for the Adler Kuhna to grasp his scruff. "Awww! But I'm having fun Uncle Deutchie! I don't wanna go!"

"I'm sorry, but you're mutter vas expecting du home hours ago." Standing over the rebellious kit, Deutchie spoke to the group one last time, "It vas a pleasure to zee du again, and zu meet du Fr?§ulein. Perhaps one day ve shall meet again." With that he grasped the kit by the scruff. Aubie waved to the group and squeaked, "Bye everyone!" before the two silhouettes disappeared into the distance.

[center]{Aubie 8-left | Deutchie 21-left}

[Jaykobell]

The two boys spun around when Deutchie came towards them, and the Pumpkin Kuhna purred quietly at Aubie's rebellious reaction. "Awwh, see you soon, Uncle Deutchie, little Aubie!" Rothsaydan meowed to them, flicking his tails about happily. "Hope to see you again soon!"

Shin returned the goodbye to the Adler and Nightwind Kuhna, and finally he looked up as well, noticing how the sun was almost gone from the sky. "Oh, stony rocks! Ken is going to be worried!" the Common Kuhna meowed, nudging Rothsaydan.

"Awwh, I guess we have to go too, then," the Pumpkin male said and turning to the two females, he meowed, "Bye bye, see you two again soon; we have to depart too."

Shinboku waved his tails and meowed a goodbye, and along with his best buddy, he ran off towards his home.

[9, 9 -- both have left]

[SpringsSong]

Rhyia opened her mouth to protest, but Kanika gave her a nudge.  "We ought to be going to, Auntie.  You know Fire." She said.  The Common Kuhna sighed and began to walk off, tears starting to come to her eyes.

"Are you crying, Auntie?" Kanika asked, and Rhyia shook her head.  "Let's just go home." She said, beginning to run.

{36}{6} -- {Both have left}