Her challenge to Daemyn had gone unanswered, the younger stallion had turned tail and run rather than face the Constrictor in battle and prove his prowess, but it was not something that surprised the dark mare. She had always had that gut feeling that the boy was nothing more than a coward playing warrior. With him gone she had one less wannabe to worry about, one less headache waiting to be had, and one less nuisance to plague her every day of her life. She already had enough with the group she and Ciceron were charged with overseeing.

Kaj's call drew the Constrictor forward and she stood quietly, stewing, as he spoke and called out her warriors. She was already disappointed with them, that the leads had noticed their lack of ambition was embarrassing and infuriating. But, in Ktulu's mind, Kaj was not without his faults. Where was he when it came to the patrols that he had been assigned? Where was he when it came to recruiting? And Archibald... he had fought her the previous season, but what of his patrols? It was not only the warriors that were lax when it came to the defense of the herd and it was on the tip of Ktulu's tongue. She wanted so badly to interrupt and call Kaj out on his lack of patrol and his call out of the warriors. It was only his vow to hold himself to a higher level of excellence that stilled Ktulu's tongue and silenced the retort that was on her lips.

Fine. Fine. She would see if he would truly hold himself higher and if he would complete the tasks assigned.

One by one others spoke and Ktulu regarded them with her typical hard stare. Nymeria was the only one that drew a snort from the Constrictor at her mention of Confutatis the Coward. Good riddance she wanted to say, but she had more pressing matters to entertain herself with than Confutatis and her departure from Helovia.

"Warriors." Ktulu spoke up as she moved to stand beside Ciceron. "If you will not complete the tasks assigned to you each season you will be demoted. I don't care who you are or how long you've been in the position you're in. Patrols and spars are not optional. If you cannot complete them then I suggest you consider another path in life because I will not tolerate laziness any longer."

"."