Larksong Grotto Send in the Clowns

They would be lying if they said they hadn’t entertained the thought, especially these past few days. Being a loner would suit them in some ways, though they’d never been without the support of a pack. It would be fraught in entirely different ways than these sociopolitical complexities.

But in the end, they knew, There are many reasons why I don’t want to leave. Masque paused, then restated matter of factly, But you do.

It was not a judgment, just a statement of fact. For a moment, they said nothing else. They let that knowledge float between them.

I’m mediating because all of you matter to me, just like the rise matters to me. I don’t have any ulterior motives. I just want to find the best resolution for all involved, Masque tried to explain before cutting to the chase and questioning, So I ask this genuinely, Ancelin: you don’t think leaving now would be for the best?