It had all been in the plan. To take from the north precious things - their children, their future - to lure them south, to irritate them enough that they would want to face the Edge directly, challenge them, and beat them. They did all that, and her warriors fought bravely, most of them defeating those they faced, and the ones who lost, won without sustaining huge damage unto their hides. As Akaith scouted the lands, Mirage pondered everything that had happened, repeating it over and over, sometimes criticising details in slow motion, other times seeing the whole picture in a large blur that delivered to her the vital information. Have we lost any, Akaith? The DragonHeart asked once more, as she had dozens of times already, wanting to know if the golden queen had come across any who were in critical need of aid.

None dead besides your own opponent. The dragon replied quietly, reminding the WeyrLeader once again of her own actions. The battlelust, the rage.. the dragon had taken over, and she feared she had mauled the brother of the Valiant, Paladin's kin, whom he had introduced to her not a handful of seasons before. What would he do, or say? She would never hold it against him if he wished to leave, to desert her leadership, or perhaps even challenge for it, after such an offence. She would need to address him directly for it - better that than to have him find the dragon-mauled corpse in his wanderings as a Protector around the borders later on.

Fajira! The voice was swift, worried, the tense emotions that rippled across the bond with it triggered the dark little mare straight into a speedy canter. Akaith, being the royal that she was, bonded to the leader of the herd, who also held draconic abilities, she had an innate sense of the general mood and wellbeing of the dragons of the herd. It had not been an instant realisation - distracted as she was with her own battle - but once her senses did come across the unconscious state of the little white she was so fond of, she immediately made to arrive at the scene. Mirage moved as swiftly as her limber legs could carry her, and it was with relief that she saw through Akaith's eyes the motion of Lace's embrace over Smoke, even as she felt within Akaith's mind the return to being as Fajira's mind stirred into existence once more.

"Thank the Gods," Mirage's smooth voice breathed as she emerged from the surrounding brush, her attention focussed upon the little white before them. Akaith landed upon the ground alongside the mossy rock that the little bundle lay upon. With care, both dragon and horse reached out to nudge against the little white with a fond whicker and croon of encouragement and love. Akaith stayed by the recovering dragon, warbling a greeting to Zaffre in passing, as Mirage then moved to the side of Lace that wasn't pressed against Smoke. With tears lacing her honey warm eyes, she stretched her muzzle out to the grulla pair, one silver maned and one charcoal maned, offering her warm salutations. The guilt hit her.. she had hoped, assumed that they would all come out victorious and that none would be lost, and while that had happened.. it had come so close. Too close.

"Lace, I am so sorry." She said, pressing her dark hide against his side, wanting to express her deepest feelings, but generally, she was unable to. With a shaky sigh, and a silent signal given to Akaith, to retrieve something she had kept aside for far too long, she spoke again. "Take this, she murmured when Akaith returned, with a glittering amulet of the Moon clutched between her claws. "Within it, lies my power to embrace the dragon within." Then her gaze shifted to Smoke, and she had no more words nor gifts to give, only her gratitude. With a nod, she acknowledged the work of the healer, one whom she could not be more grateful than now to call a member of her family.

[ Mirage just gave Lace the Moon Amulet he earned a few months ago for awesome activity, imbued with her dragon transform magic. <3 ]