Janius shrugged. "That all depends on what we decide to do and how it turns out. My mother and father are stubborn. At least as stubborn, if not more, than you and me. Simply going up to them and asking them to give Aurana some independence might just end up making them wall up and stand their ground. Even if we reason with them, they are unlikely to shift because of how emotional they might be about it." Janius lowered his eyes and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "It's an immature mindset. It's really why we didn't get along in the first place."

With a transitioning breath, Janius turned up to Julan again. "Anyway, we might find a way to give Aurana some advice on how to stand up for herself, or try and contrive some other way for mother and father to be convinced that what they're doing is wrong. It will take a bit of planning."

[hr]
"Fortunate, hmph." Lunise said dryly through a frown. "Hircine has never been a highly regarded figure except in your communities. Still, to have something like that guide you through your life must be comforting. Your purpose is laid out for you. You gathered a close family from the world over, by the sound of it." She swallowed. "I never was particularly religious. Perhaps the priests had more wisdom than I gave them credit for."

Lunise hazarded another skerrick of eye contact. "What of your own tribe in Black Marsh?"