Nadiya noticed the other woman sit down near her and Howl, and smiled back when she smiled. Then she listened to the old man explain the situation of the radiation storm. She grew more and more stunned as she listening. She couldn't believe that Novgorod was not only still in existence but not in the hands of the soviets either. She fully understood why she had been picked for this mission.<br/><br/>Then the old man confirmed that Alek would be leading the group. She had noticed earlier that he was tall, but not that he was absolutely a giant. After speaking with him earlier, she was fairly confident that he would lead the mission and lead it well. She was among those who approved. Who better for the mission than the militia leader, an experienced veteran?<br/><br/>After the speech ended, Nadiya immediately began digging in her bag. She was sure she did not have enough supplies for a group of this size and with the amount of risk they were taking. What she had would be fine for a small hunting group, but not for a group of this size. So she went to talk to the guards in back. Fortunately they had more supplies. Not as much as she would have liked, but it would do the job.<br/><br/>Then she mingled with the crowd, learning names and faces and shaking hands. She made sure everyone knew who she was: the person to come to with any wound, sign of infection, medical advice, etc. She hadn't recognized anyone from the hospital so she figured she was probably the best trained medic on the team.<br/><br/>She listened to Alek's speech with growing respect. He was taking this operation deadly serious and she was sure he would follow through with all his promises of shooting deserters and betrayers. She agreed with his stance on matters. Afterwards she continued introducing herself to the rest of the group until she was sure the only person she didn't know was Natasha.<br/>She went over to where Howl and Natasha were talking. She heard Howl say "it's very nice to meet you, Tasha." When she was sure she wouldn't be interrupting the conversation, Nadiya smiled at both of them and introduced herself to the woman. "Hello, I'm Nadiya."