The next three days were relatively calm, if somewhat unusual for all involved. The messengers had been dispatched the morning Farkas had woken up, and it was expected that the first one would be back with the persons he was sent to get in about a week. Those particular shamans were from the swamp tribes of the south, whose connections stretched far to the east. Others would come from the plains tribes to the west, and from the snow tribes of the far north. The latter would take some time to arrive, given that they'd avoid contact with the Lupar cities in between their homes and the homes of Forbasa's forest tribe.

Farkas had spent the time well as he waited for his leg to heal up. His three new debtmasters - an old term he found appropriate - had spent their time doing their normal duties of helping the village operate, as well as tending to Farkas' needs and questions. For his part, Farkas was impatient to get well and be able to help repay his debt. Thus, he happily repaid the information he learned from the gatón by answering their questions about Lupar society.

Mostly, however, he sat or lay quietly, either on the couch in the main room, or in a chair in the small library. Farkas was rather surprised that the Gatón even knew of writing, let alone books and libraries. Of course, I doubt any Lupar has been a guest in a house of a Gatón shaman before. He mused to himself on the fourth day of his stay, as he sat in the library looking over some of the books. Some were written in the old Merchants' Tongue, which was a direct ancestor of most Lupar languages. He thusly found the books readable, though only barely. The newer books were written in the language of the Gatón, and though he was learning the spoken version, the writing gave him headaches.

What he could discern of the books he found was that most of the stories of the Gatón being uncultured and unlearned, to be totally false. The cat-people had a deep culture, based on their pagan beliefs. His monotheistic upbringing chafed against their system of belief, but his rational mind put that aside as unimportant, since one thing his parents had taught him was that there were more than one way to do things. He reasoned that this applied to religion as well.

Farkas also learned that the Gatón, while somewhat deficient in the physical sciences that his own Lupar race excelled at, were masters of medicine, and their observations of life were deeply insightful.

His learning was never in the direction he really wanted to go, however. The nightmares of the event that brought him to this cozy village still came when he slept, and were now beginning to be supplemented with other nightmares about Tanzano being burned to the ground. The latter dreams had begun when he had learned of what else the scout party that found him had seen. Forbasa had broken it to him quietly two nights ago, and now Farkas spent half his time worrying. His three brothers were all in the army, and they would certainly fight against whatever would attack their city, no matter how monstrous. That is what worries me, however, he thought to himself. He knew that whatever had attacked his troop was not easily defeated, if it can be defeated at all. Still, he had faith in his brothers' abilities and sense that would, hopefully, get them through any encounter.

His sister he wasn't worried about, as her husband was a minor, non-voting member of Tanzano's ruling council. Though not the most powerful Lupar, he could easily make sure that Farkas' sister would be safe. Then there was his mother, undoubtedly still doing her craftsman job of creating glassware for the emerging middle-class. A strong woman, he knew she would be smart enough to avoid fighting something so... powerful.

The hardest part, of course, was the not knowing. Farkas was always the sort to take action, even when he was little. Being forced into inaction was nerve grinding, and so he did his best to spend the time learning with the hope that the knowledge he sought - that of the mysterious giant - would be revealed when Forbasa had consulted with his peers.

Great, now I can't concentrate, Farkas thought. Sighing, he put the book away on its shelf and stood up, using the help of his unusual cane. It actually wasn't a cane, but a crutch that had been made the year before for a young gatón villager that had fell out of a tree and broken his leg. The gnarled piece of wood was too small to be a crutch for Farkas, who was twice the size of the youth, but it was about right to be used like an arcane, and so he used it that way. It was better than sitting alone all day, since Forbasa was visiting a sick child of a family on the edge of town and so had taken Soru with him for support, while Alexis was out taking care of the herbs in the shaman's garden. He decided to exercise his strengthening leg a bit, so he headed for the back door that led into the garden.

Alexis was busy working the soil around a shinuka plant, and trying hard to not think about how strange life had become. Unfortunately for her, the ground was far easier to control, as her train of thought wandered, as anyone's is want to do when engaging in simple manual labor.

