"Do not speak to me, worm. You and your kind have already caused me enough grief. I know you have come to my home to harm us, and you have poisoned my daughter's mind and body. You do not deserve my answer." Zharanthixil answered with an expression that harbored even greater disdain than Janius'. His attitude towards Kaleeth was less directly angry and more disappointed. There was genuine grief in his eyes alongside the rage, grief with an intensity that showed how deep-seeded his anger towards Imperials was. 

[i]"Kaleeth, my daughter, it is within my capacity to forgive if you will just return to me. Come home, and we can cleanse you of his influence. Do not deny your family."[/i] Zharanthixil asked in a much more calm voice.

Kaleeth had a much harder time answering than she would have liked. Despite what Zharanthixil was doing now, and the impression he had given to Janius and his friends, he had always been a loving father. For as long as she could remember, he had devoted everything he had to caring for her, her mother, and the village as a whole. There was nothing more important to him than the village, and nothing more important in the village than his family. When Kaleeth's brother died the previous season, her father was grieving to some extent for months. He still had not entirely overcome the tragedy. Now, she was the only one, apart from his wife, that he had left, and she had still managed to anger him to the point of invoking his wrath upon his only child. This was the first time he had so much as raised his voice at her outside of training since she was but a hatchling. She hated that she had angered him to such an extent, and she feared that things would never go back to normal, regardless of what she did.

As she could not bring herself to answer immediately, Kaleeth sat down on the ground, drawing her legs in so she could rest her elbows on her knees and bury her face in her hands as she sobbed. She desperately wanted to find some way to placate her father. She was tempted to accept her father's deal and go along with him, but as much as she loved her father, she could not ignore how wrong she felt he was. Her mind was brought back to her memories as a young hatchling, sitting under the village tree with all the other hatchings and listening to the Treeminder teach about the Hist. She always enjoyed listening to his stories and had taken to heart their meaning. A part of her wished she could just go back in time and live again that part of her life where she could run carefree through the village getting into trouble with her friends. However, that was not the situation she was in. Now, her mind felt like it was being split apart by trying to choose between two people she cared deeply about. Janius may very well be her first love, but her father had been caring for and supporting her for all nineteen years of her life. In the end, it was not either person who influenced her final decision, but rather her beliefs. She was a faithful and loyal follower of the Hist, and her father's hatred was not their way. She could not claim to have learned anything from the Treeminder's lessons if she did not stand up for the beliefs she held.

[i]"I...I can't.[/i] Kaleeth finally answered in a soft, frightful tone.

Zharanthixil shook his head and let out a sight. [i]'Foolish girl."[/i] The Master-Hunter commented before turning and heading back in the direction of the village, ignoring anything the pair had to say as he left.