"What makes you say that?" Allegra wondered.
"If you had done this in my family's Domain," Blanc decided to reply, "All the people that were captured would have had tortured the information out of them, nails put into their eyes while they were alive, before being executed. That is usually how it goes."
Celine nodded, "You are in luck to have attacked a Noble Blood whose desire for information is greater than any punishment he might have given your people for the things you have done."
A large man with ox horns pointing forward approached Georn, whispering something in his ear, just as Allegra began speaking.
"This decision has to be made by all the Chiefs of our Clans," she said, "We need a few minutes to talk things over."
Blanc nodded, a warm smile on his face, "Absolutely, but since we are already involved, if you deny our help, we will no longer be able to aid you, and henceforth bargain for something to our advantage, regardless of whatever happens to you or your people."
"Is that a threat?" Georn asked, taking a step between Blanc and his daughter.
"A warning," Blanc corrected as he walked past both father and daughter, with his wives and siblings following closely behind.
"I do not like them," Georn muttered to the rest as Blanc and his group got off the bridge and walked a fair bit of distance away.
"Elder Georn," Aleto, Chief of the Panther Clan, approached, "Humans cannot be trusted. If that Lord really is as easy to convince as they say, then we might as well do it ourselves."
Leilani and some of the other chiefs nodded at his words, but one thing was certain.
They were the minority.
"As I said, I do not like them, and for all the centuries I've lived, I could not figure out the pair of five. But, you cannot deny that they've stopped the killing from continuing, when we, with all our strength, couldn't get closer to the line of soldiers waiting on the other side."
"That is because they hold our people hostage, Elder," Aleto argued.
"I will not risk my daughter's life," an older-tailed man hissed, "That sword was about to send her to the Vita, yet that man, that human, stopped it from happening. I do not care what they ask for; if their plan takes those ropes off our people, I am ready to pay with my life if need be."
"Athus, Chief of the Cheetah Clan," Georn muttered, "Though I do not share the fire in your heart, I could see why you would think like that."
Ulia, the Chiefess of the Megaloceros, took a step forward, "I am of the same belief. Let's give them what they want, as long as all our people are released. If need be, we can just kill them off after this situation is over."
"Are you really sugg-" Allegra wanted to argue, but a loud thud in the wood below their feet stopped her from speaking.
An arrow was stabbing the hardwood near Ulia's feet.
Tracing the direction the arrow came from, their eyes turned towards the pair of five, seeing Blanc with a bow in his hand, pointing to his ear, letting them know that he had heard that.
"These humans are not so simple," Georn sighed as he looked towards his daughter, "Weird to be acquainted with such folk."
"Both times were coincidences," Allegra shook her head, "But both times they gave us more than we had given them."
"I will not allow such a blasphemy to occur," Aleto hissed, taking the arrow into his hand and snapping it in two, "I would rather die than beg for the help they so conveniently offered us."
"Your son is there," Georn whispered, his eyes even colder than before, "Are you ready to see him die?"
"If need be? Yes," Aleto replied, throwing the snapped arrow on the wooden bridge, "I can make ten more in his stead, but tarnishing our honor, and becoming indebted to a more convenient pair of humans is just switching who is our people's captor."
"What do you think, hubby?" Miyanna asked, looking at the situation from the sidelines, "Will they accept our help?"
"They will," Blanc nodded, placing his bow back on his shoulder, before taking a seat on the moist ground of the rainforest.
"They appear to be arguing," Kael countered, looking at the group of Metamorphs. "How can you be so sure?"
"They have no other choice," Celine replied in Blanc's stead, taking a seat near him, "They do not have the leverage to change the situation they are in, so either they fight, hoping they will succeed, negotiate for terms that won't be equally in their favor, or see their young die. Between all three, they will choose the fourth option."
"And we are the fourth option?" Miyanna asked, frowning at the confusing answer.
"Correct," Celine smiled, proud of Miyanna's guess.
"But, sister Celine," Lune intervened, "What if you are wrong, and they still refuse our help? What then?"
"Well, whatever they choose, we will come out with advantages," Celine replied, "And the presence of the Daughter will ensure that."
Two hours later, a horse could be heard approaching, signaling to all that the talks would soon resume.
The sun was soon to set, so the soldiers placed torches on the wetlands' side just in case the talks would take place during the night.
And a minute later, as the long conversation the Metamorphs had finally come to an end, the soldier who had left earlier brought with him on his saddle a woman.
She wore a long dress of pure white over her womanly features.
Yet her face was devoid of any emotion, even more so than the coldness of the Spirit Bears.
But what stood out most, as the sun was setting in the distance, was her crimson hair and eyes, which shone like rubies in the sunlight.
She got off the saddle right before the horse stepped on the bridge, looking at the group of five approaching her.
"We thank you for your presence, Daughter," Blanc bowed as they stopped feet away from her.