Whitebark Stream all advice is autobiographical

lanawyn observed the way the young woman shrunk in on herself, but did not even offer up hesitation or defense.  it meant that she felt bad, and the anger could be subsided, dealt with on her own later.

yet still she had words to ground the young girl, and she started with them promptly, once they were alone.

you will sit down and you will be quiet, but most of all you will listen to me.  her voice was gentle, yet commanding, and she paced incessantly before her.

i understand you are upset, and i understand that you regret what you have done.  i will not chastise you for this.

i will start by telling you a story.  alarian and i grew up together.  we were never close, but he is my brother.  i love him.  when we were younger we lost our pa, he was killed.  and with how it went, we might as well have lost our mother too with how she fared.

alarian left.  everyone left.  and eventually, i did too.  i hated him for a while.  and then it blew over into an indifference.

and when he found me?  i didn't know how to feel.  i was cold, and i was lonely.  but he was still my brother, and i still loved him.

not everyone gets the second chance that we do, xahi.  so hear me when i tell you that you cannot act like this.  those are a child's actions.  just because you don't agree with what he did does not excuse the severity of your actions, whether or not you would have drawn blood against your own packmate.  against my brother.

you do not have to forgive him.  but you do have to contain yourself.  have i been heard?