Janius sighed. "I was afraid you would say something like that," he admitted. "No, I don't think he told anyone else, and...well, I can only assume he thought 'marks' meant something else. That, or he just didn't want to speak up. He's afraid of disappointing everyone."

He paused with his hand over his mouth, looking forward and thinking. "Is there really no other way? Maybe...Maybe he could get a tattoo that only covered part of his body that he could cover with clothing if he wanted?"

[hr]
"I must agree," Calia said as she turned towards the lake. "Though I can no longer see quite as well as I used to, I admit I do not visit nice places out of the way such as this nearly enough. The air is fresh and peaceful."

S'nashi's question about the father of the family caused Llarasa's smile to go tense and Monderyn's brow to harden, but Calia remained lightly smiling as she had been before. She spoke without skipping a beat. "I am afraid my dear Rossarm is otherwise engaged. It is a shame but there is no way around it."

Fendros chimed in as soon as he could. "We should get seated. I'm sure we're all famished by now."