His gratitude was graciously accepted, a graceful sweep of her tiara and a comforting, reassuring smile glowed upon her lips. The telltale scent of another crept into her nostrils then, and as the stallion pulled himself from the stream and announced his intentions to help the herd as best he could, Mirage was unsurprised to see her beloved Captain's golden bodice and sultry tones. The dark leader's delight was palpable as she greeted the winged mare with a smirking affection, Sage had been a long time friend, loyal and trustworthy, and while she was a bit rough around the edges, Mirage could not fault her for her feelings. She suspected the herd would hear the news with prejudice, but she had confidence that they would come to trust and like Xanthos as she was beginning to.

Sage raised some valid points, with regards to ranks - at least, the genuine suggestion she had made, and not the janitor jab. No sooner had she introduced herself, did Lace, cool and uncharacteristically nonchalant towards the newcomer. The WeyrLeader knew better than to assume he was pleased with her decision to bring her captor home, but she did know that he would respect it, at the very least. The next to arrive surprised the mare, though it was with delight that she received her painted palomino friend. "Solstice! What a relief." Soft muzzle moved to run against her own before her ears pricked to listen to her.

"Xanthos is hardly a pet; he made a mistake, and he has my forgiveness for it." The Weyrleader spoke with a snort in response to Solstice words, giving a pointed look to Lace as well. He was a stallion who had earned her forgiveness, and she did host some small, scrap of hope, that he would shift his misplaced, wounded pride and learn to swiftly accept Xanthos. She hoped they all would - but it would also be good for the stallion to have to prove himself. Though he gained himself acceptance into the herd's ranks through Mirage, he would need to gain himself entrance into the herd member's heart on his own reputation. The mare sighed, Akaith chortling above her quietly.

"Many ranks are available, and are needed at the moment, Xanthos. As Sage mentioned, Wraiths are needed to gather information, or you could become a Craftsman and study beneath Lace-" a wry smirk was given as she gestured her tiara to the Glazier -"Philosophers are encouraged to learn all they can of the land, and maintain good relations with our allies-" here she tilted towards Solstice -"Or else the ranks of Nurses are always needing to be filled." If he wanted to become a Protector, he would need to say as much, and prove it to his Captain, so Mirage did not bother to mention the rank yet.

"Any information you might have, Xanthos, I would be glad to hear it. Knowledge is a most powerful substance, I value it quite highly." He had said he wanted to help, no matter what rank he chose, Mirage did long for information of these unicorns who once dwelled amongst these trees. They had obviously regained their former strength, but what was the full extent of their plans?