The dove was momentarily tense as Gaucho's name slipped from her lips, as easily as if she were simply talking to an old friend, exchanging the latest news and gossip. The idea that she and Ampere could possibly be friends was stunning in an of itself, but she had come to the conclusion that Ampere was not cruel or conniving, but simply strong-willed and outspoken. They shared a trait - passion - but they showed it in entirely different ways. The realization made it much easier to relate to the blue in a way that the Sultana had never previously imagined.

She was glad when Ampere spoke again, grinning to successfully conceal her inner turmoil. In the dove's quickness to glance away, she had missed the telltale signs of Ampere's desire, which was probably for the best. It would not do to sow strife and discord in she and the blue's budding relationship, not when things were starting to go so well. And so, relieved, the pale mare giggled and reached to lip playfully at Ampere's shoulder, continuing the camaraderie. In that moment, she very much hoped that they would become friends. It wasn't as difficult to like the Mother of Companions when she acted like a normal creature.

-Lies,- came a voice from above and within her mind all at once; Astraeus, unable to put words to his complex emotions, made it vividly clear through the bond that he did not trust the other pegasus, that he was sure that she would cause trouble, that he would come between his bonded and her mate again, that she was a liar and a traitor and all sorts of things in between. Just give her a chance, the angel insisted, impressing her will upon him until he wheeled away, grumbling, refusing to associate any longer with the blue.

"Gaucho stands as our acting Gladiator, I suppose, but it's hardly official. We lost quite a few in the Darkness, I'm sure you remember - we haven't quite rebuilt." She made a face. "We're going to be holding a tournament to determine the Gladiator soon. We want to test fighting skills and strategic planning, among other things. Midas has pledged his assistance, as neither Africa nor I are particularly... adept at militaristic things.

"As for the rest - Cera is our Diviner, and an excellent one at that. He has always been favored by the Sun, I think. Sacre has become our Sleuth. He has protected us well, thus far. Andromeda and Tandavi are our Sun Physicians, and as far as I know, both are quite capable. I can speak for Andromeda, at least, as I have seen her healing several times. We haven't found a Forger yet, either." She frowned, troubled all over again by their deficits. "We'll rebuild, but it is certainly taking a while.

"We are building a school," she added suddenly. "Any may come to live and learn on our sands. I think it may prove quite advantageous - it will, at least, make our herd an important part of Helovia, protected by affiliations with every herd. Or so we hope, anyway. We want to be strong, but we want to be... more than just that. We want to make a name for ourselves. The past has proven that we can't simply rely on our power - we have won our battles, but at what cost? What if we could prevent war from happening, at least on our soil?" She paused, gazing toward the oasis, imagining what could be, if they were successful. "What do you think?"

"talk talk talk"

Translations ::
xx

Live... I want to live on fire
Die... I want to burn out brighter
Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight