Nova Peak Skeptic

He offered her only more unknowns, which helped nothing at all. Things would have been easier had he been able to confirm or deny the presence of the black-faced woman. If she wasn't there then she would be more inclined to believe them, and if she was, well then she would have more to consider. 

But she couldn't deny the logic in what he was saying. It was ridiculous to bring war to a pack just based on snap judgement and an opinion of what they might be. It wasn't like with the Saints—there was proof of their nefarious ways from multiple sources. It was easy to see they would be a problem, but this wasn't the same at all. She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly shaking her head. She could tell this was bothering him a great deal; she wasn't sure she had ever seen such emotion from him. Of course I don't, she answered. I am a warrior; fighting is what I do, but I don't want to risk the lives of those I care about when there is no proof that they are as bad as Wylla believes. There was more, though, something keeping her from flat out refusing. Stag is very loyal to Wylla, sometimes I think he's more loyal to her than he is to me, and that's my fault—I left him when he had no other family. The guilt was more than she could bear, even now that she was back; it ate away at her, and she felt like she could never be absolved of such a crime. If we go to war anyway, I know he will fight; how can I let him fight without me? I can't abandon him again and I need to protect him. He has no idea what war would even mean for us. He was sheltered from such things; she had raised him completely different than she had been raised on purpose. But now he had just as much fire and no real training or guidance behind it—that was her fault too.