The End.

Song reignited in Vibrant Valhal, the strumming of Lok's Pinewood Lyre, the singing of flutes and blowing of low horns dancing along the Hall as Lee swayed over to a clean long-table "...She must have drowned in half a barrel before getting here" Aetri knew, just by the way she swayed and the Latent fury in her eyes.

Following after his Mentor with a nervous Kara in hand as He plugged his gushing nostrils.

"Boy." Lee gestured to her seat and He pulled it out for her, her wavy black mane jolting as He helped her plop into her Seat.

Black-Crow's sudden appearance escaped Aetri's watchful eyes, but there she was, sat beside Lee with a hand resting on her gut as it pained her, though her shadowed face remained frozen and indifferent.

He grinned as they both stared at him and Kara, the Boy chuckling and nodding nervously "Right, anyway, have a nice evening Ladies, Kara and I are going to-"

"Sit. You're going to sit." Lee commanded, looking expectantly.

He did so immediately, resting himself on the other side of the table's stools, leaving Kara standing.

Lee turned her Venomous eyes to Kara, "You too, Cave-Girl, come on, don't just stand there looking stupid." The Redhead gulped, taking her place by Aetri's side, both of the Eastern women looking at them, Lee darkly and Crow coldly. "DRINK!?"

Kara jolted as Lee shouted impatiently, A White-banded serving girl, a particularly sour-faced one came over, placing a Flagon of Ale the height of a sword handle in front of her, filled with dark Liquid.

Aetri received the same, Crow waved the servant off, a Shadow doesn't drink... And finally, averting her dark eyes from Kara the Woman tried to walk away.

Lee's hand snatched the Servant's arm, holding it firmly "Where do you think You're going?" her voice was a rumbling growl, one that made the Golden-haired servant girl freeze

"I... I..." she squeaked, unequipped to handle Lee's Iron glare

"Aren't you missing someone?" Her eyes blazed at the girl, Kara blinked in confusion but Aetri smiled slightly

"N-No, Aunt Ector..." The Serving girl was ballsy, He gave her that, but if she wasn't careful she'd get a bad clipping.

Lee bared her teeth in a smile like a snarling wolf, pulling the girl subtly towards her as her rippling aura of bloodlust began to spill out from her glowering... if He didn't interject, then she'd go on one of her drunken rampages again.

"Mentor." Aetri placed a gentle hand on the fur on his Mentor's shoulder, Lee turned her eyes to Him watching her Apprentice's easing look.

She took a breath, relaxing a little "I'll die a sober death before I see her, relapse" He thought.

Lee's face softened, her broad shoulders relaxing back into her chair "Serve the Outcast before I get... flustered." Lee grumbled, releasing the girl's now quivering arm as she filled a flagon and placed it in front of Kara, the Blonde rushing away with terror in her fleeting steps.

A look of wonder came over Kara, beholding the drink as she felt at the wooden mug with her fingers, Aetri grinned wider watching as she carefully took a sip from the Ale... and violently coughed at the ungodly bitter taste.

Aetri and Lee both chuckled at Kara's disgusted face, the two of them taking grateful sips as Kara tried to recover "Ugh... wow... that tastes..."

"Like pigeon shit?" Lee said

Aetri couldn't agree more "You'd think after 300 years the Uld would have learned how to brew better Ale."

"Either way, I... I like it, the Ale... and the Hall, it's even more beautiful than it is on the outside, thank You, Aunt Ector..." Kara said sheepishly.

Lee considered her with a critical eye, taking fat gulps of her drink before chuckling darkly, Kara's warmth faded, Lee's stare was not one of Welcome

"Perspective." Crow finally spoke, her black eyes observing "You must consider, on whether she did that to be kind to you, or to spite the Uld."

Aetri made a point to interject, the fun of tonight would be wasted if these two continued to torture Kara the whole Time "It's good to see you up and about so soon, Crow. I really thought You were a goner that time" He meant it, Crow's spells of sickness worried him, every time she would get worse, but Crow was strong and no mere sickness could restrain a Vatan Shadow.

"My place is by your side. and I came to watch over, Lee-fu." She said coldly "to prevent conflict with The Outcast, is only Logical."

Lee scoffed "Like you could restrain me, Frost-face." she spat.

"Difficulty in Restraining you is lost with each bottle..." Crow swished her lips in revision "...gallon of Alcohol you consume." Crow shot back in her empty tone.

Lee turned to Crow, eyes blazing "I'll bottle you in a minute if you don't shut up."

"No, You won't," Crow muttered bluntly. Aetri watched his mentor's anger sooth, turning to a girlish contempt, folding her arms as she grumbled to herself childishly.

They sat for a while, enjoying the music and trying to enjoy the Ale, and eventually, after Kara took her second drink (given without trouble this time, the Blonde servant seemed to have learned her lesson) The Freckled redhead seemed to have a nice buzz going, resting her elbows in front of her as Lee flushed her 4th flagon of Ale past her red lips.

"Y-you know... Aunt Ector... I think, that You are really pretty. both of you are!" Kara said to Lee and Crow, fearful but with the enthusiasm that the Ale ignited.

Crow just stared, but Lee nodded "Back in our Homeland, they used to call me The Beauty and the Beast, hehe, bloody bastards, but they prefer stringy little things over there, like Frost-face here." Lee nudged Crow, who remained unmoving.

"Oh don't get her talking about the Old days, she'll never shut up!" Aetri chuckled after sipping his drink.

Lee merely grunted, but Kara's curiosity had redirected to Crow "You know... Miss Crow." Black-Crow tilted her head, one of her black hairs gliding across her forehead as she did "You and Aunt Ector look so similar sometimes... You're related right?"

"I believe so." Crow said.

"Believe... surely you'd know?" She asked innocently

Aetri wasn't sure how this would go, the three of them were secretive for a good reason "It's complicated." He said, but Lee butted in

"Curious little bug aren't you?" Lee said, her eyes narrowing, though she eventually laughed it off in her dark way "We used to be siblings." She eventually said, emptying her mug and calling for a refill

"Used to be?" Kara said. Crow leaned in slowly, it was the first time that she had moved since she had sat down and it seemed to unsettle Kara plenty

"You ask too many questions," Crow said, leaning back as Aetri watched Kara heat up a little

"One eye's beard... I'm just trying to get to know you is all."

"Pff, really, and why's that?" Lee slurred.

"Don't start, you two." Aetri said rolling his eyes, Crow bowed her head, Lee scoffed again but Kara let the courage burn into annoyance. Pushing one of her Red hairs from her face, her lips pressed together

"well, maybe it's because, I care about Aetri... and He cares about you both, for whatever reason. I know I'm an Outcast, I know that You don't like me, but can't we just be civil?"

He couldn't have agreed more... this had been going for a long time, Aetri usually just kept quiet about their little rivalry, but tonight might just be the night where it was settled... or not... yeah probably not.

Lee cleared her throat, her eyes a little hazy, and gestured to Kara, Aetri scowled "She better not hit her"

"Oh don't look at me like that, kid, I'm not gonna hit your little princess. Come here, Cave-Girl, I'll tell you why we can't be civil."

Kara hesitantly lent in, Lee's fierce face and Kara's soft face coming head to head. "I can't be civil with you because I don't trust You, I've seen plenty of girls like You before, You act all goody-goody, but when push comes to shove You run away with Your tail between your legs, I can't be civil because Aetri has risked his life, risked his honour, risked everything that we have built just to be with You, a girl who doesn't even put out..." Lee's voice was a sneer and Kara paled "What? You don't think that I can't smell a frustrated man from a mile away, I may not look it but I'm an old lass and I know the distraction, difficulty and pure annoyance that constantly being blue balled can posses of a man."

"Lee, shut up." Aetri's hands were balled.

Before it was just stupid talk, but now He was getting annoyed. Lee's eyes rolled over to him, a smirk coming across her face

"Say it ain't so, Kiddo, I'll shut my mouth, hell I'll even let her stay in the Lodge if I'm wrong, just say it ain't so?" He glared into those green eyes, those eyes that reached into people and wrenched the truth out, Lee blew her hair out of her face, smiling spitefully "Didn't think so."

"I-It's none of Your fucking business what we do and don't do!" Kara spat "The horrible Training that You make him do, how many times have you nearly killed him!?"

"Just stop bloody arguing," Aetri said, his anger growing as the two ignored him to continue their arguing their faces flushing red as they began to roar louder than the Hall's music.

