Many things were happening all at once, and in spite of her relief at seeing two of the Dragon's Throat's best warriors returning home, she could not help the grief-driven jealousy that bubbled within her at the sight of a family reunion. She had never had the opportunity to gather her kin to her, not all at once. Not even close. Even if she had known that Megaera and Einarr's daughter was missing, she would have lamented her own losses all the same. That is not to say that her heart wouldn't have gone out to the couple before her. No, she knew all too well what it felt like to be separated from one's herd and family.

In any case, her morose mood was the least of her concerns as she explained the recent goings-on in their home. She had expected their reactions to be confused, bewildered, shell-shocked - but she had not expected fury, and she had not expected to be breaking the news of her demotion to Megaera. In the haze that Gaucho's death had left behind, the mare had hardly even remembered that there had been another lead besides him, and she immediately regretted having said anything at all. Better that they'd found out from someone else, some other way - but Megaera had not seemed to care for her in the past, and she was sure that the news stung all the more for the unease between them.

"No, he wasn't murdered," she said quickly, shaking her head. "As far as we know, anyway. Sikeax said..." Wait, what if the Physician had killed Gaucho? She was the one who seemed to know the most about his condition, after all, and she was the one who had supposedly tried to treat it. What if she had actually caused it? The pale lady swallowed hard. "Sikeax said that he was sick, and that she had done everything she could to save him, but by the time she found out about it, there was nothing she could do."

To Meg, the mare offered a sorrowful look. She was genuinely displeased to be sharing the news, would have preferred to have the Sunspear as their ruler, particularly with Gaucho gone and Sikeax new to the throne. "The Sun God... he said that you'd been absent too long," she told the other mare quietly, trying to keep the darker conversations between the adults. "I'm so sorry, I don't... I'm sorry," she ended lamely, awkwardly trying to make amends for the news she carried. "I - I think it's best if perhaps I leave you to yourselves for now. I'll be at the oasis if you have need of me. It's - it's so good to see you both, I'm so glad you've returned."

And then she was inching away, waiting until she was at a polite distance to take to the skies and escape the uncomfortable silence she'd left behind.

"Talk talk talk."
Astraeus.

OOC | I am a slow-poke but here's me wrapping up Soh's part here.

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