Lonely from their years of humidity and quiet as the trees they came from ;;

Alongside the abundant foliage and the multitude of sentient creatures that resided within its boundaries, the Valkyrie jungle cultivated a cacophony of aromas. The individual scents of various mares tangled together and blended with the earthy perfume of the forest until a novice struggled to distinguish one smell from another; combine this difficulty with the high humidity and the cloak of recent rain, and the inexperienced lost any chance to distinguish one entity from the masses. However, Cortana called this exotic world home for several years; inevitably, she honed her senses to suit the environment. Like many of the senior Valkyrie sisters the task to decipher the jumble of fragrances was now second nature to her, she barely needed to concentrate at all. This particular scent that wound its way to her nose caused her to pause, a flicker of excitement expanding beneath her bosom.

A soft nicker rumbled in her throat as Sasha integrated into the conversation. While Cortana respected and admired Viriarus, the young queen lacked the amiable nature of her second in command—one of the few mares Cortana considered a friend. Without hesitation, she returned the nudge with her own affection bump and her smile expanded with the infectious lightheartedness exuberated by her friend. However, the subtle giddiness that emerged upon her features swiftly vanished as the conversation turned to business.

“It is a shame about Kitty, she was a valuable asset to the kingdom and as well as a beloved sister,” she offered a nod of agreement to the appaloosa; afterward, a thoughtful silence consumed her as she pondered over the best courses of action, quickly selecting and discarding ideas until a few noteworthy plans settled in her mind. She divided her attention evenly between Viriarus and Sasha as she offered her input, “The most obvious course of action would be to reclaim our missing sisters and boost our numbers through recruiting. Aside from that, we need to take action to ensure the safety of the sisters until we gain enough members to strengthen the Valkyries enough that few dare challenge us. It may be wise to try to capture some high-ranking officials from the other kingdoms; it wouldn’t promote diplomacy, however it might prove useful should hostilities arise. If any kingdom turns to attack before we are ready, then we have the option to threaten the safety of the prisoner associated with the said kingdom in hopes to delay the attack.”