"I train him because He asked me to, I push him because He made me promise I would, so I do, and anything that interrupts that Training is my business!" Lee shouted wrathfully, Kara scoffed

"Training or no training, You treat him like shit, You don't fucking Love him!" Oh no... Kara really shouldn't have done that. Lee seethed, her voice lowering eyes blazing

"He is the only one I have, You idiotic girl. in this shitty Village, in this shitty cold, He is the only reason that I bother even getting up anymore... and the only reason that I don't cut off your head right now."

"Enough!" Aetri's face burned, a storm of wrath filling his chest and his arm, His fist cracked into the table, spilling their drinks as He stood and looked between them both "All these years here, I finally get us all here to have a drink and it's ruined. Kara, You know that we have to keep things to ourselves and that as long as I am here, it stays that way, I have told you that from the start, if you don't like that, then go." He said to Kara who looked at him with wide eyes "And you, for god's sake, how many fucking times do I have to rip the bloody drink out of your hands?" Aetri snarled, pushing Lee's flagon off of the table, his Mentor watching it slosh on the ground as He clicked his fingers at her "You listen to me, I love this girl, it's as simple as that, trust her or no, I don't care, but You respect her, Understand?" Lee looked up at him, her eyes hazy, she looked like she might speak out, or slap him... but she closed her mouth, and nodded quietly.

He resumed his seat, taking a long breath as Kara looked at him, her eyes beginning to well "I'm going to hunt." She muttered, getting up and marching from the table, Eyes were on them, the music had stopped and the sound of the doors of Valhal slamming shut echoed above the quiet mutterings.

The fires were still hot inside of him... He took a breath to lay his anger to rest and looked over to Lok.

The Dark bearded man raised an eyebrow, more in check than anything and Aetri put on a smile and raised his Flagon "WE DRINK IN VALHAL, WHERE BASTARDS CAN BE KINGS!" He roared, making the other's stand in salute

"VALHAAAAAL!" They all screamed, the music flowing as well as the mead once again and the people continuing their merriment.

Lee was mostly quiet after that, sitting with her arms folded without a drink, but Crow stared at Aetri as He frowned "What is it that angers You?" She asked, her voice soft as silk

Aetri rolled her eyes "I'm no longer in the mood for your games, Crow."

"I do not think it is the girl." Crow disregarded his words, continuing as she nodded to herself

"There's something about her that doesn't sit right with me," Lee muttered under her breath

Crow interjected "The Girl is not the issue. We have been here at peace for Eight years now, the time is nearly nigh." She said, looking at Aetri who was disarmed by the sudden bringing up of the subject

"W-What?" He stammered

"We have trained for long enough. You are sure as a shadow, strong as iron, the Time has come..." Crow said rather certainly. Lee's face fell slightly, her emerald eyes softening

"You can't be sure of that?" Lee said, a little softer than was usual

"I am always sure. You will be Twenty on the Morrow, Your manhood came long ago, we have wasted enough time. Kara, Uld, even Lee-fu, You were not supposed to stay here, You know this, it is why You are angry." Crow was always sure, matter factual, it annoyed him sometimes

"How would you know what Anger is, You don't feel anything." He grumbled. Crow's eyes lowered for a moment "No... I'm sorry, Crow... it's just, Bloody saints, Eight years?" He grimaced, it flashed in his mind again, the screams, the smell, the fire, it made his heart hurt and his eyes itch, just the thought of it disgusted him

"You told me to not let anything stop you, and I keep my word on dragon's blood." Aetri looked at Crow, nodding quietly as He contemplated it all... He had grown so used to being here, Uld felt like home. but it wasn't home, it never would be.

"I suppose... I knew this day would come, I felt so sure about it earlier but now..." Lee said, misery creeping into her voice, Aetri lent forward, taking his mentor's hand

"Mentor..."

Lee shook her head "No. No... She's right, the time has come. I... I will have to go through the rounds with you, one more time, I think you might be ready."

The prospect intimidated him beyond measure, was his training really complete? it felt like such a core part of him that without it He might have nothing... what happened, happened long ago, and He didn't know if He had the heart to face it after all this time.

"Here... Girl!" Lee called out, making Aetri jolt this time "Some more drinks here please!" The Drinks came, Lee forcing Crow to take one. Lee smiled at Aetri with her drunken eyes, though they were earnest, raising her beverage in a toast "A Toast. to the end." She slurred through a smile.

Crow lifted her drink "To the End." She said softly.

Aetri frowned, hesitant to lift his own... "To... the end." He said, thinking of Uld, thinking of the lodge and thinking of Kara.