Jerome - By the lake with the Large group about to assist Catherine Elizabeth, but moving to talk with Shima.<br/><br/>He smiled and nodded as the whole group moved to help the new cat, he even smiled brighter as Dirk and the new... bird? joined in.  Looking back, he noticed Blaze nod and seem pleased that the great clans could get along... Great clans, Jerome thought, maybe at one time we were great... but now we are beaten, and forced together like rats on a sinking ship.  He quickly hid the sadness that had come to his eyes, but saw something similar in the one called Shima's eyes.  He walked along behind the others, holding back to speak with Shima quietly.<br/><br/>"I know the feelings you have, I can remember the raids and conflicts centuries ago between our peoples.  For over 800 years I have been a warrior, a fighter, and now a leader, a mediator.  Where once we were all great and powerful as nations... now we are few, so few that we can all hide together in one large haven.  300 years ago, during the Demon wars, would you have thought that we could work together as friends then?  Now?  During the last century, I have watched as my people dwindle from the over 5000 to just under two.  But, we are still a proud people.  And now, we will fight for our new family.  You ask how the humans did this to us?  We let them.  We were so busy fighting each other, we never noticed as they rose in power and hunted us down like prey.  No, they can't do as we do, but some of us help them, help them so they can survive.  They help them hunt their own kind."<br/><br/>It was his last words that saddened him the most, he thought about his own brother, the one that had revealed the location of their own valley to the human kingdoms... His own flesh and blood brother, whom he had been forced to kill.  He almost teared up at that point, but his stoic nature and culture would not let him.  "Come, let us away with such talk, and look to the future with hope." He smiled down at Shima as he finished, and pressed on towards the destination, a rather huge log that looked as if a number of people could live in it.