Again, Ri'vashi was surprised, though for a different reason this time. Gallus' new line of questioning seemed to have genuinely caught her off-guard. For a few moments, there was silence as she had to think of how to actually respond. "Um...well, this one is sure you know that there is no way to keep morale at its maximum during wartime. At least, no way that would be worth the tradeoff. Of course, Ri'vashi wants to improve the people's morale. She wants them to be happy, just like Dro'cahi does, but she doesn't want them to lose their safety. They don't all recognize how much their sacrifices help to keep them safe, but Ri'vashi has to make the unpopular decisions for their own good. To improve their morale...Ri'vashi wants to show them what their sacrifices do to help them. If they can see clearly what we are doing for them, surely they will be more understanding. If we can succeed in this attack, it will make them feel safer."

With the new information Gallus had brought by speaking to Dro'cahi, Meesei had her own comments to add. "That is not always how people work. Actually, it is quite rare to encounter someone with that level of pragmatism. People like you and I are prepared to make any sacrifices necessary to achieve our goals, but you have to remember that their goals are not the same as ours. Where we want to defeat our enemy, they simply want to survive, and live as comfortably a possible. Many lycans did not choose this life, and want something at least close to their old ones. It is not ideal for defense, true, but it is what we have to contend with."

---

As soon as she saw that Sabine was in agreement, La'khay grabbed the bucket of water she intended to use to clean her brushes, which was still perfectly clean and clear at this point, and set it down next to one of the chairs. She motioned for Sabine to take a seat, grabbed one of Peiter's knives from the room, and used it in conjunction with her claws to start cutting some of the uneven strands of hair on Sabine's head.

La'khay had no issue conversing as she worked on Sabine's hair, as she found it to be quite an easy task, even while multitasking. "Oh, you didn't insult La'khay. Although, she doesn't really understand why mating is so taboo to people. This one never had any problems mating in front of her friends at the brothel. La'khay just wants you to have a nice painting, and she thought it would be nice. She did not want to offend you or anything. Anyway, the painting might require us have another session or two, just so you don't get bored sitting for too long. Don't worry, this one will make sure it is done before the march starts." La'khay answered, pausing briefly before adding one last comment. "Out of curiosity, why do you think you aren't comfortable mating in front of others?"