The Sentinels I know you didn't plan this- but it is me you left behind in a world so cruel

Lotte watched, bemused, as the little girl strove for nonchalance. “He is a very kind, strong, and handsome leader,” she intoned in her quiet alto, “but he is Ceannasach, and he must prove that he is worthy of his followers’ fealty. It would not be right for me to lurk at the borders very much while they are still being formed.” The soot-stockinged rogue found it difficult to explain her feelings; she did not wish to detract from Arturo’s claiming of the wood, but when she was around him, she found herself so drawn to him that she stood like a thick, furry roadblock in his path and longed to do little else. “When Teaghlaigh is more solidified, I will visit more,” she promised. She watched as Chusi puzzled over her words and shook her head in brief apology. “The ways of these wilds are different from my home,” she explained. “Of course, he is not your isä — nor your toinen isä. He is your Uncle ‘Turo and that is just as it should be.”