Lorag's words were suitably dour, but Sabine eventually smiled. Something told her that Narsi would not be slaying her father in the end.

Sabine stood up and walked up to the edge of the water as well. She took a deep breath from the fresh air of the hunting grounds. This family, even herself, had become so much more than the initial sum of its parts.

"I remember when we swam at virtually every opportunity," Fendros said, walking up beside Sabine and Meesei. He planted his hands on his hips. "I was getting sick of it. Now, it's a precious time." He sighed.

"We are lucky," Sabine added.

Fendros shook his head. "We have our own problems. We've learned enough to overcome most of them. We're getting good at it. Your pack will follow this path as well, Sabine. I'll bet on it." He then dove into the water.

Sabine breathed out a laugh. "I shudder to think where I would be without all of you."

"Trust me, we all dislike how things could have been for ourselves," Fendros retorted.

Janius managed to talk over being lovingly squeezed. "You can talk! I would be dead in some cave!"