Stone Circle With his gun, with his head held high

Arlette explained, in an attempt to reassure, but she seemed... uncertain, and Kaito kept his eyes on the spot where Greyback had disappeared, his feelings still riled between hurt and understanding. Of course he didn't expect everyone to like him, but he, I dunno... at least expected everyone to give him a fair chance, like he always tried to give others. Like he should be giving Greyback, and he tried to reconcile his heart with Arlette's words. If Greyback was a protector, then perhaps he was just one like Nikolai. Hadn't he wanted to be a protector also? And he had been similar, in his coldness and severity. The only difference was that Nikolai was his brother, but perhaps, in what he had learned through living with him, he could make this work...

He blinked and frowned at the mention of Leta (his reactions slow, distracted as he was by the processing of everything else), and when he turned to inquire, Arlette had already continued on, carrying forward like this was news that everyone knew. Everyone but him -- yet he hesitated to ask, and instead, simply said, "I hope so."

Kaito didn't understand Arlette's sudden bashfulness, or the hidden weight behind the words she offered. He had, of course, learned about the rituals of spring, having lived through the season once before, but he failed to piece together what Arlette implied. There were many reasons for wolves to get testy around winter. "It could be hunger. Eating helps with a lot of things. Thinking straight, keeping emotions clear," he shrugged, and smiled, even though it made very little sense to right now, "I mean, you did say you just came through a famine."

At her suggestion, he nooded, with a "Yeah, of course!" Weird encounters could hardly dampen his day, and he began moving in the direction Arlette would direct. "Maybe we could see the mountains next. I was wondering -- " and he very nearly began sharing about his parents, their adventures -- stories he had never been able to share with anyone beyond his siblings -- when his face took the slightest frown, and instead let his question finally drop, " -- who... what happened with Leta?"