[SWE] Where Angels Fear to Tread

Koel...couldn’t remember how he got here, and that, more than anything else, more than the bleak terrain, terrified him. At least he wasn’t alone: it seemed that there was a whole crowd around him. But not everyone was here, as far as he could tell, and that meant it wasn’t enough. There were people missing—his people, as he’d sworn to protect and care for them—and that meant he’d failed. For now, though, he had to focus on making sure those here were taken care of.

Honestly, this place looked more like some of the blighted battlefields Koel had seen as a soldier than the Northaven he’d come to know. While that worried him, no one around seemed to be actively hurt and nothing pointed to danger; the spire in the distance was ominous, but also in the distance and he would worry about that later. For now, they had to figure out who was here, who was missing, and find some shelter and supplies. “Let’s stay calm, everyone.” He raised his voice—which was loud enough to be heard over a battle—and tried to draw everyone’s attention to him. It worried him that he couldn’t see any of the other leaders of Northaven (Ronin excluded), which, in his mind, meant he was at least partially in control. Unless and until someone with more authority showed up he’d take charge.

To that end, he’d try to keep some semblance of order for as long as he could. “Anyone know what happened or where we are?” Without that information, it would be a lot harder to get anything done. Still, Koel was a former scout and as such well used to exploring potentially hostile environments. Nodding at Edrei, who he'd ended up next to somehow, he reached out to give the younger woman's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. They'd figure this out and get through this, just like they'd gotten through everything else.