Jinyoung was relieved the next morning when they broke camp and no one made a single comment to him about going back in his cage. Instead, Yugyeom volunteered to continue the task of pulling it now that it was empty and lighter, and the falcon grumbled an assent while continuing to cast scowls in Mark and Jinyoung's direction. The hyenas, blessedly, had now decided to pretend like Jinyoung didn't exist, most likely because Mark would now have greater incentive to kill them if he thought they were offending his "mate."

Jackson and BamBam proved to be far more annoying than Jinyoung's former captors on the march to the Calovian capital. "Soooo, how did it happen?" Jackson asked eagerly as he trotted beside them, BamBam perched on his head. "Did you woo him while he was helping you heal all those times you kicked us out of the cave, General? A rescue romance! So romantic!"

"And here we thought you'd be alone forever," BamBam teased. "But you must have kept to yourself because your real taste is for humans."

"How are humans, by the way?" Jackson asked. "It's not uncomfortable mating with them, is it?"

"If you don't stop talking," Mark growled, "I'll eat you for tomorrow's breakfast. Leave us be."

"Touchy, General!" BamBam cawed. "We're just asking you the fun questions because everyone will ask you anyways when we arrive."

"And I will also tell them to leave us be. It's no one else's business but ours."

"I'm not sure His Majesty will agree with you on that one."

"I'm sure His Majesty will have his questions, but they will be more pertinent than 'how did you woo him?' and 'how is it mating with humans?'"

"May I ask a question instead?" Jinyoung cut in, wanting to change the subject.

"Yes?"

"Why are the gray foxes the line of kings in the beast tribe? The lion and tiger tribes must be far stronger. The wolf tribes as well."

"Is your king the strongest and most muscular of the humans?" Mark asked.

Jinyoung shook his head. King Minhyun was tall and slender, and though he was far from weak, he could still most likely be snapped in two by some of the more robust military commanders in the kingdom.

"The gray foxes are very clever," Mark continued, "and most importantly, they work well with the other tribes. They've always served as excellent mediators, and can always strike a good compromise, whether its genuine or through trickery. Us lions aren't crafty enough to do the same, and we have more a mind for fighting than politics."

"King Jaebum is an excellent leader," Jackson said loyally. "He's going through a hard time, but he'll pull through when it comes down to it."

"You'll like him once he gets over his temper tantrum about you being a human," BamBam agreed. "Everyone in Calovia loves him. Us birds wouldn't have joined up if we didn't really think he was a good king, regardless of the Sacred Prince being crazy about him."

Jinyoung nodded, but he didn't have high expectations that a king whose loved one had been stolen and possibly tortured by humans would ever learn to be civil to him. Still, he could tolerate being treated with a lack of civility, as long as it meant he could keep his life.

As it reached early afternoon, the falcon swooped down on their procession. "We are reaching in distance of the court," he reported. "I will fly ahead to announce your presence to His Majesty."

"Go on," Mark nodded. "We will arrive behind you."

The falcon nodded and soared deeper into the forest. Jinyoung swallowed, his heart suddenly plummeting in his chest. He wasn't sure how ready he was for this encounter. What if the king decided to kill him after all? What if they could all tell he and Mark were lying about their bond and attempting to play them for fools?

He felt something soft under his hand and looked down to see Mark brushing his head against it. "Do not worry," he said in a low undertone. "Remember that I will protect you."

Jinyoung nodded, squaring his shoulders. He was with the most fearsome of all beasts. If Mark could not see him through this situation safely, then no one could. He had to stay true to his decision to put his faith in him.

Just as Jinyoung had sensed when they had passed into Calovia's borders, he could also sense when they passed into the court, though there were no physical walls like the Grand Palace in High Lofferin where King Minhyun resided. Instead, the scenery became lusher with towering trees, a glittering freshwater pool filled by a tall waterfall, and an array of tropical flowers sweetly scenting the air. There were also beasts and birds everywhere on either side of their procession. Many were in beast form, but those who were shifted wore decadent robes and elaborate decorations in their hair. Jinyoung could see tigers and panthers and wolves and eagles and hawks and peacocks spread out before him, and at the end of their line, a gray fox sat atop a rock formation which overlooked them all.

Mark led Jinyoung forward towards the fox, Yugyeom, Jackson, BamBam, and the hyenas trailing a distance behind. The fox's narrow eyes were fixed on Jinyoung, and Jinyoung gazed back levelly, trying not to show his fear. The fox wasn't terribly big--he was easily dwarfed by Mark, who was likely two or three times his size--but he had a dangerous air about him that made Jinyoung not to want to come any closer. Still, he determinedly followed Mark forward, reminding himself to trust in the General to keep the king's worst impulses at bay.

When they were in front of the rock formation, the gray fox stepped forward as if he intended to speak, but then suddenly instead seemed to pause and scent the air around them. Before Jinyoung could even realize what was happening, the fox had launched himself off his perch and landed in front of Mark, growling fiercely and baring his teeth. Mark responded in kind, crouching low to hold eyes with the fox as he growled deeply and snapped his jaws. Jinyoung could practically hear the beasts and birds of the court holding their breath.

"What mockery is this?" the gray fox king grumbled lowly, eyes fixed on Mark. "You mated with the human captive? You, the general of my armies, mated with someone I asked you to bring to me as a prisoner?"

