Did you not read the company policy?

The monochromatic woman eyed the brute sitting off to the side, wagering he was related to one of the little tykes seated before her. He did not interrupt, nor seem all that over-protective about what she might tell the kids so she merely offered him a prolonged bit of eye contact before she returned her attention back to the children. The mottled girl gave a simple answer, but the small girl – the one whose eyes could have mirrored Absinth’s when she was a pup… she gave a reply with some meat on it. Haha. With her tone filled with mystery, she continued. “Yes. Strength is power, power is everything. You like your free will, don’t you? You’ll need strength to defend it. But this does not always mean physical power.”

Absinth leaned back a bit, eyes taking in the little forms one at a time, making sure the weight of her words was fully settled over them. Then, with a rugged voice full of confidence and knowing she spun her tale. “You see, the Syndicate understood the power of knowledge and strategy. They knew that to succeed, they had to be clever, resourceful, and willing to take risks. Not to say that they weren’t powerful. Quite the opposite.” She chuckled, a paw raising and gesturing in the air at the kids.

“They started off as a Band by the same name, building up quiet strength in the north under their Sultan. Their King, that is. He had a lovely cousin who was as pretty as she was smart, and she managed to befriend a cute kid like you all. She showered him with books and treats, and he had such a lovely time with her and her kin. But there was an issue. The Syndicate needed to become a pack. How do you think this happened?” Absinth eyed them again, her gaze falling on the small one for a bit longer than the others.
wormwood