Right now, her thoughts were on the young lupar who had sworn an oath to repay the shaman and his apprentices. She shook her head as she pulled her fingers from her completed work and wiped them on her working pants. It is what our law requires, to help others. He was not obliged to them at all, as far as she was concerned, but he hadn't wanted to listen to reason. Several times, she had talked to him about it while attending his wound, yet he seemed determined to carry out his 'repayment.'

Alexis stood up to survey the garden. Looks like I'm done for today, she thought as she went to the well so she could clean her hands. The water felt cool in the late morning sun, though it did little to distract her mind. Despite his hardheaded nature, Alexis found the young lupar to be a thoughtful and intelligent person. Like Farkas, she had been reared on stories on how the other race, this time the Lupar, were bloodthirsty barbarians determined to enslave anyone who wasn't under their control already. However, her time with the shaman and his own interest in the Lupar had allowed her to keep an open mind, and thus she learned from the occasional trader that the Lupar, though warlike at times, were not too different from the Gatón.

And Mikula puts lie to most of the 'barbarian horde' stories anyway, she thought. The young man inside healing up was as normal as most gatón, though occasionally he gave trouble, like when he had tried walking again two days before. Farkas had decided he'd spent enough time waiting, and walked on his hurt leg in order to get the lunch that she was going to bring to him anyway. This had brought a harsh chiding from her and Forbasa. "How can you fulfill your debt to me if you make yourself so hurt that you'd need even more help?" The old gatón had asked in that quiet voice of his that he reserved for some of his harshest chiding. It had worked however, and Farkas had managed to not be a pain until this morning, when Forbasa had agreed to let him use a crutch as a cane and walk in and around the house. He had promptly gotten in Alexis' way after Forbasa and Soru had left to take care of a sick child. It took more than a few stern comments before he had taken the hint and quietly went back to reading in the library.

The opening of the door behind her brought Alexis' attention back to reality. She turned to see Farkas standing on the steps leading to the garden, looking around at the village that surrounded the shaman's house. It amazed her that he could be so curious about a simple village. Though to be fair, she reckoned that if she had visited a Lupar city, she'd be in much the same state. "Oh, decided to annoy me again, have you?" She asked lightly in the lupar tongue, in order to make sure he knew she was jesting.

Farkas turned to her and gave a lopsided grin that was, she was learning, characteristic of him. "No, I think I'd like to be able to walk out of here before I grow gray of hair and white of fur." He said, referring to when she had commented about whether he wanted to see what it was like to have his good leg broken. That was the last time she had seen him before now, and he had then realized that he was being a nuisance

Alexis looked down for a second in embarrassment, her tail slightly curling around her leg before she looked up a second later. "I didn't mean what I said, earlier. You aren't mad at me?" She asked.

Farkas shook his head. "No, no, of course not. Your comment let me know that I wasn't exactly helpful."

She smiled then, something that elicited a warm feeling in the back of Farkas' neck. "Good. It'd be a shame if you couldn't get better by being too afraid to come near enough for me to get your meals." Alexis said. They both shared a laugh at the joke, and then she turned to finish putting things away while Farkas slowly sat down on the topmost step and looked out over the village again.

A few minutes later, Alexis put the last of her tools away, and went over to sit by Farkas. "Why do you stare so at the village?" This time she asked in gatonese, so that he could get some practice.

He thought for a second, organizing his words. "It is because the village is new and... Lively?" He asked the last word, and then went on. "Yes, lively. It is not as I was, told to be expect." Farkas grimaced at the last sentence, which he knew was spoken wrong, yet he wasn't quiet sure how.

Alexis helped out with that. "Told to expect, you mean?" She asked mirthly.

Another grin. "Yes. I am not doing to well, am I?" He asked, switching back to Lupari.

Alexis shook her head. "No, quite the opposite; you're getting good. After all, yesterday you probably wouldn't have even known that you said it wrong."

Farkas looked down and smiled at that. "Oh, thanks for your vote of confidence. Perhaps I should break the other leg, that way I'll have a lot more time to learn and be bored between lessons."

They shared a chuckle at that. "Well, if you want, the shaman said you could leave the house if you wanted to, just so long as I go with and you take it easy."

Farkas looked surprised. "I've been going insane with waiting and sitting, doing nothing, and you tell me this now?" He asked with some incredulity.

"Well, if you hadn't been in my way all morning, maybe I would have mentioned it." Alexis replied with a twinkle in her eye.

Farkas looked away, then laughed. "I suppose I deserve that. Now," he turned back towards Alexis, "shall we go? I would very much like to see your village from more than a set of windows."

She nodded. "It sounds like a good idea. I have to go to the market anyway, and you could pick up a word or two while we're out." She stood up then, prompting Farkas to do so as well. "Just wait here; I must get some of the shaman's money to pay for the supplies." She said and then went inside for a few minutes.

She emerged a minute later holding a bag and some coins, the latter she slipped into a special pocket in the bag as she walked to where Farkas was waiting by the lane. Not even cobblestone, just dirt, he thought. Still, he was finally getting to do something other than sitting around, and Alexis wasn't the worst company to have.

They started out quietly, mainly because Farkas was too busy looking around the small back lane at the humble but well-built houses on either side. Alexis decided she'd let him adapt a bit before trying to engage him in conversation.

It was a few moments until they emerged from the lane and onto the village's main way that led to the market square. Alexis led the way, but she kept a slow pace so that Farkas wouldn't fall behind or strain his wound trying to keep up. Although I wouldn't mind getting this over with sooner, she thought as Farkas began to draw looks from everyone on the street. Though a proclamation made by Forbasa had let the villagers know that there was a young Lupar being taken care of by the shaman - a necessity in a culture where smells could betray a secret as that - people we still curious, and even a bit suspicious at the appearance of the lupar. Mostly the former, and Alexis realized that this was because Farkas was still limping along on his makeshift cane, which made him less threatening. That and his open interest in everything make him seem less of a conquering barbarian.

Farkas, for his part, was almost enjoying the excursion, welcoming the chance to stretch his legs and see the people that he was now learning about. After he got past their outside appearance, he noticed that they acted much like Lupar, bustling about to and from their work, carrying or herding children in the case of the women folk. The little ones especially stared at him, he noticed, their yellow and sometimes green or brown eyes wide with interest.

Yellow, green, and brown... He mused. Questions then popped up. Since the other gatón were giving him and Alexis a wide berth, he decided to ask it. "Alexis?"

"Yes?" She asked from in front, keeping her eyes forward but turning an ear back to catch his voice better.

"May I ask, why do you have blue eyes?" He spoke with care, hoping not to offend her.

At that, she stopped for a second, and then resumed walking, albeit slower than before, allowing Farkas to catch up and see her face. "I don't know, really. Some have said that it's the sign of evil, that a person should have blue eyes. But my mother always tells me that it's a trait that crops up in her family from time to time." Alexis spoke quietly, as to not attract attention to their conversation.

"So I take it that the color is not common among your people?" Farkas asked.

She shook her head. "No. Is it common among yours?"

Now he had to shake his head. "I am afraid not. When I was young, my grandmother, may she rest well, told me a story about blue-eyed people one time after I had seen one while accompanying my mother to market." He said. "Her version said that the blue-eyed people were the direct descendents of the first line of kings who ruled the ancient city of Basun. She said they were neither especially evil or good, just powerful, and therefore not to be trifled with." He concluded his story with a smirk and looked over to Alexis.

She smiled at the last part. "Not to be trifled with, eh?" She asked with mirth. "Then perhaps you should tell that story to the vendors in the market, so that they'll give me an even better deal."

They both chuckled as they arrived at the market. Here their conversation was put on hold, as Alexis bargained with the shop keeps and Farkas tried not to get in anyone's way while he drank in the sights. He also attracted more than one gatón's attention, but most turned away after a minute, deciding that if the Shaman could trust the barbarian in his own house, than the lupar must not be a threat.