"This man is no enemy of mine, and he is no captive," Mark said. "He has saved my life and the life of my lieutenant and has treated me with nothing less than respect and honor. I have taken him as my own for life, and if you dare harm him, it will be war between us, Your Majesty. I will meet anyone who hurts him with retribution, and my vengeance is swift and merciless."

"You dare threaten your king?"

"I would threaten anyone who would harm my mate, just as you would, Your Majesty."

The two continued to stand off with each other, growling and snapping, neither backing down. Jinyoung worried for a moment that the gray fox really would attack and Mark would be forced to kill his king to keep his promise to Jinyoung, but after a long moment, the gray fox straightened and shifted into human form. The man who stood before them dressed in rich robes lined by gray fur was a drained and exhausted looking one with dark circles under his small eyes and patches of his hair turning white and going thin despite his young age. A pall of misery seemed cast over him, so thick and palpable it could not fail to be noticed.

"If I did not need you to lead our recovery of Youngjae, I would strike you down for this betrayal in a heartbeat," King Jaebum said in a tired voice. "You and your mate should thank your lucky stars that you brought me word of Youngjae's location, or else neither of you would be free from my wrath. But if you do your duty and see that my mate is returned safely to me, I will endure this... questionable decision of yours."

Mark also shifted into human form, at last kneeling respectfully before his king. "I will do my duty, Your Majesty. Nothing would give me greater happiness than to have the Sacred Prince returned and his captors brought to justice."

"You will not allow your feelings for your human mate to distract you from this duty?" He spoke the word 'human' as if it was poison on his lips.

"I will not. This human is not of their kind. He is a life-saver, not a death-bringer. He has already proven himself not to be an enemy to our people."

King Jaebum's eyes shifted to Jinyoung, his gaze cold but curious. "So, will he serve us, then? Will he use his skills as a healer to save our Feral brethren?"

Mark scowled. "Don't think to make a fool out of me. I know that every attempt to heal the Feral has ended in death."

"We have found ways to safely sedate the Feral since you were last in court."

"And have you tested the safety of trying to heal a sedated Feral with our own healers?"

Jaebum hesitated. "No."

"Then you will not use my mate as your test subject when you and I both know it could easily result in his death."

"But he has resources our healers do not! He knows of human poisons and potions we have no means of knowing! Perhaps he can recognize what is making our brethren Feral, just as he recognized the poison which nearly took your life!”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I do not intend to gamble his life on mere possibility. If you cannot assure his safety, I will not allow you to use him to examine the Feral.”

Jaebum’s tail flicked, as if he was brushing away a bothersome fly. “Wonderful. How generous of you, General, to bring an entirely useless human to my court. Does he have nothing at all the contribute to our campaign?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Mark asked, his voice annoyed. “And he has a name.”

Jaebum’s eyes narrowed further as he looked at Jinyoung. “Well, what is your name, human?”

“Jinyoung, Your Majesty.”

“Jinyoung. Do you know anything of use about my mate, the Sacred Prince Youngjae?”

“I am sorry, Your Majesty,” Jinyoung said. “I did not even know of his existence until I was capt—pardon, until I was taken on as the General’s healer. I do not know how many of my people are aware of his capture among the human tribes.”

Jaebum frowned, clearly not pleased by this answer. “And are you aware of a place you humans call the High Laboratorium?”

Jinyoung blinked in surprise. This name was incredibly familiar to him, and he'd been there several times himself. “Yes, Your Majesty. That is the medical laboratory where my mentor, Healer Hyun, operates during the months of warring. It is a special clinic for the soldiers with the severest injuries and who require the most specialized treatments.”

“Well,” Jaebum said sharply, “it is also the place where my mate is being held captive. And you claim to be trained by the man who runs it?”

Jinyoung shook his head vehemently. “No, there must be some mistake. Healer Hyun would never harm another living being. He is a life-saver, just like me. This information must be incorrect.”

“How sure are your scouts with this information?” Jaebum asked Mark.

Mark hesitated for a moment. “Very certain, Your Majesty. There was even a sighting of the Sacred Prince before they were forced to flee and avoid capture.”

Jaebum smiled bitterly. “It seems, Jinyoung, that your ‘mentor’ has a hand in it, after all. Will you really claim to have no knowledge of it?”

“I have absolutely no knowledge of it,” Jinyoung insisted. “I haven't been to the High Laboratorium since the war began, but I know for certain that prior to the war, it truly was no more than a hospital and research institute. I do not think Healer Hyun would participate in such a horrible plot, but if he did, he’s never mentioned it to me.”

“I can vouch for Jinyoung's lack of knowledge about this,” BamBam spoke up from behind. “When I spoke to him of the Sacred Prince, it was evident that he didn’t have a single clue about him.”

“I will vouch for him as well, upon my life,” Mark said. “I cannot speak for the healer who trained him, but Jinyoung would only ever use his talents for the benefit of others.”

Jaebum did not look fully convinced of this, but sighed in resignation. “If you insist. Still, I would question your mate more on this matter. If he cannot give me information on my own mate, he can at least give me information on the men that may be responsible.”

“As long as you plan on questioning him in my presence and don’t involve your Inquisitors, Your Majesty,” Mark reminded.

“Fine, fine,” Jaebum huffed. “For now, I would like to receive your full intelligence report from this season’s campaign. I’ll dismiss our courtiers and call together a war council.”

“Might I take Jinyoung back to my den first, so he can rest after our journey?” Mark asked.

“You may. I do not think the other officers would look favorably on having a human in attendance, anyways.” Jaebum looked back and forth between the two of them. “But do you really mean to have a human involved in raising your cubs?”

Once again, Mark hesitated a little before saying, “Yes, I do.”

“Well. Let’s see how well that goes.” Jaebum shifted and hopped back onto his rock. “You are all dismissed for the time being,” he called out to the assembled beasts and birds who had played as audience to their little exchange. “Lieutenants and Corporals, we reconvene on the fifteenth hour for our war council.”

At the king’s word, the assembly began to disperse, though many hung around, eyeing Jinyoung and whispering among themselves. Jinyoung could see the disapproval in their gazes—which was not at all something he enjoyed seeing from tigers and lionesses and panthers—but when Mark turned to face them, they immediately scattered. Even in his slighter human form, he still held his air of intimidation for them.

“Come,” Mark said to Jinyoung. “I will take you to my den.”

Jinyoung had many questions after their audience with the king, but one remained pressing above all the others. “You have cubs? I thought you implied that your tribe didn’t take multiple mates!”

“We don’t, unless our previous mates lose their lives,” Mark said. “But they are not my cubs by blood. Their parents were killed in the war, and I promised their mother and father I would look after them if something happened. And so I have, though I’m lacking in my duties. Every time I leave for the highlands, I must pass their care on to others.”

Jinyoung winced, knowing that the cubs’ parents were killed by his people’s soldiers. “You said you would be moving me to your den. Does that mean I’ll be living with you and your cubs?”

“Yes. You will be safer, if I am close.”

“And you intend to have me help raise them?”

Mark sighed. “Perhaps ‘raise’ isn’t the best word. But I think it would not hurt to have you play a part in looking after them.”

“It wouldn’t hurt? Mark, my people killed their family. Won’t they despise having me around?”

“Many of your people have killed people I love, and yet I do not despise you. And I am sure I am responsible for the deaths of people you knew…do you despise me for it, Jinyoung?”

Jinyoung considered. His feelings regarding Mark were incredibly mixed. He knew him to be a ruthless killer, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel gratitude towards him for trying to keep alive when he could have easily allowed him to be killed. For that, he couldn’t quite say he despised him.

“No,” Jinyoung said finally. “But I am not sure I would bring you anywhere near my family, if I had the choice.”

To his surprise, Mark laughed at this. It was different from his voice, higher and more untamed. “Fair enough. But I think I can trust a healer to treat my cubs well. And I also think you will like them, far more than you like me. One cannot help but love them.”

Mark led Jinyoung down a small gully to an opening in the rockface that formed a shaded cavern. He shifted into beast form and padded up to it, and almost immediately, three little forms charged out of it an launched themselves onto him.

Like giddy puppies, the three cubs began wrestling with Mark, who played along as if their attacks were as strong and fearsome as his warriors’. Then, after a moment, one of the cubs climbed up to bury itself in Mark’s mane, and the other two began his face, excitedly chanting “Papa! Papa!” in young, female voices.

“Palla,” Mark said, giving the bigger one an affectionate on her head before the smaller one. “Nia. You’ve grown so big!”

“I’m going to grow as big as you!” Palla declared.

“Me, too!” Nia echoed.

“I better watch my back as General, then.” He rolled a little, knocking the littlest cub off his back. “And look at you, Tanie, you haven’t grown at all since I last saw you.”

“But I’m gonna!” This cub had the voice of a little boy. “I’m gonna grow so big that I won’t fit in the den anymore.”

“Keep working at it. At the moment, your sisters look like they’ll beat you to it.”

“Will not!” Tanie said, pouncing on Palla, who easily swiped him off. While the other siblings, wrestled, Nia at last noticed Jinyoung standing there, watching at an awkward distance. She took a step back, ears flattening. “Papa,” she said. “That person doesn’t have furry ears or a tail. Is he a human?”

Mark at last seemed to remember Jinyoung’s presence as well, and shifted into his human form to rise to his feet and return to Jinyoung’s side. “Yes, Nia,” he said gently. “This human is my…my honored friend.” Jinyoung wondered by his choice of words if the cubs didn’t understand mating, or if he just wasn’t as willing to lie to them as he was to the others. “His name is Jinyoung, and he is a great healer. During the last battle of the season, I was injured, and Jinyoung saved my life.”

Palla and Tanie had stopped wrestling to listen, and now all three cubs approached Jinyoung to sniff him. Jinyoung knelt so he could be more level with them. He thought about reaching out to their fur but wasn’t sure if this would be considered rude or not. “H-Hello,” he said instead. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You smell like Papa,” Palla reported.

“I thought humans were supposed to be scarier,” Nia added.

“Do you have a sharp pointy?” Tanie wanted to know.

“A knife?” Mark clarified. “No, he does not.” He did not mention that this was because they had confiscated it awhile back.

“You’ll be staying with us?” Nia asked.

“It seems so,” Jinyoung said. “I hope that’s all right with you.”

