Hallelujah (I'm Not Dead)

Kirsi was patient as Ignis began to speak, though his words perplexed her as well. Had people been talking badly of him? If such things were true, she hadn't experienced them herself. Then again she didn't interact with others as often as some might, hyperfocused on her children and their educations and well-beings. It seemed his speech didn't settle well with her children either. Onyx spoke out and she felt the same swell of pride building in her chest as Song felt. She'd had no issue with how he'd taken the pack, but the allegations seemed paranoid at best. Even Bronze spoke out to agree with her, both remarkably well-spoken.

It was yet another reminder to her of how quickly her children were growing. They'd be yearlings before long and she could only hope she'd taught them all well enough to fare in whatever endeavors they chose. It seemed already they'd found their voices and were learning to speak their minds, even when the outcomes might not be favorable, and she applauded them quietly for that. Even Hauyne and Pyrite, who didn't seem to find it necessary to include their opinions on the matter, spoke confidently on what they wanted to train in, and Kirsi felt her pride only grow. She wasn't sure how Ignis might respond to Onyx's defensive speech but she was curious, and she bit her tongue as she leaned back and waited. Much could be learned about a leader by how he treated his people, especially those that had been loyal even in his absence, and she hoped he'd say the right things.