Silent reined in the forest. Such a cowardly, fitting way for the gremlin's fledgling legacy to end, no? Not a single adult member showed. It seemed that once their rock was flipped they'd fled like the roaches they were. Turning to Cascade, the King said, "Search the forest again." If there were children still here they couldn't have gone far. Unless, of course, the boys had been deliberately left behind.
Approaching the boys, Valentine nudged Mercy's hip in the hopes that his presence was enough to gain control of the situation. Somberly, he said to the children, "It seems your parents have run away, leaving you behind. I guess," he sighed, "You're like me; I wasn't good enough for my dad either. He had his favorites and when he didn't want me anymore, he just left. Didn't even say good-bye." Valentine may not have been able to get a fight out of the gremlin, but how sweet a victory would it be to turn her children against her?
Briefly looking over his shoulder, he glanced at each of his packmates in turn in the hopes that's they'd catch onto what he was doing and either help or stay silent. Valentine then turned back to the boys. Fixing them with a sympathetic expression, he said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think they care about you. I think they left you here because you weren't good enough, like I wasn't good enough for my dad. Where's your sister? I see she isn't here." What was her name? The little green one? Gangrene? Gonorrhea? Something with a 'G'. Turning to Daegmar, he said for the boys' benefit, "I bet she was their favorite."
Really laying it on thick, the brute, with pity shining in his eyes, regarded the boys once more. "I think what they did to you was very rotten. I also think they were wrong." He paused to let that sink in, then, "How do you feel about proving them wrong?"
"Speaking" -- "Thinking"
NOTE: Valentine has a female striped skunk companion named Lefty. Unless stated otherwise assume she's present.
