Spring had arrived, but the night seemed everlasting. Spirits had lifted with the return of warmth and vegetation, but until the return of the sun nothing would ever feel entirely good. Paired with itching scabs and a painful leg that refused to heal correctly, it was a decidedly grouchy mare that was stirred from her light slumber by the approach of hooves over sandy ground. Silken wings rustled as she breathed in; then Skuggi stirred and cracked an eye open, grimly studying the pegasus for a heartbeat before she let out a sigh, muscles relaxing once more.

"So it's you. I trust the information was correct?" she asked, eying the winged informant she had sent along with the soldiers to aid with the rescue of their Sultana. A faint smile appeared on the inked lips as she nodded and said "The Sultana Kri is returned here safe and sound, bringing along her captor as a prisoner on top of it all. There was really no need for us to..."
"Maybe not. But there was no way to be certain, and at the very least we provided her with a guard on the way home. Now, was that all?"
"Er.. no, ma'am. Kri requested your presence..."
"Then say that first!" the black pegasi frowned and straightened up from her slouch, smile widening at the prospect of being able to talk to the flaxen Commander again. "Thanks, you did a good job.. Better get back to your 'squad' again, before anyone misses you."

They parted, and before the informant had time to disappear in the night the shade had reached down and grabbed the broken piece of horn she'd taken to carry around between her teeth, stretched the wings and took to the sky. She didn't have to look very long to find the short mare, and eyed her sturdy frame worriedly as she came down to land; each scab and cut was noted with growing anger, and the gathered emotions was released in a single, murderous glare at the black lass that stood captured and defeated in the gloom. Hard hooves connected with red sand sprinkled with fresh spring foliage, the short raven stumbled slightly as a jolt of pain shot through the injured rear leg - and then she was between Kri and the unicorn, quick as mercury and with a smile greeting both the cream-maned mare and the painted General, whom she hadn't had time to talk to much in what felt like a very long time.

"It's nice to see you both in good health" she greeted with warmth and placed the broken horn at her feet, extending a velvet nose to nudge respectfully at a chocolate shoulder. "I hope the soldiers were of use to you..." she acknowledged the kin that stayed by Kri with a nod and a smile, "even though I heard that they arrived too late to assist in your actual escape."

The smile only lasted so long, lavender orbs turned cold as they began scrutinizing the unicorn as though she were something small and foul smelling. "Was it really necessary to bring this one along, Sultana? We have enough to do already, guarding prisoners will only stretch our people thin."