They had finished and began walking back to the house when they ran into Forbasa and Soru returning from their sortie to the Grena family to treat the youngest. "Hello Alexis, Mikula." Said Forbasa. "I see you decided to get out for a bit. How does your leg feel?" He asked of the lupar.

"It hurts some, but it is no longer excruciating, just a dull ache; nothing that I cannot stand." Farkas replied. He wouldn't have even admitted that but for the fact that Alexis was carrying the foodstuffs, to his chagrin and relief. His leg did hurt after all, and though he wanted to prove himself a strong person to his new friends - He was surprised a bit at that word, but he couldn't think of them any other way, aside from they being his debtmasters - he really didn't want to risk further harm by straining himself too soon. It was something the army had taught him about, and he had seen a few wounded men ignore the advice, to their detriment.

Forbasa only grunted softly. "Well, you should probably shouldn't walk too much more today after we get back." The shaman said.

Farkas nodded, and was about to say something else when a commotion came from the marketplace. They all turned to see a young gatón running on all fours from a way leading from the outskirts of the village. He stopped and stood up amid a crowd of people, and looked around until he saw the shaman and his party, then went back to his frantic run, this time heading for the shaman.

Farkas didn't like the look of it. Before the youth reached the shaman, and before Forbasa could say anything, Farkas moved himself in between of all three of his gatón companions and the oncoming runner. "Stop!" He barked in gatonese, bearing a bit of his teeth as well to prevent the youth from coming any closer.

His intention was fulfilled, and the young gatón went erect by reflex in order to stop, but he was going a bit too fast and overcompensated, and so fell on his rear. Farkas was about to move forward and, bad leg or no, hold the young man to the ground until Forbasa spoke up. "Mikula!"

Farkas, stopped, and turned to look at Forbasa, who had a concerned look on his face. "Mikula, it is all right. This young one is Jahni, one of the persons that helped carry you to my house. He must have a good reason to see me if he would run like that, so calm down and take your weight off that leg." Forbasa motioned with his own cane to Farkas' legs, which were all that were supporting him as he had brought up his own support to block an attack.

Farkas felt horribly embarrassed, as evidenced by the way his ears went down along the side of his head and his tail held low. He put the cane down and leaned on it as he replied, "I am sorry, shaman, I- It just was surprising and I've seen how deaths start this way before."

Forbasa nodded, though he only could guess at what the young lupar meant. Still, he thought to defend me, and that is noble of him. "That is fine, and I know you meant well. Now," he turned to Jahni. "Young man, I am sorry, but you shouldn't run like that, especially to an old man like me who might be hurt." Forbasa said the last part with a slight grin to let the young gatón know there were no hard feelings.

The mood got only worse, however, as Jahni got up. "I am sorry, shaman," he said, "but there is an unusual sight at the edge of the village. A group of Lupar are at the main road are asking to speak to our 'mayor,' whatever that is." He added the last part due to the fact that the Gatón had no word for mayor, though the Lupar did.

"What?" Forbasa was flabbergasted for the first time in years. He quickly regained control of himself, however. "Did they say why? Or what for?"

Jahni shook his head. "No, they just said that they wanted to speak with our 'mayor,' or leader, and that they would wait as long as necessary."

By now a commotion could clearly be heard from the direction that Jahni had came. People were being drawn to it, and some who overheard the conversation on the crowding street stood nearby, with an occasional glance at Farkas.

"Well, we must not let them wait too long, eh? Lead on, child." Forbasa said and indicated the way with his cane. Jahni turned and, with Soru, began to clear the way with shouts of, "Make way! Make way for the shaman!"

Forbasa led off, followed by Alexis and Farkas. The latter was particularly eager to make contact with a lupar, especially if they were from Tanzano, or at least could get word to and from his home city.

The party moved through the parting crowd with speed, and soon they could see the form of pango-drawn wagons, the traditional conveyance of the Lupar. There were a lot of them it seemed, though Forbasa couldn't accurately judge, not having any experience along these lines. "Mikula, I must make this brief, so I ill dispense with the pleasantries. Will you live up to your vow and help me negotiate with these lupar?"

