LERRIN

He was so busy keeping himself turned away from Suhle, he almost missed it when the shift began. He was so consumed with the sound of her voice, replaying it in his mind, that he almost didn't pay attention to the moment the mood began to turn.

Next to him, Reth muttered,

"That's it!

" then took a deep breath.

Lerrin didn't turn towards him because he would be able to see Suhle in the crowd behind Reth from this angle and he didn't want to. He'd looked at her reflexively when she started to speak—such a surprise, she hated the attention from a small group, let alone as many as this—and he'd been unable to tear his eyes off of her. He'd felt himself leaning, his entire body pulling towards her. It had taken physical effort to turn away and now he was afraid if he gave in, he'd never look away again.

So when Reth started to speak, he didn't have eyes on him. But the hair on the back of his neck began to rise as the male began to exude… something. Inspiration? Love? Something that drew Lerrin's eyes and his heart.

"Anima!

" he cried.

"Hear me! See this! Our problems, our rifts, they exist between us—you and I. Our leaders and people. All of us. We bring the past with us as we walk forward and continue to make these mistakes with each other. But all of us—all of us—yearn for the survival of the young. All of us long to see them do better than we have, do we not?

"

There was a lot of hesitant, uncertain nodding among the people. Reth had stepped far enough forward that Lerrin looked at him from this corner of his eye. What was the lion getting at?

"Perhaps we cannot ignore, or cannot pretend to forget the ways that we have let each other down. But we can all invest in our offspring, in the young, in the future of the Anima that might see things differently.

"Imagine—imagine if my young walk alongside yours? If wolf-pups and lion cubs are not classmates, but friends? Imagine if we teach our young to communicate to bring their questions and their ideas to each other. To spend time together outside tribal lines… imagine if they grow differently than we have. Not to ignore their tribes, but to look for ways that the other tribes might benefit each other?

"I propose that we commit, all of us, to the next generation. We invest in them. Perhaps lions and wolves of this generation will never fully trust—but can we trust the young who have been raised to understand each other? To work together? To grow together?

" He paused and scanned the crowd again.

"I say we can! Let us bring them together at every age and stage. Each of our tribes can establish leadership lines, councils for the young, bring the young together every week of their lives, challenge them to think for all of Anima, and to see first how their tribe can improve others, then how others can benefit them.

"

Lerrin's skin prickled as the image blossomed in his mind of young playing, not just at feasts or name days, but every day. Of the adolescents being groomed for eldership and challenged to discuss the issues to find solutions. Of the tribal lines beginning to blur—not in tradition, but in thought.

"Our young will always be our young!

" Reth exclaimed, his eyes bright and arms gesturing quickly with his passion.

"My daughter will be lion or human, no one can steal that from us. But I will raise her to see every tribe as valuable, every tribe as having something to offer. Every tribe a cord in the braid that keeps us all strong.

"We are not enemies, Anima! We are not competitors. We are brothers and sisters. Peace must be sustained—and we will commit to everything we have discussed. But can we all choose the vision for bringing our young to the table together? Not as separate units to work alongside each other, but as one unit, one mind, one voice, each cord colored differently and carrying a different load, but all stronger together. Can you see it, Anima?

"

"Yes!

" There was one cry from the Lupine side of the Clearing and Reth clapped his hands once.

"Come with me on this journey, friends. Let us all CHOOSE our future, by walking our children to the water of peace! Let them splash and play in it together.

"But… what if you say this but do not do it?

" a female voice called.

Reth pointed at her.

"I will not only commit to the programs that bring our children together, we will use the new elders to oversee ourselves. Accountability. When we commit to something, all must be able to see the change, all must be able to get behind it, or we will not do it. Or we will be disciplined. No more voting for majority—we must walk into these changes unanimous.

"

"But we'll never get anyone to agree. We'll end up doing nothing!

" someone from the Tree City cried behind him and Reth whirled, his face alight.

"No! Because we must make use of all of us. So if there cannot be an agreement on the proposal, the elders will determine a new one that everyone can get behind. We will learn to communicate, we will learn to work together, by forcing ourselves to be accountable to it. Then we will teach our children what we learn. Anima, please! You must see, this is our future! This is how we can reach for what is right together. Will you come with me?

"

"But the wolves will just plot behind our backs and we'll be right back here in ten years,

" someone snapped from the Tree City.

"Everything they do is in the shadows. How are we supposed to trust them not to work around us if we don't even know they're doing it? We didn't know about the encampment until they had already prepared it and left!

"

Reth drew up short, frowning. Then looked at Lerrin. Who shifted uncomfortably. The lion knew one answer to that—he'd done it with Lerrin. But the mind link wasn't his secret to tell. And it wouldn't work with every wolf.

Then Lerrin blinked, because he did know the answer. And Reth didn't. But… but…

He turned to Reth.

"Will you keep me alive if they come for me?

" he murmured as low as possible.

Reth's brows pinched.

"Why would they come for you?

"

"Because I'm about to betray them for their own good. Will you protect me? My time here is not done.

"

Reth turned and looked behind him—at Suhle if Lerrin didn't miss his guess. Then he turned back.

"I will do everything in my power to keep you alive if they come for you.

"

Lerrin took a deep breath and turned to face his people—bracing for the rage they would unleash on him for this.

*****

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