[Jaykobell]

Hilard felt his cheeks turn a bright red. Someone loved him? Impossible! How could this happen? He had always thought people were afraid or not interested in his lifestyle, how to they were annoyed by his strict character. But someone actually loved him! But to tell the truth... he sort of felt the same feelings for Ashani. He hates royalty, and yet... she's different. She's... special... "I..." He didn't really know what to say. He wasn't used to love. He had never expected something like this.

Svenn purred as Arya nuzzled him, and he licked her neck sweetly. "I'm glad everything went well," he meowed softly to her. He looked over at Hildegard and Ashani, wondering how the Commander was going to deal with this. The poor boy hadn't been raised for love...

[Hildegard: 46, Svenn: 40 -- level up]

[SpringsSong]

Arya's eyes traveled over to her sister and Hilard again before chuckling.  "Well, well... it seems as though my hardened-by-loss sister might have finally opened up to someone..." She said, grinning.  Ashani, meanwhile, directed her eyes from her sister, giving her a look that said, Why do you keep looking at me like that? before returning her gaze to Hilard.  "I... er... I... I really do mean what I just said, Hilard... Nothing could ever change my mind about this." She said, sitting down and waiting for a response.  Oh, please don't let him leave me now... I would never be able to open up to anyone after this again... She thought.

{Ashani: 63||Arya: 46}

[Jaykobell]

Hilard didn't truly know what to reply. He had similar feelings for Ashani, but he had never loved before... What was it like? Would he hold on to those feelings? He... couldn't tell... He didn't know what love was. But he felt something different for Asha, but how could he know if it was love or something else? He didn't know... He couldn't tell...

Svenn watched, but didn't say a thing. He knew Hilard wouldn't know what to say, since he had never been shown to love or those kind of feelings. He was trained to be emotionless, to feel no pain from killing, to be able to fight and live like... a soldier. A mere, emotionless soldier. That was what the Commander had been raised for. How could he see through something he didn't know?

[Hildegard: 47, Svenn: 41]

[SpringsSong]

Ashani sat silently now, her own mind going through its debates.  Her tail flames flickered slightly, but she remained sitting.  It had never occurred to her entirely that the life of a soldier meant a life with showing very little emotion... but she knew Hilard was capable of showing emotion, whether comforting [to a degree] or hatred towards her parents...

Arya moved closer to Svenn, and asked Li silently, Why must they sit so silently, even though I can tell that they both feel something for each other?  Asha's words were bold, but... How could one that would have lead a life that was supposed to be void of emotion respond to that when she was so forward?

The Ballama sighed.  I know not, Arya.  I know not.

{Ashani: 64||Arya: 47}

[Jaykobell]

Svenn came closer to Arya, brushing his pelt against hers gently, licking her cheek comfortingly. He could tell, somehow, that she seemed worried about Hildegard and her sister. To be honest, he was wondering what the Kamo Kuhna would reply. Hilard had been raised to close up on his feelings... That was necessary for him to be a good soldier. He couldn't afford to have feelings on a battlefield... but right now... where were they?

Svenn's ears tweaked. He made a sign with his paw to Hilard, calling the commander over to him.

Hildegard lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing. He turned to Ashani and meowed, "If... you would excuse me for a moment..." before getting up and walking over to Svenn. "What is it?" he whispered quietly so neither sisters could hear.

Svenn bent down close to the Kamo's face. "Well, what are you waiting for to tell her, Commander? I know how you can feel.... you're not sure that's what it is, do you?"

Hilard shifted a little, clearly uncomfortable. "Yes, I suppose you could put it that way... But Svenn..." He sighed. "Svenn, I wasn't raised for such things... I'm a soldier, and if I can't control my feelings on the battlefield..."

"But we're not on a battlefield, sir!" Svenn cut him abruptly. "That time is over now, sir. Just tell her! Tell her how you feel!"

Hilard blinked, and he realized Svenn was right. The time when he was on the battlefield, where he would see corpses and blood and guns was over. Now he was free...

After reflecting on this, he turned to Ashani again. "Would you... follow me out? There's a place... I'd like to show you. You all," he added at the end, inviting Svenn and Arya as well.

[Hildegard: 48, Svenn: 42]

[[You're making things so complicated for my poor Kamo baby. D: *brick* *SO not the one who made this topic...*]]

[SpringsSong]

Arya and Ashani both looked up at the Commander, but it was Ashani who spoke, for Arya had turned to Svenn with a questioning gleam in her eyes.  "Yes, we shall follow you outside." Ashani said, standing up on her own shaky paws.  She was nervous, and Arya could tell that... But she had never been raised not to show emotion, so she had no idea how hard it was for Hilard right now.  Arya purred as she stood up and stood next to her sister, smiling at Svenn.

{Ashani: 65||Arya: 48}

[[*shoots herself for using a double negative* xDD I'm sorry... *could never roleplay a charrie that was raised not to show emotion*]]

[Jaykobell]

[[*squeezes* Luffs you. x3 <3]]

Hilard nodded, turning around and walking off towards the path that would lead to the exit. He had somewhere in mind, but he hoped that he would remember the way there. After all... he hadn't went there until he was finally free from that military camp. He would need to try and find it by scent of landmarks... but he wanted to get there to tell Ashani what he had to tell her...

