"We can't know for sure," Ariel conceded, returning Rukeewei's hug. "But, if it makes you feel any better, Meesei came to us because every lycan in that clan needs our help. I don't think they'll want to hurt us as long as that's the case."

Ariel pulled back enough to look at Rukeewei with a smile. "How about we stay optimistic for now and see what it's like when we get there. We can't be sure either way until then. And, Rukee, I'm glad you're here with me." She laid a quick kiss on his lips.

[hr]
Gallus blinked his gaze away. He was quiet for a while, mulling over Ri'vashi's words. When he did speak up again, he didn't sound any more cheerful about it. "I hope you're correct, Ri'vashi. I want you to be correct. I just don't know."

After another quiet sigh, Gallus turned his palms to look at them and curled his fingers. "Perhaps I was being to idealistic about the whole thing. I've never had anything to separate from when I first turned -- I was a lycan from the start. Still, I hated having others suffer because of us. Mostly, it was just people turned by ferals or scoundrels, hence Tzirret and Peiter becoming my charges. This time, it was my own actions I wanted to make up for. I'd played a part in torturing and killing a mother who was manipulated into this conflict."

Gallus let out a hopeless chuckle. "It's ironic that I wanted to help by doing what I hate about the ferals, by turning him. Though at least I was better than them by not following through against Yizan-lei's will. Regardless, I couldn't do anything else..."

He cut himself off and pressed a fist against his forehead. "Sometimes, you can't save anyone. You can't even save your bloody packmates, or have your bloody adopted son keep his bloody arm! Sometimes, there's not much that you can do but be the same bloody monster that you're working against!" He ran out of breath and sucked another in through a constricted throat. "I've not got a good bloody score, Ri'vashi! I'm not doing well." A pat of a tear sounded against the cloth on the floor as it fell from Gallus' chin. He repeated, "I'm not doing well...I'm not doing well..."

It wasn't immediately clear how long Gallus had been holding back his emotions, but they were pouring out now. Even if it was the first time that Gallus had acted this way in front of Ri'vashi, his usually level-headed demeanour meant that she was one of the few to ever see him in such a state.