What was this? Every seemed so disheartened at their "failure". Even she would admit that there was a sinking feeling of disappointment beneath it all after trying so hard and ending up with a broken pile of sand and seaweed. This couldn't be allowed to continue. Going into the next trial believing they were losers would only hurt them.

"Come on, heads up," she said not unkindly, smiling down to Chuppi and trying to tilt her sniffling chin up. She looked to Yin and stood, trying to gain some kind of proud stance. "We battled a beast twenty times our size in defense of our fortress. We may not have won, but the trials are not over yet. We will move on to War, to prove to ourselves more than any others that we're capable of total destruction. We can only learn from this experience what is required for the future. We must be more prepared, more ready for everything that can be thrown at us. We deserve to succeed in these trials, and we've all proved our loyalty and our determination by fighting an un-win-able battle."