The two girls exchanged a look. “Where will you sleep?” Palla asked.

“That’s actually a very good question,” Mark said, glancing around the den. “I’m not sure this is the most comfortable place for a human to sleep. We have bedrolls, but it will still be partially outdoors, and the ground is hard.”

“If you get me some fabric and help me think of a way to hoist it up in the cavern, I can make a cot,” Jinyoung said. “I’m used to it, from…” He trailed off, not wanting to refer to the army camps in front of the children.

“I’ll help,” Tanie said immediately.

“We can use the rope vines,” Nia said. She ran into the cavern, lept up, and grabbed one of the thick vines hanging from the ceiling in her teeth. Even though she was clearly pulling hard, the vine didn’t snap. “See? They’re very strong.”

“That should work,” Mark said. “Can you think of any fabric we might have big enough for a cot?”

The cubs thought about this for a moment. “Maybe if we put together my deerskin with Nia’s deerskin and Tanie’s deerskin, it will be big enough,” Palla said at length.

Nia’s ears drooped. “We have to give up our deerskin?”

“It’s not giving up, it’s sharing,” Palla said, a bit self-righteously. “And sharing is the right thing to do.”

“If it’s important to you, we could find something else,” Jinyoung suggested.

“It’s all right,” Mark cut in. “The deerskins were from their first hunt, but we have no need for the skins of animals like you do. They will be much better served put to use, don’t you think, children?”

Tanie and Palla nodded solemnly, and after a little hesitation, Nia nodded, too.

“How can we put them together?” Tanie asked.

“I have a needle and thread in my healer’s kit,” Jinyoung said. “That should do the trick.”

“Sewing?” Nia asked, immediately brightening up. “You can sew? I want to learn, but no one will teach me!”

“I can show you a little,” Jinyoung said, opening his kit. “I’m not an expert in working with fabrics, but I know the basics.”

“Get your skins, children,” Mark said. “And you can all watch Jinyoung put them together.”

The three cubs immediately bounded off into the cavern. Mark stretched and shifted into his human form, his lips tilted upwards into a smile.  “Very sweet, aren’t they?” he asked. He truly did sound like a proud father.

“They are,” Jinyoung agreed. “I thought they would be more frightened of me.”

“They weren’t raised to hate indiscriminately. Yes, they have no reason to love humans, but they also have no reason to hate you, just as I said I do not despise you, and you said you do not despise me. Our peoples will only ever know war if we never know to find the good in each other.”

The three cubs ran out again, but this time no longer in their beast forms. Leading the charge were the two little girls, both nearly identical with amber eyes and tawny curls and plain white dresses, though Jinyoung supposed Palla was the slightly taller one. They both looked to be about the same size as a four-year-old. Tanie looked younger and smaller, about three, and his hair was swept upwards as if a cow had just it. All three were holding folded deerskins in their hands.

“Let’s sew, let’s sew!” Nia chanted, extending her deerskin to Jinyoung. “Show me, show me!”

The three children huddled around as Jinyoung threaded his needle. He was no expert when it came to any sewing outside of stitching flesh, so it was slow going, though it still seemed to fascinate the children. Nia in particular was glued to the movement of Jinyoung’s needle, her little mouth fallen open into an impressed “o.”

“You’ll catch flies if you do that,” Mark said, swatting her playfully with his tail.

“I don’t mind flies,” Nia said.

“You should. Now that we’re in the kingdom together, you should leave the bugs for the birds. Uncle BamBam, for example, might appreciate it if you saved him some flies.”

“Uncle BamBam doesn’t eat flies!” Tanie yelled. “He eats trash!”

Jinyoung couldn’t keep himself from laughing at that. Palla also giggled, bouncing up and down. “Uncle BamBam is a trash eater!” she sang.

“Now, now, be nice to your uncle,” Mark said mildly.

“Can we call you Uncle Jinyoung?” Nia asked him.

“S-Sure,” Jinyoung said, flushing a little. “If you want to.”

“Uncle Jinyoung,” Tanie repeated. “I like having uncles!”

Mark had to leave to attend his war council with the king before Jinyoung had finished, so Jinyoung continued to entertain the children with his sewing on his own. He worried they might start misbehaving as soon as their father was gone, but instead, they took the opportunity to pepper him with questions.

“Why don’t humans have tails?” Tanie wanted to know.

“What is the place where humans live like?” Palla asked.

“Why do humans make buildings so tall?” Nia threw in.

Jinyoung told them as much as he could, but they always had another question waiting for him when he was finished. Jinyoung remembered being the same when he was that age and wanting to know what life was like for beast children. He used to imagine them growing up without the enclosure of houses, and what it would be like to change forms whenever you felt like it.

At long length, Palla finally asked, “Did you find Uncle Youngjae?”

Jinyoung felt his throat close in a little. It was still hard for him to accept the role his people had played in this crime. And what of Healer Hyun? He’d used to tell Jinyoung about the High Laboratorium and all the surgeries and operations they were able to attempt there to save lives. Could he truly know that it also served as a prison to the Sacred Prince of the beast and bird tribes? Or did he see Youngjae as less than human and simply a tool to lure in beasts and birds to experiment on?

“We know where he is,” Jinyoung said softly. “Next time, your papa will bring him back.”

