never take advice from someone who just admitted to being devious and just confessed to treason
Roland had never been happier to leave a safe haven behind. The first breath he drew beneath the sun flooded his lungs with fresh air, purging his bloodstream of the mildew, the rot and mould that prospered in the caves, and injecting life back into his system. He didn't waste any time lingering around the Heart, trying to gather his bearings or survey the land for dangers, instead he headed home, turning his back on the caverns without sparing them a second glance.
Rather than a wasteland, he returned to the Basin much as he had left it. In their absence the land had renewed itself, shed the shadows and ichor, and flourished beneath the snow as it always had. The sun glanced off the mountains, a bright sky spread above their heads, and finally Roland could breathe clear air. Gone were the lingering undertones of mould and the rhythmic dripping of water resonating throughout the hollow tunnels. The monotonous song of the underground had been replaced by the whistle of wind, howling and haunting, but blissfully familiar.
And now he stood among his comrades, basking in the sun's warmth as the voices of his leaders rang out across the rocky crags. The space that surrounded them, open and vast, was unfamiliar. He had grown accustomed to the finite spaces of the caves; the dank, stagnant air and overwhelmingly earthen smells. But for all that the Basin seemed relatively unharmed, much had changed. Many ranks that had once been filled were in need of occupation, and some of the herd had decided not to follow their Lord and Lady home. He listened in morose silence as old titles were bestowed upon new owners, voicing his congratulations along with the rest of them when Lena was named Time Mender. Many spoke up, pledging their allegiance to the herd, and offering their protection. While Roland no longer had the fortitude of his earlier years, and couldn’t find it in himself to offer his armaments in the case of war, he would do all he could with the skills he had to protect his home.
|
.svg/2000px-Google_Chrome_icon_(2011).svg.png){kind=icon}
⇒
[O] Unite and Spread the Heart Apart [Herd Meeting]
