Redsand Canyon chaos is a ladder

Aquene had carefully considered all avenues, and she had discussed it with her husband. He had deferred the decision to her, so it really had just come down to what she looked to get out of her life.
 
The appeal of Epoch was great… it was an opportunity to teach, to keep her sons away from the violence… but Mereo had been her home, her safe haven, and she had scarcely left the canyon since she had arrived in it… she was of greater use there, she felt… when it came down to it, she was a healer, and so she needed to be where the violence was… as gruesome as it was, and as she worried for her sons and her husband, it was the truth of the matter.
 
A healer was needed where the injuries were.
 
And so she sought out @Germanicus, promising to impart her decision on him when it was made, and it had. She would be the next Matrona of Mereo.

she would find him on patrol. the imperator spared a slowing in his step to accomodate her own, but did not stop. the equestrian then must accompany him.

germanicus sensed that aquene had come to a decision. he made no assumptions about what it might be. his silence however was inviting despite his aloof nature.

he would hear it.

She found him on patrol, falling in line with the man as his silence invited her to begin speaking. She had been around him long enough to understand what he was asking with his silence. “I’ve discussed your offer with my husband and Arsenio.” She stated simply, having taken a few days to fully comprehend her choices and the potential consequences of them.
 
She knew that there was at least one party who might not be entirely pleased, particularly with Germanicus, for her decision. “I’ve decided to take your offer. I will take Ruenna’s place.” The words were met with an edge of hesitance, taking that moment to begin to slow down. “I do not think Arsenio is happy with you for even offering me this role, but I think I can do more good here. A healer is meant to be where the combat is, not where the fundamentals are being taught…” And her husband and children would remain with her in Mereo as a consequence of this decision.

arsenio was unhappy. germanicus did not allow this to change his countenance.

kallik had become part of epoch. but aquene had not seemed ready to leave her role. she had even become more entrenched in it.

he would handle what came. germanicus was pleased to hear it all the same. this lit his yellowpaint eyes for a moment. "mereo will be stronger for it, matrona." 

his heart ached for a moment. it was not ruenna before him.

"shall i proclaim it to the pack?"

In a way, the decision had been easy… it was her closeness with the leading pair of Epoch that had made it difficult… but it was time for her to stand firm to her own wills just as others had done before her. A smile crossed her maw when he used the title.
 
There was a pang of sadness carrying in her eyes… it felt odd to be called that… it felt odd for that title to refer to anyone other than the Lady Ruenna who had brought her to Mereo just eight months prior.
 
The question fell and she would nod, dipping her head slightly in the process. “Yes, please, Imperator.” She would respond simple, finding an almost underwhelming sense of pomp and circumstance regarding what might be one of the most important moments of her life.

germanicus lifted his muzzle. he proclaimed to mereo that aquene would be the new matrona.

it hurt to have filled the position so swiftly.

but it was the best way for what he and the others had built.

"congratulations." his eyes were warm. "what is your first order?"

Germanicus let out his proclamation, a soft smile on his features as she was congratulated. “Thank you… for the faith you’ve put in me since I first arrived.” She offered back, a sincerity in her tone that was perhaps an odd display against the tones she normally used when speaking with the Imperator.
 
“I think… my first order would be for you to seek out Arsenio… though I suppose that is more of a request, isn’t it? I do not wish for the two of you to be on any sort of ill terms because of me.” She offered up, stressing the importance she thought it held.

"you have earned it by word and by deed. i would be remiss not to trust you. look at what you have surrendered for mereo."

to her next, he shook his head.

"i will bear what words arsenio has. and i will visit epoch."

his yellowpaint eyes were resolute. he dipped his head to the new matrona. if she had aught else to say, germanicus meant to take his leave.

Word and deed. Aquene was still not certain that either was true. Most of the time she felt as if she were a mere pain in his backside, but he seemed to hold her in high esteem regardless of her missteps along the way, or at least, her missteps in his eyes…
 
She hummed, offering a nod to him when he insisted he would visit Epoch, to soothe things over with their friend, and then he took his leave. She made her way in the opposite direction, towards the tablinum where she might search her stores for something to help her breathe a little easier with this new responsibility.