“I don’t remember Uncle Youngjae,” Tanie said sadly. “But everyone says he’s really funny. I want to see him, too.”

When Jinyoung was finished sewing the deerskins together, the three cubs helped him to knot the corner onto the vines so it could be suspended safely. 

“Papa says we need to make sure you and Tanie take a nap,” Palla informed him once they were finished.

“Did he now?” Jinyoung asked wryly. “As a grown-up, you’d think I’d be able to decide when to take a nap on my own.”

“Nope, Papa decides nap time!” Nia said brightly. The three children shifted back into cubs and curled up on the ground, with Tanie nestled between his two sisters. Jinyoung was feeling rather tired, so he sighed and slipped into his cot to close his eyes for a while. The deerskin was quite comfortable and warm, and the rope vines held his weight well.

After a moment, the cubs began whispering among themselves, presumably thinking Jinyoung had fallen asleep.

“All the other cubs said Papa would probably bring home a lady one day,” Palla whispered. “But Uncle Jinyoung isn’t a lady.”

“And he isn’t a lion,” Tanie whispered back.

“I think he’s one of the ‘nice’ humans Papa sometimes talks about,” Nia contributed. “The ones who don’t want to fight.”

“He’s not really scary as long as he doesn’t have a sharp pointy.”

“Yes, sharp pointies are bad.” Nia paused. “I’m glad Papa didn’t bring a lady.”

“Don’t you want a mama?” Palla asked.

“Not right now. I just want Papa. But uncles are fine. Like Uncle Jackson and Uncle BamBam and Uncle Yugyeom. They’re soooo funny.”

“I didn’t think Uncle Jinyoung was very funny,” Tanie said.

“That’s because he’s sad,” Palla explained.

“Uncle Jinyoung was sad?”

“Yes. You could tell. I think he’s sad like Papa’s sometimes sad.”

“About what?”

“About having to leave home. About fighting. The war makes a lot of people sad.”

“Me too,” Nia said softly. “I miss mama and…the papa before Papa.”

“I don’t remember them,” Tanie said. “But I’m still sad sometimes.”

“It’s OK to be sad, if even Papa gets sad.” Palla yawned. “Now. It’s nap time. Papa said so.” The children at last quieted down and went to sleep, and Jinyoung blinked away his stray tears and did the same.

The next day, Mark and Jinyoung were summoned to another audience with Jaebum, this one supposedly private, though Jinyoung had no knowledge of how they would achieve this with the court lacking closed doors to keep things behind. In the morning, Mark took Jinyoung to the freshwater spring and they both cleaned off to make themselves presentable. Jinyoung also gave Mark’s wound another look and was pleased to find the recovery was still progressing smoothly, even without him having rested properly.

When they were finished and dressed (and Mark had gone through the process of rubbing his scent onto Jinyoung’s body again), the two of them entered Jaebum’s court. The gray fox king was atop his rock perch in human form, his tail swishing idly as he sat.

“There you are,” he said as they approached. “You seem to have survived your first night here well enough, human.”

“Jinyoung,” Mark corrected him sternly. “How would you like it if I refused to use Youngjae’s name or title when speaking to him? It’s rude.”

Jaebum snorted. “Very well. I hope you rested well, Jinyoung. Far be it from me to disappoint anyone with our hospitality in Calovia.”

“I rested well, thank you,” Jinyoung said. He felt it would be overkill to snap at Jaebum considering Mark was already doing a good enough job of it.

“Good. I hope you are in a mood to talk, because I am in need of answers.” He folded his arms across his chest. “To start, I wanted to ask you about your king. Have you met him before?”

Jinyoung shook his head. “No. I’ve only seen him from a distance. I’m not important enough to be a courtier.”

“Ah, yes. I forgot that silly human rule.” He sighed. “I have met him once in the past, at my wedding. Because of the tension between our peoples, it had been a long time since a human king deigned to show his face in Calovia, but your Minhyun came even though it was the winter and the mountain was at its most difficult to descend as if I was a trusty, old friend of his. He even held a diplomatic meeting with me in hopes that our peoples could work out our old grudges and grow closer as nations.”

“Did he?” Jinyoung asked in surprise.

Jaebum frowned. “So it was really so transparent an act, then? I was a dupe for believing it?”

Jinyoung shook his head quickly. “Not necessarily. King Minhyun is from a new line of kings, so it’s possible that he doesn’t hold the same ideologies as the previous kings. But I just assumed…with the war…and in Low Lofferin, we heard so much terrible propaganda about the beasts…I thought it must have originated from the king.”

“And maybe it did. Maybe he lied to me and betrayed my trust that he would work to bring peace between our peoples. It would not be the first time a human’s sweet words proved to be poison. And if Youngjae’s kidnapping happened under his order, and he facilitated his servants turning our brethren Feral, I will personally kill him and enjoy every second of it.”

“But you’re not fully convinced?”

Jaebum hesitated. “Normally, I would be. I have no reason to trust human kings when they have long proven to be enemies of our tribes. But this king…” His voice lowered. “This is not known among the human tribes, I think, but your King Minhyun has fox-blood in his ancestry. He has no beast powers or ability to shift since the fox who mated into his family lived generations ago, but the trace of it is unmistakable. I could smell it on him, and he told me so himself, when I asked. He is a lost brother of my people. And being such… I do not like to think he is capable of doing what he did to our tribes. How could one who carries our blood ever break a brother or sister’s mind and turn them Feral? I do not want to believe it of the man I met. I am usually good at judging the intentions of others, and I do not want to admit myself to be so greatly mistaken regarding him.”

