Teenagers Scare The Living Shit Outta Me [RAID]

A raid hadn't been the expected plan for the day - Red would much rather be out checking his snares, which was what he'd intended to be doing - but it seemed the pirates had it in their heads to be stirring up trouble. As little as he relished the concept of war, if they simply allowed the pirates to come in and take whatever they wanted without conflict Valhalla would never have any peace. The pirates, and anyone else, would never let up if they thought that they wouldn't defend what was theirs. So he paced alongside his son, and nodded grimly in acknowledgement of his words. Unnecessary in Red's case, because he wouldn't be likely to seek to maim someone if he could help it, but likely necessary for some of the hotheaded youths. Going straight to maims simply started a cycle of revenge-maiming and trouble that they did not need. And as they came into sight of raiders, another reason to avoid escalation very quickly became apparent.

Sparrow was leading a group of children into Valhalla's lands.

Oh, there were adults sprinkled in, but the majority of the raiders were yearlings, and some even younger. Red stopped, wrestling with his conscience. Could he really bring himself to bring harm to a child, even one intent on stealing from his pack? Would it not be better to step back now, and spend time later to seek out and speak with them, teach them that the way of their parents was not the right? Wouldn't fighting them now simply cement into their minds the us vs them mentality that they were no doubt being indoctrinated into in that pack? Yet they would not learn that actions had consequences if they were simply allowed to take from Valhalla without repercussions. Troubled, and angry that the adults in these children's lives were raising them to be thieves and raiders rather than raising them with the love and care they deserved, that they had smirkingly put their children in a position to be harmed by a pack that was only defending itself, he hesitated where he was.