Vera didn't seem to notice what Ahnasha said while she held Jerrick up against herself. For a moment it seemed as if she wouldn't move at all. Eventually she composed herself enough to respond, albeit still sobbing and not facing Ahnasha. "I just want him back," she stammered through her tears, "I don't want revenge, I just want him back..."

There continued to be a lack of movement until Oswall and Janius arrived. Oswall's reaction was far less distressing, but still sombre. He strode up to Vera and Jerrick and sighed heavily, bowing his head and holding his hands together respectively. Much like Ahnasha, he seemed to be holding back his emotions. Janius stood back, respectively silent, but he was finding Vera's grief similarly difficult to watch.

Vera was in no emotional state to carry her husband's body, so it fell to Oswall, Janius, and Ahnasha to carry his body to a disused chamber that was chilled enough with the mountain air to properly preserve him. They cleaned the dark liquid from his mouth and nose while they were there and laid him in such a position as to hide the violence of his end; peacefully lying on his back with his hands on his stomach. Vera did not want to leave his side, but Oswall and Janius went back to the meeting room to wait for Darahil and Harriet.

Darahil did not shift his blank, looming expression, but did not speak with disrespect to Meesei as he answered her. "I awoke in an Ayleid living quarters in the unexplored city, amongst my expeditionary companions. It was early in the morning, we needed the extra time to render rubbings of some inscriptions we were studying before we were to head home. It was myself and four other lycans from amongst my packs. Our objective was study, and to recover more welkynd stones to expand the crop. The rubbings took several hours, but we had already found enough stones. We ventured back up through the depths, taking roughly three hours to return. We were behind schedule, so I headed straight to the meeting chamber. As typical, even if I was less prepared, I was the first to arrive. Apart from Oswall and Jerrick finishing their class in the main chamber, the meeting was the first I saw of the lieutenants. I am unsure what all of their movements were that morning, but it is not something I care to keep track of. The meeting went as normal. Everyone reported back on previous actions, raised issues of note, discussed them thoroughly, and so on. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary apart from your arrival. After the meeting, Jerrick stopped me by the mezzanine as we left behind Oswall. He had a short discussion with me as to whether you and your pack could be trusted. I knew by your ring and the power it held that you were the champion, I gave him counsel to that effect. After our short discussion I proceeded back to the scholar's loft to take a closer look at the rubbings and begin translating them. That occupied all of my time, apart from dinner. I would have had someone bring me a meal, but Jerrick insisted that keeping in touch with the rest of the clan is more important than the research that could benefit it. Of course, for all his insistence, he was not present. I returned to the translations after my meal and remained until I retired for the night. As for the movements of others, I heard there was a duel between your packmate, Lorag, and dear Harriet. I heard that from where I was, it was rather annoying."