Jinyoung's mouth fell open. King Minhyun had fox blood? It didn’t seem possible, not with all the war propaganda which denounced anyone bearing the blood of a beast as unnatural and dangerous. Not to mention that coupling with a beast was a criminal offense for humans under the current laws, so if anyone knew the king was a descendant of a beast, he would not be able to hold onto his crown for long.

“I feel like I know nothing about my own homeland anymore,” Jinyoung said in a soft voice. “I wish I could help you understand, but I don’t even really know what’s happening myself.”

“It amazes me, the amount of ignorance your people have chosen to live in,” Jaebum said, shaking his head. “What can you tell me of your Healer Hyun, then?”

“Like I said, he’s my mentor,” Jinyoung said. “My father is a professor of anatomy at the university in Low Lofferin, and he recommended me to study under Hyun since I was interested in surgeries and tending to wounds, which were also specialties of Hyun's. Hyun normally works as the head surgeon at the High Laboratorium in High Lofferin, but every winter he would come down to the valleys to tutor me. I’ve always found him to be the best of healers, and someone just as devoted as me to saving lives.”

“Maybe only human lives, though. Has he ever mentioned how he feels about us beasts? Would he have saved Yugyeom and the General’s lives as you did?”

Jinyoung's stomach sank. "Um...well...he's not exactly known for being particularly fond of beasts. Before the war, he was engaged to marry a woman in my village, but not long before the wedding, she was killed in an attack by a white wolf and a silver fox."

Jaebum's brow furrowed. "Animals?"

"N-No. Members of the beast tribe."

"What? Why on earth would a wolf and a fox from the beast tribe come to your village and attack an unimportant villager? You humans were looking for any excuse you could find to declare war on us in those days. Why would we do something as meaningless as that to incite unnecessary trouble?"

"I'm...not certain. Healer Hyun told me he saw the attack with his own eyes. I had no reason to doubt him."

"And why is that? What did you think was the motivation behind such an attack?"

"I never really thought too deeply into it."

"Of course not. Because humans assume we're the type of beings who would just attack for no reason like a common animal. No deeper reason needed."

"It's not that!" Jinyoung heard himself protesting, even though he knew it was. Human children were raised on stories of beasts coming for them and dragging them off in the night if they misbehaved. There had never been an actual attack on Low Lofferin, other than the one Healer Hyun had insisted had happened to his fiancee, but there was no denying that everyone believed such a thing could happen exactly because they thought the beasts were little better than common animals. "We just...all our knowledge of beasts are filled with the memories of damage inflicted in previous wars, and in this war too-"

“STOP,” Jaebum barked, teeth flashing. Jinyoung took a step back. He thought Mark would tell Jaebum to back off, but this time he didn’t. "And which side was it that started those wars by hunting our tribes to extinction? Should we not have fought to protect our sabre-tooth lions from being massacred by your hunters? Should we have allowed the sacred red-crowned cranes to go unavenged? And this war--you may think it’s some silly lover’s war invented by me just because I lost my mate, but we are not just fighting for Youngjae and meeting your soldiers with claws and talons just to satisfy my lust for vengeance, do you understand me? The minds of my people are being broken. They are being forced into becoming mindless, crazed creatures against their will. They are losing their whole selves for the purpose of being turned against their own brethren. So do not presume to speak to me of damage inflicted, as if you and your people are the only ones who suffer. I am king of a people who may soon be enslaved by yours, one who may die without ever hearing the voice of the one I love the most again. I am sorry to kill ignorant fools who stand in our way, but I would be even more sorry if I allowed my people to die without fighting back.”

“I’m sorry,” Jinyoung whispered, heart throbbing. “I didn’t mean…”

Mark touched his arm. “I know,” he said lowly. “But you must remember. Yours is not the only side who believes it is fighting for something real.”

Jinyoung nodded, staying silent. He didn’t think he could speak without betraying himself.

“You are one of ours, now,” Jaebum said, clearing his throat. “I won’t pretend to understand why our General has taken a liking to you, but he has, and you are a part of his home and tribe now. You will be another father to his cubs. If the humans succeed in turning us Feral, that will mean Palla, Nia, and Tanie. That will mean Mark, your mate. I told you before that I’m decent at judging the intentions of others, and I know that cannot be what you want.”

Jinyoung nodded again, still unable to speak. He knew they were right, but admitting that made everything feel strangely hopeless to him. If the humans won, the beasts would be reduced to something terrible and become mindless weapons of destruction. But if the beasts won, how many more of Jinyoung’s countrymen would die thinking they were protecting their homeland when they were just serving as tools to someone else’s madness?

At long length, Jaebum spoke again. “When marching season comes again, we will strike the High Laboratorium. Whatever the risk is, we will fight to end this threat before it ends us. I suggest you take your time leading up to the change in season thinking of if and how you will help us. I don’t want the humans’ blood, Jinyoung. I want my people’s safety. I want to live a long life with my mate at my side. You should think of what it is you want while the future is still yours to shape.”

