the firestarters always get the burns
and the good guys never get the girl
Lepis’ greeting does not come alone; another, a pink-ish roan young mare approaches. She has a soft, whispery voice, sounding fragile to the unobservant onlooker, but there is also a strength at her core, apparent in the way she carries herself.
Noah announces herself as the leader of the Pampas, and Ilma nods to take in that bit of information. When the Plague is cured (the white mare is positive that in the end, the current unbalance in the world will be largely healed), Lepis will probably want to return to Loess, which would leave Noah in charge of the people here. For now, they’re all refugees, more or less. Not unlike the Silver Cove.
Kagerus sets off in a long speech, which makes Ilma smile to herself. It is rather a display of power, in a sense, since she’s basically naming all the territories of the Sanctuary and how many a people are now in leadership posistions there. As she waits for her friend to finish, Ilma visibly muses over something until the splashed mare asks if she mised anything. A smile can’t be helped, and is to be heared in her amused voice also, though not in the unkind way. ”The most important thing, I believe. The Sanctuary,” she adds as she turns back to Lepis and Noah to address them properly, ”would like to continue on Hyaline’s old beliefs. We’ll take in any refugees, whenever needed and for whatever reason, and we will defend them until they ask us not to. Most of all, we will remain neutral throughout any other kingdom’s quarrels, and thus would like peaceful relations with any and all kingdoms and, perhaps, other sanctuaries as well.” Looking to Noah at the last sub-sentence, she smiles a bit. After all, it’s the same thing Noah did, she thinks - take in refugees. But the current Sanctuary in the East acts and thinks beyond the current plague; if any kingdoms go to war, their children and diplomats must and will be safe in the Sanctuary, and the Sanctuary bows to no-one. Having peaceful relations with all kingdoms means no promises of sending warriors to any other kingdom, because that would benefit one ally over another - they will be staying neutral at all costs. Lepis, Ilma thinks, already knows that the sanctuary will not sit idly if one of their harboured gets stolen or otherwise compromised. But that goes unspoken - what’s past is past.
Lepis continues to explain the concept of the South as it currently is (it might be different from what Kensa will tell them when she returns from Sylva, or not). This earns her a smiling nod. ”Have you decided what your kingdom will be like, by then? Will Loess and Sylva be as they were before?” she inquires with the winged mare. Ilma knows very well that there were quarrels between the two kingdoms, but perhaps that has settled? If not, Loess might have use of a safe place for their children, Ilma thinks. She’s not quite sure how far Noah’s protection goes in case or an uprising.
@[Noah]