Thunder Dome Contemplation, my dear friend

No need to apologize, really! I am quite the fan of longer posts~
/returns the apology though, aha ^^;;

It came as no surprise that her query had then led to the male being thrust into thought. It was not a matter that could be so easily solved, not something that could be rushed into. One wrong move and their actions could incite war, despite however positive their intentions might have been. While they had a great deal of warriors on hand, or those with the capability to show greatness in battle, she did not seek a fight. What she wished for was peace, and there was a chance she would do nearly anything to obtain and protect it. Having that type of mindset made her value Jolon's need to give a great deal of thought to his answer, believing it to show that he wanted the same thing as she did—to live a quiet life without fear of attacks. In retrospect, it would have been far easier to obtain that had she decided to settle elsewhere; though, in truth, no land was truly free of violence, no matter how secluded it might be.

When he'd finally brought his thoughts to a close, a question of posed that she found difficult to answer. It was not because she did not know how to respond, but rather because the answer she had to give was unpleasant. "No, I am afraid I have not seen him around as of late..." the girl returned, a hint of a frown making itself known. "Do you think he may have left us?" Aside from Leo, Frostrar had been her first recruit. He'd been there from the start, even before they'd officially settled, so the idea of him having left did not sit well with her. It troubled the dragoness greatly, in all honesty, for his loyalty was something she'd wished to hold onto. If he could leave, someone who'd been there even before the start of it all, then what was to keep the others from departing as well? Such was something she was most displeased by having to think about, but knew she needed to in order to remain aware of all possibilities. A small sigh escaped her then, followed by a slow shake of her head. There was currently a task at hand, one she needed to remain focused on.

The next candidate was Noctura. That did not surprise her for he, too, was one who'd been there longer than others. There was also the fact that he was quite large, perfectly capable of protecting them if things went south. Still, there remained the matter of whether or not he would even wish to join her. He had proven to be less social thus far (something she aimed to change in the days to come), but surely he would have nothing against a diplomatic meeting? Honestly, she did not know, and so she'd decided to ask him later on. With a nod of her head, she silently revealed her plans, but did not prevent the male from continuing onward with what he had to say. At the mention of Leo, her ears pressed forward and she was quick to shake her head. "Leo will not be accompanying me. He is still too young, untrained—I cannot bear the thought of him being injured any more than he already has been." To go with a child might seem better than going with a couple of brutes, as it would come off as less of a threat, but she could not risk it. The boy had been her companion even before she'd decided upon founding a tribe of her own, and she viewed him as something similar to a son. No force in the world would be enough to make her lead him into a potentially dangerous situation.

Jolon went on to name a few others, but the names fell on deaf ears. They were each capable, yes, but they had not been with the tribe for very long. She did not yet trust them with such an important mission, which left her with only one other choice—the very same choice she would have eventually come to had she been left to her own devices, but hadn't wished to admit so right off the bat. "In order for this to go well, I believe it would be best if I am joined by those who have been here since the beginning. Not everyone, of course, but perhaps two would be a decent choice." She offered him a quick smile, certain he'd already pieced together what was coming. "I would like for you to come with me to this meeting along with Noctura, if he will accept the offer." Asterr trusted the males, really, and saw no one better than them to be at her side during her visit with the ridge's leaders.