Ampere greeted the dawn with a loud series of whistles carried out over the sands on her wings. She circled around the heart of the sands, while her summons should stretch towards its borders. Although the greeting of a new day was certainly a habit of birds, it was not the purpose for her song - she sang of battle and blood, of duty and might.

She was calling her shield sisters and battle brothers. She was gathering her warriors.

In a gentle spray of sand Ampere's hooves touched back down by the Oasis, where she'd left her son. She glanced towards where he should be, checking he hadn't run off this time, before setting her attention towards the shapes she saw arriving. She was their Gladiator, it was time to start acting like it. Several things had drawn her attention away from the role, namely her trepidation to wield it. She had never been a leader of anything, not really, considering her short term as the Throat's sultana. After plunging head first into motherhood though, this certainly seemed less scary, and at least this time she was leading something smaller and closer to her heart. It made the crown intimate, rather than heavy. Still, this wasn't a path she knew well, and the uncertainty of her heading their army put butterflies in her stomach. She'd trust in Gaucho though, as she hadn't in the Sun or herself.

I can do this, she breathed, cocking her left hind leg to appear more comfortable than she felt. Unfortunately warriors were well versed in reading body language, and most tended to be brutally blunt. Still, maybe she could pull of acting like she knew how to do this whole, I'm in charge thing.

First things first, meet her siblings of swords. She needed faces, and names to go with them, and ideally, an assessment of their fighting prowess. She'd like to test them all herself, but maybe not today, they had patrols to attend to as well - the murderer was still on the loose after all.

Second, a show of strength. She had been pregnant and recently given birth, something of which nearly all the herd knew of by now. The last thing she needed was any of them thinking her unfit to hold her position. Maybe there were certain traits that were truthful to that thought, but her physical prowess wouldn't be one of them, of that she was solidly decided. I am strong her eyes said as she looked at each arrival in turn. I have made life, and I have recovered her body suggested as she stood tall (ish) and firm, muscles still toned and sturdy.

"I thought it was past due that we all get officially acquainted. So to start, I'm Ampere, the Mother of Companions (and Zèklè), and the Dragon's Throat Gladiator." Such was the greeting she proffered after quiet nods, once all had gathered within reasonable time. "If you would, offer your own."