Aoife watched Vitha and Mkate leave, dread mixing with relief. They were gone... for the moment. But what about the damage they had caused?
Trust was hard to earn and easily broken. Why were they so intent on fracturing that trust that they didn't even offer to Tau themselves? It roiled in her gut as she tossed around ideas to discredit any of the words they had said today. A careful game, and Aoife was clearly not as politically gifted as Vitha was.
With a small sigh, she glanced over to Tau. She wasn't all that close to him, not at the moment. She took a few steps towards him, offering a polite and formal bow. "I will do my best to be helpful to the Pridelands. I will offer to be a messenger, and will seek out assignment shortly."
She turned to leave, not wanting to speak more with Tau at the moment.
Not in public. She had crossed over a line she didn't realize she wasn't supposed to, and needed time to asses herself.
Tau was surprised when Aoife came up to him, offered to help in a manner outside of her station, and quietly left. Well, with him taking center stage.... he was quite all right with that.
"Thank you," he said to her even after she had already turned away. "I will do what I can to assist any new volunteers to their new leaders. We may need to find a few new Heads, but I will handle that another day. Thank you, Pridelands." He offered a very shallow, but kind, bow to all who where here to listen.
Now, for the work to be done. And things to explain to his council.