Both Mark and Jinyoung were quiet as they left the court. Jinyoung’s thoughts felt like a tangled mess he couldn’t even begin to unravel. What do I want? He’d always thought what he wanted was an end to the fighting, but that answer was far too simple. What would an end entail? Would it mean the annihilation of one side or another? Would it reveal King Minhyun to be a liar and a tyrant? Would the three little cubs who worried so much about their papa be safe? Would Mark be safe, too?

“It is fine if you do not know yet,” Mark said suddenly, jolting Jinyoung outside of his thoughts.

“W-What?” Jinyoung stammered, caught off guard.

“I would not expect you to have an answer so quickly. There is much you did not know, and many things still left in question. It is no surprise that you hesitate to leap when the landing is still so uncertain.”

“You’re all right with this? My stupidity and ignorance, all the ways I cannot help or be of use?” Jinyoung’s snorted bitterly. “I cannot even tell you if the man I thought I knew as a teacher and friend is an enemy, much less my own king.”

“I do not know, any more than you do. I met your King Minhyun and spoke to him, but I cannot say if he is the villain he has every potential of being or if Jaebum is right to question his involvement in this. I do not know who the root of evil in your country is, even as I plan to tear it out.”

“But you still have faith you’re doing the right thing?”

“The ‘right’ thing? It may be too much to say that I am any true judge of what is right and what isn’t. But I have faith I am doing what I believe in. And that is how I can choose, even through uncertainty.” He placed a hand on Jinyoung’s shoulder. “Maybe you will find something you believe in here. But do not feel the need to rush. You will know when you know.”

Jinyoung looked at him in surprise. “You know…you’re very different from how I thought you would be. I thought you would be more of a ruthless hothead than you are.”

“Is it because of the red mane?” Mark asked with a light smile.

“Maybe.”

“To be fair, I was one once. I was the first to leap to judgement and pick fights where there were none.”

“And what changed?”

“I was promoted to General. When a leader is reckless, it’s the people under him that suffer. I lost good fighters to stupid decisions…including the mother and father of the cubs. And becoming responsible for three little ones who are orphans thanks to you forces you to grow up quickly. I have to be the best I can be for them. I have to end this war before they’re hurt any more than they have been.”

Jinyoung nodded. “I hope you know…no matter what, I’ll wish for their safety, too. That is something I know I believe in. The conflicts of adults are so cruel to children, and they shouldn’t have to suffer for our foolishness.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I truly hope this will end before more cruelty finds its way to them.” Then, in a softer voice he added. “And to us, too.”

Almost as soon as they made it back to the den, Tanie barreled out in his human form and launched himself into Mark’s arms. “PAPA!” he yelled. “I’M MAD.”

“Hmm? What did Palla do this time?”

“I’M NOT MAD AT PALLA. I’M MAD AT YOU.”

“Oh? How have I caused offense, little one?”

“YOU FINALLY CAME HOME BUT YOU ALWAYS GO TO MEETINGS AND NEVER PLAY WITH ME.”

Mark laughed in surprise. “You’re right, that’s completely unfair of me. Here I’ve been waiting months to play with you, and I haven’t even given myself the chance to.” He bounced Tanie in his arms. “What would you like to do today?”

“Hide, seek, and pounce!”

“My favorite! Shall we invite your sisters to play, too? It’s not fun unless there are a lot of people hiding.”

Tanie pouted a little. “If we have to.”

“Now, now, don’t be stingy with your sisters. They deserve to have fun just as much as you do.”

“Uncle Jinyoung can play, too!”

“Do you want to?” Mark asked Jinyoung.

“I’m familiar with hide and seek,” Jinyoung said. “But what’s this business about pouncing?”

“It’s no fun just hiding,” Mark explained. “We also try to sneak up on the person looking for us and pounce them. It’s good hunting practice for the children, too.”

“Err…I’m not sure I could withstand being pounced on by a lion, even if it’s a cub.”

“Ah…well, if you’re ever the seeker, we won’t shift to beast form. That’ll make it easier.”

Jinyoung bit his lip. After the meeting with Jaebum, he really didn’t feel in the mood to play around, but he didn’t have the heart to say no with Tanie looking at him with so much earnest enthusiasm. “Very well,” he said. “I’ll give it a try.”

Mark rounded up Palla and Nia, who were nearly beside themselves in excitement. “Who’s going to be the seeker?” Nia asked, bouncing on her heels.

“Can we decide peacefully this time?” Mark asked. “Last time, you spent a good half hour we could have been playing arguing about it.”

“There’s this little trick we have in my country to solve arguments quickly,” Jinyoung suggested. “It’s called ‘Three Frightened Animals.”

Palla looked at him curiously. “What is that?”

“Everyone makes an animal with their hands.” He put the tip of his thumb and pointer finger together, indicating something small. “This is the tick. It can be eaten by the crow -” he formed a v with fingers to indicate a bird with flapping wings- “and the crow can be eaten by the lion-” he formed a claw with his hand- “which can be attacked by the tick. We each choose which animal we want to be until one of us is completely defeated by the other animals. Whoever is defeated has to be the seeker.”

“Oooh, ooh, I want to play, I want to play!” Tanie said eagerly.