Farkas stopped for a second, causing everyone to slow while he caught up. He was more hurt than truly offended, though he realized that the shaman just wanted to be careful. "I gave you my word, and that is my bond, now and forever." He said to Forbasa, who simply nodded as they arrived at the edge of the crowd, who would get no closer than about fifteen meters from the arrived Lupar.

There were quite a few of them mainly sitting in the wagons, looking out from behind the drivers, and several more on pongoback. Or at least they had been mounted, but now they mainly stood in a tight circle, perhaps discussing what they would say to the gatón leader.

Forbasa decided on the direct approach. He walked forward halfway from the crowd to the Lupar. His limp from using the cane hardly showed at all, and his tail and ears were erect and alert. "I am the leader of the village Kuamket. Who are you to come here, and why do you seek an audience?" His voice boomed like Farkas had not heard before. It caught their attention, Farkas mused. Now let's see what- His thoughts froze at seeing who was standing at the head of the Lupar party. "MOM!"

She started, and looked over to see a lupar like her. Like- "MIKULA!"

They both ran forward, meeting closer to the crowd of Gatón due to Farkas' condition. Neither seemed to care as they embraced warmly, ignoring the stares of those around them. The Gatón were a sentimental race, and they kept their distance out of respect, while the Lupar were just too shocked to respond. She pulled away to look her son in the face. "Mikula! We were told you were dead! Where have you been?"

Farkas wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh, mother, I'm so sorry. I was hurt, and these gatón brought me here to be treated." He looked up to see two more Lupar join them, and recognized them as his brothers. "Kanu, Pavlo!"

"Mikula, you lucky bastard! Here we were worried you were dead, and you're taking a vacation." Said Pavlo, the younger of the brothers and a born jokester. Another set of hugs was exchanged with them as well.

Forbasa stood where he was, though he did let himself lean in his cane more. A sentimental man himself, he had to wipe a tear from his own eyes as he saw the happy reunion. The other Gatón behind him, although not able to understand what was being said between the Lupar, could tell it was a tender moment and were trying not to stare too much lest they cheapen the moment. The other Lupar behind the family looked uncomfortable, though most of the ones on the wagons wore large smiles.

"What's going on? Why are you all here, mother?" Farkas asked of his kin.

His mother looked down and away, her ears drooping a bit, matching the looks of her other two sons. It was Kanu, the elder brother there who replied. "We had to leave. The whole city is in turmoil, and there is chaos in the streets. Many are being killed in petty family and clan infighting."

"But... But why?" Farkas asked with incredulity.

Their mother answered that. "There's a panic over what the soldiers from your unit were saying after they came back in disarray. Stories of a giant monster that spit fire and killed many. We thought that meant you, when you didn't come back..." Her voiced trailed away for a minute, and again Farkas had a pang of guilt over the sorrow she suffered on his account. She found her inner strength, however, and continued. "That was bad enough, but it turns out that the officers in charge of your unit were from the Yamo and Fanchi clans, and you know the stories of their feuds."

Farkas nodded as his mother stopped to catch her breath. Kanu went on from there. "The army was in disarray, as officers and troopers picked sides, and the ruling council split along the lines of whether it was the fault of the Yamo or Fanchi officers. Then it came."

"The giant." Farkas stated.

Kanu nodded. "I take it you've seen it then."

"Yes," replied Farkas, "but I think that should wait until later. What happened next?"

His mother again spoke. "The thing attacked, and it wasn't alone, for it had two more grotesque giants accompanying it. They struck at the area where the grain silos are, and they smashed aside the walls and defending army troops like they were nothing." She choked up on that last sentence, and Farkas knew why.

"S-S-Senmar?" He asked the name of his the youngest brother of them all, who had just been assigned to the granaries as part of their defense.

