{"I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me, they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could."}
The chamber had settled into a murmur of agreement, the tension softening like mist lifting off the mountain ridges. The female elder Maedra, keeper of clan rites, rose from her seat, the weight of her woven ceremonial cloak trailing behind her like roots in the stone. Her eyes gleamed with something ancient and knowing as she addressed me.
"Rolan Rogourau," she began, voice steady, timeless. "You have returned to your people. You have claimed your mate and stood before your clan with your truth unshaken. As is custom among the Rogourau, the first night of your return shall be spent in the Nest."
