"Good morning!" Chessa jumped right in Dhiren's face, startling him.
"Aren't you a little old to be taking a nap?" Miach teased.
"I was simply resting my eyes," was his defense. The others rolled their own.
The Selkie twins and the Clavat girl were playing some music. Uday hit his hand against the tambourine as Chessa blew into her instrument. Celerina danced along side them, in the familiar Selkie way. Miach waddled with her own dancing. "You must teach me how to move like that!" she gasped for her breath.
"Simple for me, a Selkie," Celerina spoke, brokenly. "Agile we are."
"Indeed," the Yuke nodded as he stood. "They have more agility and speed than we ever could hope to gain. Especially such a stout young Lilty as yourself."
Miach pouted and crossed her arms.
"But you dance good," Celerina continued, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Good beat along with tambourine I play," Uday added.
"I guess though we are different, we may enjoy the same things just as well."
The six of them danced in their own unique way to the song they played in perfect harmony. They were one, though so different and well aware of it.
After the song, Celerina and Miach laughed together, exchanging stories and pictures drawn in the dirt. Frederick went over to Uday. "The Selkie tongue. Will you teach me more?"
"Yes, yes!" Dhiren added. "Do, please do!"
"Such interest in our culture. Why?"
"It's different!" was Dhiren's reason. "So interesting to study!"
"And you?" He turned to Frederick. "Why does one not learning care Selkie ways?"
"Because it explains who you are. I want to understand more about my good friend."
The answer made Uday smile. Though a powerful heir to be ruler, he cared about his different friend. "Come. I draw on ground old saying of Selkie. Means 'We come from sea, and sea we will return' in your tongue." He wrote it on the ground. Dhiren intently copied the script and wrote underneath its translation. Chessa joined the other girls in their laughter.
Uday looked up at his sister. "Said that Selkie take care of own. Said we to watch over each other. I take very seriously teachings of elders. They say Selkie hold on to identity, against the other races. That why I share with you our way. So other races know who we are. Celerina is hope in Selkie village. She my little sister, though we twins. I swear to protect her." He spoke now more to himself than to the others. Still, Frederick listened intently. "Sister is only light in dark future before us. War. I see now it come."
"War?" Miach looked up suddenly. "What war?" In her head the words rang out: "March! March! Lilty creed's war!" "What is war?"
"Violence against others. A battle." Dhiren was still scribbling down notes in his book.
"If only there could be peace. I never understood why war has to happen." Chessa was solemn. "Don't you think the races can get along like us?"
"Hope they can," Celerina whispered. "Not hard."
"Not hard at all," Uday added. "Why struggle with happiness? Peace bring happiness. Are I right?"
"Of course!" Frederick stood, fist in air. "And I will do everything in my power to prevent a war! I am the future king of the Clavats!"
"Yukes ought to know the foolishness of war!" Dhiren added. "I am almost certain there will be no attack initiated by our forces!"
Miach fidgeted. Still the army's chants rang through her mind. "March! March! One, two, three, four!" War was coming, and the ten-year-olds had no chance of stopping it.
.
"Round the crystal, round we go
From the lands that we well know!
Circle till we meet once more
Home again and safe and sure!"
Would they be safe? None of them dared to question it aloud, but they all asked themselves. Their homes were separate, antagonized toward each other. If their home was against their friends, was it home at all?
"Circle round and sing the song!
Let it ring out, far and long.
Countries to the north and east
And south and west, we'll never cease!"
No, their friendship will never end. They'll stay strong and united. That was their vow to each other, through this chant around the crystal. They were not enemies; they were forever friends.
"Lilty, Yuke, and Clavats too
Plus Selkie twins, a joyous crew.
We run 'round this crystal here
To show, though far, our homes are near!"
All connected by that central crystal. They knew its significance. They stayed together. Everyday they continued to meet at the crystal, and everyday they sang the song as their goodbye.
.
And the Great War began…