The dove waited as the voices continued, swirling here and there around her. A soft smile lingered upon her lips, for this was precisely what she had wanted in creating the Academy: a gathering of very different equines engaging in discussion that never became inflamed or derogatory. Their voices all remained level, ideas were exchanged, and surely, were there disagreements, compromises would be made. Who would have thought that Ampere would attend such a meeting, much less carry herself with such grace and dignity? That is not to say that Sohalia thought poorly of the mare - quite the opposite, in fact - but she would have thought that the blue's explosive nature would get the better of her even here. The behaviors of Maren and Isopia (or at least that which the Transcended had seen) would have, in theory, been a much better fit for the blossoming organization.

And yet, here they all were. Her chest swelled with pride.

"Let us not make any rash decisions," she told Maren with a respectful nod. "There may be no need for an additional space. I just wanted to mention the idea, in case you or others would prefer the sacred space to be protected." In truth, such protection may not be needed, even against outsiders. Any who attended the Academy would be well-chaperoned; even a mare as trusting as she was not content to allow just anyone to wander through her herdlands. Besides, the church was Maren's project, and had been planned since even before Sohalia had returned. It was not her place to suggest any changes. If they needed a different space later, they could always construct a schoolhouse.

Of fighting, the pale mare waited for Isopia to finish, then added, "Or consider the fighter who has no mind for tactics; consider a tactician who hasn't the strength to fight. True, the fighting itself might be better taught by the warriors of the herd, and certainly the teachers at the Academy must be experienced in this regard, but I do think that there is a great deal of theoretical and even practical information that could be presented in just the environment that we would build. Besides," she added then, "there is so much more that the Academy can offer than just basic learning. Imagine the ability to exchange ideas, to build off of one another just as we are doing here! To discuss one's talents and skills and discover new ways to combine them..." She trailed off, allowing the others to make up their own minds about her thoughts.

Returning her roaming gaze to Maren, she nodded. "As you say, Maren. We cannot possibly teach every little thing, but we can certainly choose several main topics and branch from there. There is nowhere in Helovia that I know of to teach 'wisdom' - in any of its aspects - or even magic, which, in my experience, has been learned through a great deal of instinct, trial, and error. Fighting, as discussed, can be taught, but perhaps the more theoretical knowledge in particular would be worth offering to our students. The gathering and sharing of information, the combination of great minds to address new ideas - it would be unlike anything our land has ever seen."

"talk talk talk"

Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight