Aryel had never appeared more shocked in her life than she did when Kri shouted at Levi. She recoiled away from the chocolate mare, ears pinning themselves as she all but gaped at her Commander. In all her time of living in the Throat and serving under Kri, she couldn't recall a time she had screamed at her herdmates, much less a Sergeant. To Aryel, Kri was the distant but admirable leader, an unbeatable living legend even shorter than she. She had mentored her in a spar, and Aryel trusting her with unwavering loyalty. Kri was a role model, really. To see her yell at Levi, to see her call him an idiot, was a slap in the face.

She tried not to squirm under Kri's lethal glare, but it was difficult. Few things cowed the hotblooded roan more than a nasty look from someone she respected. Kri didn't even seem to hear her other words, about the rain. When she spoke again, her voice was cold enough to chill the sand around them. Aryel nodded shakily, but instead she was roiling with confusion. Stay here? How could she help here? Athena was stuck in a frozen valley with a bunch of homicidal unicorns, and Kri wanted her and Levi to stay home and twiddle their hooves when they could be backing her up. Before she could voice protest, Kri was gone in a whirlwind of dust and brown fur.

If a horse could look flabbergasted, Aryel looked that way. Watching her leader disappear into the sky, she barely noticed the arrival of Note. Her jaw opened to speak. The shut again. Finally, she was able to find words.

"What just happened?"

After being effectively grounded by her Commander, she wasn't quite sure how to feel. She couldn't help feeling that she was being blamed for the crimes a unicorn had committed. Was Kri that disappointed in her for losing the fight? Something showed briefly in her eyes before she blinked it away. Resentment.

She turned towards Africa with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry you had to see all that. That was our Commander, Kri, and she's usually not quite that snappish." She was sure it was just the news of Athena's imprisonment that upset her. It had to be. "Some welcome to the herd, huh?"

She finally seemed to notice Note, and nodded at his greeting. "Lana and Athena were taken captive by Aurora Basin." she said by way of explanation. "Lana's escaped, obviously, but Athena's still there. Kri's just gone off to retrieve her." Her ears flattened. "Alone, apparently." It was stupid of her, to be frank. If she had been seeking out Kri to ask to put together a rescue group, why would she go back there without anyone to assist her? Her standings orders to stay put irritated her as well. She couldn't mean staying in the Throat, of course? (Aryel wouldn't have listened to that anyway). She looked down as Note's lynx stumbled up, pawing at Africa's leg. She had only been a tiny kit when she and Note sparred. Of course, her own companion had grow as well. Java, still perched on Lana's withers, offered a chirp to the lynx as a greeting.

Walk walk walk walk.
"Talk talk talk talk."