As I made my return to the Dragon's Throat, my coat was already completely dry from the swim I had taken in the lake in the middle of the Deep Forest. The winged stallion had taken the stone back for us, his wings granting him the fastest way to return to our home. My mane and tail were still damp in sections, but thankfully the ends were dry enough to prevent sand from clumping into them. As I crossed over the land bridge, my hooves flicked on the stone and my steps gradually became muffled by the sand. Up ahead, five eagles of fire were circling overhead. Gaucho was calling for us.

It didn't take much too much longer before I was able to find the herd beginning to collect before Gaucho. My eyes flickered through both familiar and unfamiliar faces, lingering slightly longer on those that I either knew personally or herd about. When my eyes crossed by Ampere and Alija, a sense of unease built up on my shoulders and I quickly averted my eyes to avoid letting the nausea I had felt before return. I couldn't even allow myself to study the foal that had joined the Chancellor's side, instead approaching the group from behind to stand off to the side awkwardly. Though I had grown to love living in the desert, and used to minding my own business...There were times like this were I felt quite detached from the rest of the herd. We were supposed to be a family, but I felt like we were dysfunctional every now and then. The large frame of Einarr caught my attention, lips pulling back slightly into a soft smile with relief knowing he was able to get the stone back safely. It seemed Sikeax was also there,

Quietly, I settled off to the side from the herd, continuing what I had always done as the rest of the so called family gathered in their own intimate cliques and families. I would mind my own business, do as I was told by my leaders, and watch as though I was standing on the outside looking in. That's exactly what I was, that one girl that everyone forgets about unless someone deliberately asks about her. The woman that could vanish from the herd without notice, the one that did what she could to help but was otherwise overlooked, the one that would be gone for a while before anyone asked 'Hey, remember that one mare? Where do you think she went? Oh well...' I had grown so used to this role by now that I wasn't even aware that it could be considered unusual, it was simply the way things were. Perhaps over time, I could make a better impression upon the ones that I was supposed to be able to trust above all, make a few friends and such. Until then, I returned my gaze to the Sultan, auds pricked forward to listen to his announcements.