The journey to the mountain had been easy and without delay, the magic provided to them by their God well suited to keeping all those who journeyed with them safe and well fed. She ate well, as she figured when the Time Lord had offered the temporary power, and as she stood and looked down on her people, she felt well for the first time since the darkness had fallen onto the land.

Her people, on the other hand, had been forced into the caves, most of them for much longer than she herself had been; she was not sure it had been a fair exchange. A prison would have been fair in trade for her loss of self, the blood that had been spilt that was of her people and not the enemy. The only gift she had been given out of the whole exchange, it would seem, was a new magical ability that seemed was not temporary as some of the fluke reactions to the magical charge that they lived in; from her horn, she could draw electrical currents.

She’d discovered it in the caverns and had practiced quietly through out the times she was alone, learning that the bolt, while singular, was devastatingly accurate once she gathered enough control over it to begin directing its aim. Any who knew her well enough to notice a physical change could see the marks of her hours weaving the talents of electricity – her bangs were singed and much shorter than they had been before.

It was a high price to pay for magical prowess. She’d had quite the head of hair before Deimos had ripped the one chunk loose during their spar and she’d fried a good bit of it being a novice electrician.

She bows her head in time with that of the Lord alongside her, meeting his glance with a soft smile that lies in spite of her heart. She will never love him, this is to be sure, but she will tolerate him; if he is to be a failure, he will remove himself. She cannot be bothered to fret so heavily on a sociopath male when there is so much at hoof to do.

With a gleaming, golden gaze, she looks over her herd at the statue that still stands and gleams in stunning bronze, and her heart remembers the man who made it, bidding her eyes to search for him among those that have gathered. She does not recall seeing him in the caves, and while she is loathe to admit it, a pang of worry over the antisocial crafter overtakes her.

After all, he has much work to do.

"There is much to discuss indeed; but first things first. Welcome home," she begins, looking to each face in turn and attempting to take note of who is absent and who is new, "we have survived yet another dark trial together. If any of you know of another who is missing, possibly still infected or lost, please let some one know here and now so we can assist in returning them to the mountain."

"During the period in the caves, much has changed among our herd while as much as remained the same. As you all know, we held a tournament on the brink of the disastrous events of late for the positions of General and our Corporals, though that tournament was interrupted by the villainous plague that swept across the land. A decision has been made on these ranks, and many others."

She pauses and takes a breath, her exhalation misty and sparkling in the pale light.

" The Lord Deimos and I still hold council, as does Faelene the Thief. The open position of General will be filled by Torleik, who has proven his bravery and valor in the field of combat and who we both feel will provide excellent strategic advice and training. We welcome our guardian of the mountain paths Belial into our herd alongside fearless Deodat as his corporals."

Allowing for the men to speak should they wish and granting each a graceful nod of her crown, she continues onward.

"Crowley, our long term weaver, has rescinded his position. While he can never be replaced, we have welcomed his assistant, Farenjer, and the machinist, Ulrik, as our new cloth makers. As many of you know, d’Artagnan and the nurse Kou departed our company some seasons past, and while both are now among our company again, the Poisoner will not be returning to the rank of Time Mender."

Smiling broadly at one of her most favored subjects, her eyes fall upon the sweet bay mare and burn with a light that remembers a day when she had saved her from an infection that surely would have taken her life.

"The healer Lena will fill this position, if she will take it, for her endeavors during the plight of the infected to save as many as she could from that terrible fate," she pauses again to let words pass on the decision and then charges onward, still seeing her massive mental list and already feeling her throat threatening to crack and grow dry, "the position of Haruspex is now open once more, as Huyana has decided to step down from the rank. Any interested in the position should contact Deimos or myself for more information."

"We welcome a new healer and a new emissary to our numbers, Tangere who will be studying under Lena and Zuriel who will be providing diplomatic services to the herd."

"Our God is kind and powerful and has protected our home well during our absence, of which I have been assured personally. You should find all your things as they were when you left them. We will be continuing with our herd improvement projects; mainly the sentinel statues, of which one stands inactive at the moment. This will involve mining into the caves which will serve both purposes to make the statues move and to broaden the living quarters within them. Those interested in assisting in these projects can contact either of our Weavers or Deimos and I."

"I believe that covers it all," she says with a bright smile, looking over at the man next to her and wondering how they have come so far since their last similar venture, "If any of you have any other news or information of importance, now would be the time to voice it."