The Seven

Chapter Two

Leo sighed and followed his sister toward the front of the campsite, grumbling incoherent things to himself. Things that would probably get him sent off to dish duty for the rest of the moon by Gramps. If he ever heard them.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. I know, there's a clan meeting, whatever. Why do we need clan meetings anyway? I thought only the specially talented show-off-trainees gets chosen to go or something..."

"Typically, yes." said Sara. "But this one is special."

When that only make Leo grumble more grampa-restricted stuff, with her eyes still on the path, Sara added a monotonous statement.

"Well, Belle's coming."

"I don't get you." Leo frowned, playing the 'I'm dumb and I do not understand you' card.

"Seriously, that trick is so old, Leo."

They continued to follow their clan to the clan meeting, trudging to the large clearing in the middle of Mania, at the centre of the forest. It was usually held there because of something about the Knight of Honor's death to end the war with it's justice sword blah blah or something like that.

Or was it?

How did Gramps want him to learn all that gibberish nonsense when there wasn't even a single history lesson in any of the clans at all?

Leo sighed, then peered longingly at the weapon sheathed on Sara's torso. A long, sword-like dagger that seemed neither a sword nor a dagger - in Leo's opinion. She'd had the weapon with her ever since Leo could remember.

All he knew was that Dad had given it to her even though she was - and still is - under-age. Just three years too young, according to the clan's rules of weaponry. But hey, when your grandfather is the leader of a clan full of stealthy, buff, armed and totally awesome people, basically everything works out.

There's just one thing : Leo's reputation.

Seriously, he get the fact that his twin sister will never get his jokes but how goofy and cheesy and childish are they anyway? Okay, maybe he can agree on the last one, but the there's no way in his life will Leo admit that his bad puns are goofy and cheesy. Plus, what is the difference between the populars and him? Or maybe even the goodie-two-shoes?

There is something.

The even worse puns?

Haha.

But hell if Leo's ever gonna say it.

"I'll go check on Dad." Sara walked off somewhere before he could even say anything.

It's the clan meeting tonight. But not just any clan meetings. It's a all-clans meeting. And everybody - and by that Leo mean everyone in the whole wide Mania - must come.

Big, right?

Totally. Leo ready to spend a night at the outdoor pavilion, sitting in front of a warm campfire eating his fine supper, then snuggle back into his comfortable bed under the warm covers.

Maybe even Mom's 'goodnight-kiss' would be better than this.

But the thought of seeing Belle the second time of the day managed to power Leo's feet to keep on walking. The path got narrower, so the clan members all have to stand shoulder to shoulder. Leo's sight sharpen as some of his fox instinct take over, the road ahead of him getting darker and darker, as the trees above thicken and only a little moonlight managed to get through.

He tried to search for Sara, Mom and his father in the crowd of Fox-Clan members, but soon enough dropped his gaze back to the bare ground, not bothering to even try anymore.