Sohalia was among the first to arrive, her pale form moving daintily over golden sands. As luck would have it, she had been nearby when she had heard the summons, for once not doing much of anything. She slipped into a place near Sikeax, a mare who should could not bring herself to hate regardless of how easy it would be to do so. As their Sun Physician, many would say that she had failed - but the Transcended had seen her grief that day by Gaucho's side and for many days after. In her heart, Sohalia knew that their new Sultana had done all that she could for the WildFire. That was enough for her, as it would have to be enough for everyone else.

As Astraeus fluttered down from the sky to settled his sparking form upon her back, Sohalia offered a kind (albeit sad) smile to the lonely mare calling them to order. As a former Sultana herself, she knew just how daunting it could be to hold a herd meeting, and she had never had to face the task by herself. Nor had she ever had to present such awful news, to coax their herd to move past the tragedy that had befallen them. Her job had been easy in comparison to this, and she hoped that her kind eyes portrayed some of the sympathy that she felt for the unicorn mare.

(Had they ever had a non-pegasus ruler?)

As the meeting began, Sohalia was on edge, expectantly awaiting the moment when someone in the crowd would challenge their new Sultana's words. When Sikeax paused, the Transcended immediately stepped forward, hoping to help direct the tone of the meeting past blame and guilt and on to more productive things. "You did all that you could to help him, Sikeax," she told the mare softly before addressing the rest of those assembled. "All of you know that Gaucho was a warrior, and that he dedicated his life to keeping all of us safe. He would not want us to fall to grief and despair. We are all hurting, but he will be remembered. Zèklè, with Vinati's help, has created a golem in Gaucho's likeness. If you want to contribute to his memory or say a last goodbye, I ask that you visit that site. I ask that you remember that Gaucho is not gone from us; he will continue to watch over us all from the spirit lands of his ancestors. We are not alone."

Suddenly self-conscious, the dove stepped back, bowing her head momentarily as though in prayer. Her eyes closed against the looks of those around her, her throat working busily to dispel the lump that had appeared there. She missed Gaucho, perhaps the most of anyone there, but she would not let his absence destroy them. Even as it destroyed her.

"talk talk talk"

@Zèklè is mentioned

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