Kanu and Pavlo shook their heads while his mother just stood there looking down at the ground. "He was killed, Mikula. None of us saw it ourselves, but a friend of Senmar's let us know about it when we went looking for him. He was burned alive by those... things!" The anger and rage in Kanu's voice was palpable, if not especially loud.

I... I don't believe it! Farkas thought to himself. Suddenly, the weight of the knowledge of his brother's death allowed the pain in his leg to catch up with him. Their combined effects sapped his strength and he fell to the ground in a sitting position.

"Mikula!" His mother exclaimed and kneeled down to check on him. She finally noticed the bandage on his leg. "How did you get hurt?"

A voice preempted Farkas' answer. "He was hurt fighting the giant of which you speak." The lupar turned and saw Forbasa and Alexis walk up. It was Alexis who had spoken, and she continued. "I know this because I saw the thing that attacked him and his camp that night."

"And he shouldn't be straining himself too much." Forbasa said, bringing himself into the conversation. He looked at Farkas. "My dear boy, Are you all right?"

Farkas' embarrassment cut through his sense of loss for his brother. He nodded and replied. "Yes, shaman, I just... Just got a little weak for a moment."

"I heard, and you have my sympathies." Forbasa replied. He looked up to take in the other three lupar. "You all have my sympathies."

The other Farkas family members took the condolences, but still felt a bit suspicious. "Shaman?" Asked Kanu with the same question in his voce that Mikula had when he spoke to Alexis for the first time.

"Yes, that is the traditional title for those who help lead the Gatón people." Said Forbasa, bringing himself a bit more erect and adding some strength to his voice. "And I believe you asked to see me. So, here I am."

"Indeed." Said Mikula's mother. "I am sorry if we've ignored you, but you can probably guess that these circumstances are unusual."

Forbasa nodded. "They very much are. I couldn't help overhearing your story, which is similar to what Mikula and Alexis saw the other night." He motioned to the latter, to make clear whom he was referring to. "But right now is of some importance, as your people have arrived in numbers to make the people of my village nervous. It would be of great help to me if you would include me on your intentions."

Mikula's mother nodded her head and replied. "We left our city for it is in turmoil, as you've undoubtedly heard from us." She waited for Forbasa to nod before continuing. "We decided to come in this direction because the forests can provide us a shelter for the time being, while we seek to find another place to settle. When we found your village, we decided to come here and see if you would treat us as intruders in this forest or not."

Forbasa raised an eyebrow and his tail curled up a bit. "You took a big risk, considering the stories you've heard about my people."

She shook her head. "I've met the occasional gatón trader, and they seemed decent enough. Besides, if we simply tried sneaking past, we'd have to worry about ambushes. At least this way, we either find out whether you bode us ill, and we fight in the open, without giving you a chance to use trickery, or we find you hospitable and therefore know that our path is free of trouble from you."

Forbasa nodded in agreement. "Yes, a good plan for your limited resources. You will find us to be a peaceable people, so long as you do not attempt to do anything... Unpleasant." He waited for a minute for her response, which came in the form of a nod. "As to hospitable, I can even go one better, and let you stay next to our village to rest, if you so desire." He concluded warmly.

Mikula, who had gotten back on his feet after Forbasa had introduced himself, stood quietly as his mother, the apparent leader of the pack - the traditional term for a traveling party - contemplated her answer. Please say yes mother, these people can be helpful, he thought. He had seen the maps in the shaman's library, and knew that there were many spots in which a small group of lupar could settle without bothering the Gatón and possibly starting a war. Many of those sites even appeared to be fertile and watered well, if he had read the legends right, and he was sure that he did. Not only that, but any village or town was an important place to acquire information and supplies and, in this case, information. Mikula hoped that his family and their group could stay until the other shamans arrived, and hopefully then have their knowledge shared as Forbasa had promised him.

Forbasa, too, hoped that the lupar would stay for a while. Not only would it be good for the villagers to learn more about the lupar, and therefore fear them less, but also he knew that in dark times, one could use all the friends one could get. The Lupar were, after all, powerful warriors, despite their failures against the new threat. But with the knowledge that my colleagues posses, and I perhaps we can change that.

The group was quiet for a minute as the elder Farkas thought over the offer. Finally, she spoke. "If you truly mean what you offer, then I accept it."

Forbasa smiled, then said. "I do truly mean it. Now, as for a place, we have some fields lying to the north of the village that aren't being planted this season. I think they will be a good place for your people to set up a camp."

She nodded and turned to a lupar standing near the lead wagon. "Rakkas, take the pack to the north side, there's some fields there where we'll be staying for a bit." She called to the grizzled-appearing man. He grunted, and began to bellow orders to the wagoneers so that they would move orderly to the site. A few of the lupar looked as suspicious as the gatón standing on the edge of their village, but both sides trusted their leaders well. The wagons began to roll off in the indicated direction as soon as they changed facings.

Mikula's mother turned back to Forbasa. "I believe that if we are to be neighbors for a time, then I should introduce myself. I am Tiana Farkas, of the Regulus clan, and I thank you for your generosity. It can not be easy to trust us as you do."

Forbasa nodded and replied. "I am Revalo Forbasa, and I trust you because I trust your son, whom I've gotten to know as he's been staying at my house to be treated for that wound."

"Then I am doubly grateful to you, for helping my son." Tiana said. She then turned to Mikula. "You should see Doctor Grazno once we're set up and you've joined us."

Mikula felt like he was going to fall again. His ears drooped again and his tail dropped to point straight down in guilt and embarrassment. He looked down and said. "Mother, I know from my appearance that I do not look that badly hurt. But I was very terribly wounded, and if not for these gatón, I would have surely died." He looked up to see his mother's face in confusion. "They saved me, and for that, I have sworn to them a life-debt."

Confusion turned to shock on his mother's face and that of his brothers.' "Mikula, you can't be serious." Said Pavlo.

"I am." Mikula said, strength in his voice now, if not on his face. "I have given my word, and I intend to keep it."

Before Pavlo or even Kanu could reply, Tiana spoke up. "I see. Then I hope you'll visit us while we're here then?" The pain in her voice was subtle, though it was there. She was more hurt at the knowledge that her and her son may be parting ways again, perhaps to not see each other after the pack left, rather than hurt by his admission that he had sworn a debt to strangers.

"Of course, mother." Replied Mikula, and he embraced her one more time. In that quick hug, she whispered into his ear so that no one lese could hear. "I'm proud of you." She said and drew back. Louder, she said. "Kanu, Pavlo, lets mount up and make sure that no one gets lost." The mirth in her voice helped ease the tension from the situation. She turned back to Mikula and his gatón friends. "We will of course, welcome you all to visit us. In particular, Mr. Forbasa," she was uncomfortable using his formal title, "I'd like to speak more on our situation to you."

"I look forward to it." Replied Forbasa, and the three lupar moved off with a wave from Tiana. Mikula felt saddened to see them go so soon, even knowing that they would be close for days, perhaps weeks. He was happy that most of his family survived, though the loss of his brother still weighed heavy on his soul. He realized that his mother hadn't said anything about his sister, and he didn't see her among the lupar sitting on the wagon fronts. New worry came over his features as he wondered what might be happening to her, to his home.

He shook his head. No, he thought. If my family has left, then it cannot be home any longer. But if so, then where IS my home? The idea of not having a permanent place to live made him fearful.

Forbasa broke Farkas' reverie by saying, "Well, my dear Mikula. It looks as though it was ordained by the gods that you should leave the house today." He spoke with a smile to break Farkas' darkening mood.

It helped somewhat, as Farkas gave back a half-hearted grin. "Perhaps, shaman. It was fortunate that I was here today to see my family." His grin faded as he again remembered that his brother was dead.

Forbasa decided that enough had been said for now, and motioned for Alexis, Soru and Mikula to follow him back to his house. He hoped that his invitation to the lupar wouldn't make the villagers too anxious. To counteract that, he decided he'd make another proclamation for Soru to read in the market.

Forbasa was sure, though, that it was the right decision. Let us all hope that it was for the right reason.