Did her news sadden them? Yes, of course it did, but it did not really surprise them. Had they not known for certain after all this time what had become of their lands, they would have been all the worse - ignorance was not bliss, not when one cared with the very fibres of the souls about the outcome of something. The Path of the Moon was fractured, broken beyond repair, unsustainable for life, and all of its inhabitants had obviously fled, with only a few daring to trickle through the lands now. With a silent, shared glance into each other's eyes, they laid to rest their pasts, forever. Helovia was their home now, the residence of their family; they could no sooner leave it than resurrect the Path once more.

"Thank you, Sage." Maskan said quietly, while Madyrn turned his gaze away, decidedly thoughtful and distant. They appreciated the tact she employed for their sakes - knowing that she rarely bothered for the general public, or those she disrespected. As her tones continued to break the silence, however, their grins had returned, as had the drawling tones.

"It takes more than one stallion to fill the gaping hole your ass left behind." Madyrn's deep vocals crudely explained, the glee evident in his eyes as he pre-emptively widened the amount of space that laid between himself and the golden pegasus. Even as he did so, he was chuckling at his own joke, shaking his crown at the sheer brilliance of it. As always, Maskan spared him a short glance, before speaking of matters current.

"WingLeaders Destrier and Kaj are certainly capable. I tested Kaj's mettle myself, and Smoke the other. Patrols where the unskilled are taught how to survive are being organised, albeit slowly. As for handling what this night may hold…"
"Before this darkness fell, two of our own were killed. Murdered in cold blood. Despite the peace we keep, we are targeted still. Torasin and Solstice, gone." Madyrn cut across his brother, delivering the news with as much blunt force as a sledge hammer against concrete.
"The 'Assassins', a group who have made it well known that they want our home for themselves, seem quite happy to walk into our prisons. But we are unsure of their numbers, despite having the lifeless body of their former leader there, and her would-be rescuer joining soon after."
"The Basin are an ever present threat, of course, one of them have being witnessed to have killed Solstice."

They spoke in turn, each voice easily silenced to allow the other one to be heard, each knowing without any visible effort when the other would need the stage to themselves, each able to predict exactly what they were about to outline. Such was their relationship.

"Needless to say, Sage, your presence is welcome." Whether than meant her presence back as their WingLeader, or just in general, was left to the mare's own imagination. The brothers were demons of chaos, happy to stir the pot and see what came out - but they were respectful of their home at the same time, knowing that too much chaos could tip the scale and shatter the peace. There was no harm in encouraging a bit of competitive spirit though, was there?