Remus nodded, remaining cringed and wide-eyed.

"He's thirteen years old," Janius added. "We often hunt due to being on the road."

"Good." Remus murmured. His eyes wandered over the floor. "Good." He quickly nodded. "I...never did teach you any of these things, did I?"

Janius turned his eyes away. He didn't answer.

"We left you to learn on your own."

Remus and Janius shared an awkward silence.

Footsteps upon the wooden floor grew in volume outside of the room until Harald emerged at the entrance to the sitting room. He held his glove hands together. "Dinner is being prepared and will be ready shortly. I invite everyone to come to the table when you are ready."

Remus stood, in no rush.

[hr]
Lunise closed her eyes, shook her head, and faced Meesei again. "I would see it a courtesy to warn me when you intend to transform around me." While still pushing back a quivering anxiety, Lunise spoke with appropriate severity. "I...recognised you through your beast form. That much I saw. It's proof your ring works, and so I should expect safety. However, my limited first-hand experience with transformed lycans is not something I would soon forget. Neither would I forget my more expansive experience with those that have tried to leverage me."

Extending an arm to the ground behind Meesei, Lunise craned her head to one side and cast roiling orange magic into her palm. Meesei instantly identified it as innocuous, confirmed by her folded clothing flying into Lunise's arm as she crooked it to secure the pile. Some sand fizzed off its surfaces. Lunise held the pile out, looking stern. "Your apology is accepted nevertheless."