Jinyoung had a feeling all three of the cubs were going to choose the lion, so decided to show the hand symbol for tick. He wound up being right, and Mark must have had the same thought as him since he also wound up choosing the tick, excusing himself from the next round. Beginning to understand that there was a subtle strategy involved, Nia, Palla, and Tanie continued to duke it out for several more rounds until crow Tanie and Palla defeated tick Nia.

“Fine!” Nia said with grim determination. “I’ll catch all of you!” She covered her eyes and started counting. Palla, Tanie, and Mark immediately scuttled off, and Jinyoung quickly surveyed the area, debating what to do. The beasts had a superior sense of smell, given the fact that everyone apparently thought he reeked of Mark’s scent, which Jinyoung could barely smell at all, so he’d to have to find a way of masking it unless he wanted to get caught immediately. There were some flowering bushes not too far from the den, so Jinyoung curled up under those, flattening himself as much as he could to the ground.

Fortunately for him, Nia began by heading off in the opposite direction from where he was hiding, near the same area where Tanie had run off to hide. As Nia crept forward cautiously, scenting the air, Jinyoung saw Tanie slip out from behind a cluster of rocks and begin to prowl towards his sister from behind as quietly as possible. Nia didn’t seem to notice and kept stalking forward, but when Tanie sprang to tackle her, she quickly crouched down so he sailed over her and crashed clumsily into the ground.

“You were so noisy, I could hear you coming from like a mile away,” she said, sticking out her tongue.

“Shut up!” Tanie retorted. “I…I just let you win.”

“Suuuuuure! You’re the seeker now.” She called out to everyone still in hiding. “Time to hide again!”

This time Jinyoung decided to hide within the den itself, hoping it wasn’t cheating. He pressed himself against one of the back corners, trying to fade into the shadows. He could hear Tanie hunting around outside for a while, though judging by his grumbles, he didn’t seem to be finding anyone. Then, right when he was near the cave entrance, Palla leapt down from the rockface above and landed right on top of her brother. Tanie roared and started running around in an attempt to throw her off, though Palla seemed to have a pretty tight grip on him. Eventually, Tanie ran into the den, and immediately laid eyes on Jinyoung. He quickly darted up to him, planted his paws on his knees, and leveraged himself up to start Jinyoung’s face. “Found you, Uncle Jinyoung,” he said. “Now please get Palla off me.”

 Jinyoung laughed at the ticklish scrape of his tongue, then gently pushed him off so he could stand up and lift Palla off his back. Palla also greeted him with a little to the face. “I made him look so stupid,” she bragged. “I’m an expert pouncer!”

“Your pounce was very nice,” Jinyoung admitted. “But it helped Tanie find me, so he wound up the winner from it in the end.”

“See?” Tanie said, sticking out his tongue. “I’m not stupid, I’m really smart!”

“Now you’re the seeker, Uncle Jinyoung!” Palla said brightly. She shifted to her human form right there in Jinyoung’s arms, which was an odd feeling, since she was lighter as a little girl. “I’m going to pounce on you, too!”

“I’ll be extra careful, then,” Jinyoung said with a smile, setting her down. “All right, everyone!” he called out. “Time to hide again!”

He counted off, then uncovered his eyes to begin hunting around the area. He could see Tanie rather plainly hiding in a nearby tree, but decided not to tag him since he really was trying his best, though he was sure not to turn his back to him so Tanie wouldn’t get any ideas about pouncing. Instead, he scanned the area for Mark, who was the biggest and would most likely have the trickiest task of hiding. He came up empty after searching the different rock formations and bushes, and was just about to begin searching in the nearby tall grasses when the front stalks rustled and something came lunging out at him.

Jinyoung fell backwards, feeling the heavy body weight of someone landing on top of him. When he blinked and reoriented himself, he saw Mark’s face smiling down into his. “Gotcha,” he said.

“And you said pouncing on me in human form would make things easier,” Jinyoung said, catching his breath. “You’re heavy!”

“Sorry.” Mark leaned in to Jinyoung on the chin, just as his cubs had. Even in human form, his tongue was rough like a housecat’s, but something about it felt somehow different from when Tanie and Palla had done the same. With them, it had been amusing and had made him feel light on the inside. With Mark, it was a heavier feeling, settling an unfamiliar weight on his heart. It didn’t feel bad, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure he wanted it, even if it was only an apology in this land of customs Jinyoung had yet to learn.

Luckily, Mark didn’t do it repeatedly, as Tanie had. He pulled away, a suddenly troubled and distant expression on his face, then lifted himself off Jinyoung’s chest and extended his hand to help him to his feet. “Pouncing is an important skill in Calovia, even when we’re in human form,” he said. “I’ll teach you some time, if you want.”

“You should be taking care of your wound,” Jinyoung said, brushing him off.

“I am,” Mark said. “I feel more healed than I have in a long while.” He swatted Jinyoung with his tail. “Now, go find the cubs or they’re not going to think very much of humans when it comes to hide and seek. You have a reputation to keep up, don’t you?”

A/N: I didn't think I mentioned there were going to be a few cameos from other groups, did I? :p Just a few, from artists I follow who match the animal-featured image :)

Thank you so much for your support thus far, you guys. It's been overwhelming, and I'm so happy you liked this weird idea of mine~