Svenn walked over to stand beside Arya, purring quietly. "I'm glad you two were finally reunited," he meowed to the two sisters. He then thought about his own brother. "I wonder how mine is doing..." he whispered mostly to himself...

[Hilard: 49, Svenn: 43]

[SpringsSong]

Ashani followed intently, wondering where Hilard was leading them.  She remembered him saying that he was born there, in Tengel... maybe he was leading them to where he had lived before his abduction?  Arya turned to Svenn and said, "I am glad that she and I have been reunited as well... and I'm sure you'll find your brother soon as well... unless he went to the war; then it might be a while before you'd see him..." She said, lowering her voice.

{Ashani: 66||Arya: 49}

[Jaykobell]

Svenn nodded sadly. "Yeah. Marble is the only Berry Kuhna of the Pen, and now he's going off to the war with Senervel and Sandford... I'll have no chance to ask him anything at all for a long while, it seems..." he replied, sighing. But then he looked up, turning to Arya. "Oh, well. I might still be in the dark as to whom my brother is, but the fact that I've found a lovely mate still stands," he meowed, licking Arya's cheek gently.

While avoiding any trap tiles, Hilard led the three Kuhnas out of the temple, his nose leading him using the faint trail that was left. After all, the Kamo Kuhna had been raised to use his nose and ears more than his eyes, so his reactions would be quicker. Nonetheless, few could compare to his nose.

He finally reached the outside after a short while. "Well, now, where to go from here..." he murmured to himself, trying to find a landmark that could orient him...

[Hilard: 50 -- level up, Svenn: 44]

[SpringsSong]

Arya blushed, but the other two names he said in addition to Marble's disturbed her.  "Senervel?  Sandford?  Didn't... weren't they in Lambastia for a while?  In the Cathedral?" She asked.  Sheesh, she needed to stop listening to Fleur...

Ashani looked over at Hilard as they got outside, breathing in the fresh air.  "Where are we going, exactly?  Or is it... a surprise?" She asked, curious to know.

{Ashani: 67||Arya: 50}

[Jaykobell]

Svenn nodded, tilting his head in thought. "Hmm, I guess so. I suppose it was Sandford, the Khimera, who was trying to capture the Cathedral? I don't exactly remember... but Senervel is our serial killer Lucain. He's pretty special, that guy. Special, but... a nice guy nonetheless," he meowed nodding. "They're not so bad, when you get to know them."

Hilard froze lightly as Ashani approached him, but he relaxed right away. "Um... Yes. Yes, it's a surprise..." If I can find it, that is... he thought to himself, sighing.

He opened his mouth and scented the air. Surely something would guide him... he knew the place in question was in the thicker parts of Tengel, where it was hard to be spotted...

He supposed they could be heading there. He walked off, heading for the thick forest ahead...

[Hilard: 51, Svenn: 45 -- level up]

[SpringsSong]

Arya chuckled.  "Heh.  From what Fleur said, Senervel was a nice guy--saved her from Sandford, actually, along with another female Lucain--but this Sandford character..." She shuddered.  Ashani beckoned for the two Common Kuhnas to follow along, she herself trying to keep up with Hilard.  Li, seeing that she was not needed, vanished into this air.

{Ashani: 68||Arya: 51}

[Jaykobell]

Svenn laughed a little. "Heheh. Yeah, most people are afraid of Sandford. But he's not exactly a bad guy. He just dislikes company. But he won't hurt you... if you don't annoy him, that is," he added, ears tweaking. Sandford had never tried to hurt the Common Kuhna, so he figured the Khimera wasn't that evil.

Hilard used his tails to smack against the gigantic leaves so the others would know where he was going. He was trying to find out where exactly they were, but he could see no landmarks yet... Nonetheless, he knew the place he was looking for was most likely nearby.

[Hilard: 52, Svenn: 46]

[SpringsSong]

Arya and Ashani both watched Hilard intently, wondering where they were being lead to.  Ashani didn't mind whereever it was, but Arya just hoped that they could find their way back easily.  Turning to Svenn, she smiled and nuzzled him, while Ashani turned her eyes and continued to follow after Hilard.  "Are you recognizing this place yet?" She asked.

{Ashani: 69||Arya: 52}

[Jaykobell]

Svenn purred as Arya nuzzled him, and he did the same kind of sweet treat, licking her neck fur gently and rubbing against her cheek lovingly. He wasn't looking at where they were going; he trusted Hildegard would know where to go and where they were going, and he knew the commander would know the way back, as well. He wasn't worried one bit.

Hilard's ears twitched. "Yes, slightly... It's been a very long time since I've come here, landmarks aren't exactly my strong point, either..." He cut his sentence there, and he stopped in his tracks. He walked over to a rather old tree, and he knocked a paw on it, his ear stuck to the trunk. He could hear the wind carrying the sound of his knock... Finally, a landmark! "This way," he called to the others, now breaking into a run.

[Hilard: 53, Svenn: 47]