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Mara looks at him funny. "Why? Daddy says if you can think fer yerself then you should make yer own decisions... And if yer decisions just happen to be the ones that coincide with an other's, then all is well and good. I asked what happens when people disagree and he said that there is nothing wrong with disagreeing... it's when one person decides they are right to the point of forcing their opinions on someone else that trouble springs up. Ma just rolled his eyes at that, but said that Daddy was right... to a point.. Then he and Daddy got into some weird discussion of social vs. individual rights and such... They didn't see eye to eye on it, I'm afraid, and it was way over my head."

Ari laughs weakly. "That's because yer a lot like Daddy. Ye both think people should be able to live completely free lives... But Ma keeps telling him there's no true utopia..."

Mara frowns at this. "But isn't that wrong... not that she's yer tamer... iffin ye wanted to be tamed then fine, but forcing one's ideas or wishes on another is just plain mean. Heck it's mean to do it to something like to a creature that can't truly think for itself... well, not always but most of the time it is. I wouldn't dare try to force the creatures I tame to do something that frightens them or hurts them... it's just not right. What I try to do is convince them they want to do the things I ask of them. And I bet she doesn't so much force ye as talk yer ear off, telling ye why ye should do something, huh?"

"Nah... that's Mama's realm, talking yer ear off that is. He's really good at that." laughs Ari, sounding a little bit stronger. "But I don't know Kero, I don't think he meant that because there is no utopia, we should not try to make things better. I think what he meant was that because we are all parts of the weave, we can't go through life pretending that we don't need anyone else to help us out. At least that was what it sounded like while he talked with Daddy. I think he meant we all have to work together... at least that is how it seemed to me."

Ari nods vigorously. "Yes! That's what I think Mama was saying... but Daddy sometimes doesn't want to work with others. He says we're better off here, away from the world... where we can't be hurt."

"And what is wrong with that?" demands her sister testily. "And as for ye being tamed, Kero, did she force ye to be good or did she stop ye from being bad? That's two entirely differing things ye know...."

"Ah.... but did she force ye to be bad?" asks Ari with a wink. "or stop ye from being good?? That is where the real trouble is... Mama says that making people do the things they are supposed to do is only evil when it goes too far. But making people do things they should NOT do is never, ever right."

"Picky... picky..." grumbles Mara in return. "Ye and Mama are always poking holes in my arguments."

"Hey, I'm not telling ye what to think... just... darn what does Daddy call it... sumtin about an advocate...." laughs Ari, turning to give her a tiny hug.

Ari gives a tiny squeal and grabs for a scale to hold onto. "I'm not hurting ye, am I, Kero?" she asks as she tires to hold to the scale without lifting it from his back. The scales are huge, smooth and warm to the touch.

Mara laughs and slips a arm about her waist to steady her. "Man... yer such a worry wart... iffin it hurt, do ye think he'd let us ride? AS for Tes... I smell a story..." she hints with just a t iny touch of conniving in her voice. "Blackmail and bribery.... hmmm... what she got on ye anyway, brother mine?"

Ari smiles at him. "She knows ye pretty darn good, doesn't she?" she teases gently. "Kind of like Daddy does Mama. Sometimes I thin he knows Mama better than Mama does him."

"So..." begs Mara in a pleading voice. "What were some of the things she held over yer head, big brother... anything juicy?"

"Fiddlesticks... hey, wait a minute. ye haven't been married too long... well, ye have but she tamed ye ages before ye got married... I know Ma said so... so how could she blackmail ye into behaving while she was taming ye, iffin she was using that kind of stuff... Kero, ye naughty ol' snake." laughs Mara knowingly.

"Whacha talking about, Mari...." asks Ari in confusion.