Llarasa curled her lips inwards. "I understand, Ahnasha. We understand." She glanced and Fendros and Monderyn. "The next question is how long to they intend to stay?"

Fendros looked to Ahnasha. "Did they mention that in their letter?"

"However long they wish to stay, we can head back home to fill mother in." Monderyn straightened his back as if eager to get up. "She might have some ideas of her own, as...tactical as she usually is with these social matters. Are there any more details we should know about?"

[hr]
"You haven't gotten any less thick over the years, huh?" Harriet blew through her lips. "Pfft. So much for wisdom of age. Alright, I'll spell it out for you: Narsi's gonna fight you. You're gonna beat her down. She's gonna get back up and try again. It'll keep happening. Eventually, between fighting you, she'll start lookin' for ways to learn how to beat you. She's gonna learn those foundations with a stay with the clans, and with a stay with you, whether you want to teach her or not. She's gonna get experience with other lycans and learn with peers instead'a just her momma. She's gonna learn to put a lid on that temper of hers. She's gonna make friends. She's gonna realise she's not so alone. She's gonna prove to herself that she can take care of herself without bein' stupid about it. [i]Then,[/i] she'll come around and beat your aging ass into the dirt once and for all. She might have to come back and beat me first, but I ain't gonna make it easy for her. Neither should you." Harriet turned her head to the cabin. "Hear that, pup?!"

Narsi crept around the door of the cabin wearing a hide coat and a filled knapsack over her shoulder. She kept her eyes low, probably to hide the redness that still lined them in spite of her having wiped away the other evidence as best as she could. "Yes, momma," she said just clearly enough to be heard.

Harriet turned back to Lorag with her arms crossed and her head bowed forward, not looking at his eyes. She lifted one hand to itch the top of her head. "That's my aim. That's all there is."