"There will still be those who disagree," Darahil said. "However, I do not believe it will be possible to convince everyone. A message with that much impact will suffice for enough people, I think."

Vera let out an amused breath. She was clearly glad to be talking about better events. "I say we put the idea of Sabine's legend to practice. There are skalds in this clan. We ought to involve them. If anyone can make Do'rhajul's capitulation sound gratifying enough, it would be poets."

"Excuse me," Oswall interrupted with his brow so furrowed his eyebrows jutted like caterpillars. "Is no one else wondering as I am if a dragon is even edible?"

The council went quiet. Slowly, everyone's eyes settled on Darahil. For all his esoteric knowledge, Darahil simply shrugged. "I fail to see how anyone expects I have an answer to that."

Oswall gave up and let his palm fall on the table. "Well, I will try it all the same. A feast it shall be!"

From the side of the table that had previously been silent, there was a clearing of a throat. Fendros leaned his forearms onto the tabletop and looked markedly more reserved than the others. "On the question of portrayal, I think it is quite simple. We tell the truth, with omissions. Both for Sabine's sake and for the sake of the story, I think it fair to omit Sabine's experiences while captured. That is most important. She does not need that reminder and the clan does not need to know. I also believe it may serve to...rephrase what persuaded Do'rhajul to do what he did. Perhaps to say that he was under a curse from Clavicus Vile that Sabine broke with the staff." He spread his hands. "Sabine revealed Vile's lies. A lie is as much a curse as any other, symbolically speaking." He took a slow breath. "It may also be wise to omit that Sabine went for the axe to help her persuade us that Do'rhajul could be trusted. To just say she fought the dragon for the axe because we need it to defeat Vile should be enough for most people. There is no need to complicate it."

[hr]
Sabine glanced between Do'rhajul and Yerig while she thought of an explanation. She blinked her eyes away to one side.

"It is not complex," she said. "If I start my own pack, I am no longer in Meesei's pack." She glanced at Do'rhajul. "Meesei is still my mother and my packmates will still be like family to me. But I will be...starting a new pack. I will be independent from them."

While Sabine did not have the life experience to equate the move to exiting the family household, Do'rhajul could likely draw the parallels. It was clear from Sabine's expression that she was just as confronted by the prospect as Meesei was.

"And I will have to be a leader," she added. "I do not just have to make you do what I originally asked anymore. I have to take care of you."