Kell stood in thoughtful silence, nodding to each of them as they answered. Satisfied with the given responses, he took in a deep breath. It was certainly more than he could have expected. If he was right, there was far more to this group than he could presently detect. It was time, he decided. Before he could act on this decision, however, he heard a commotion and glanced up to see Kastien approaching. He stood still, watching until he spoke softly.<br/><br/>"These are new recruits..." he worded his response carefully, leaning closer, "And the... scrolls, and... everything?" he asked, inquiring about a project he'd been working on with Kastien for the past months.<br/><br/>He spoke with Kastien a moment longer before turning to look over the crowd with appraising eyes. The entire exchange lasted perhaps a minute. Glancing at Raven, he raised one questioning eyebrow at her. She followed Kell's gaze as his eyes flicked toward Solas. She met Kell's gaze once more and nodded her assent. She agreed with his decision. Beckoning to Solas, Kell stepped off to the side of the group with him and spoke in a hushed tone that none could hear but Solas.<br/><br/>Raven filled the silence as they spoke. Her voice, unheard mostly until now, was melodic, her words carefully pronounced in a manner that revealed extensive education. "Our adversary, as Kell points out, is not here to attack. Of that, you can be certain. Sure, there will be death, fighting in the streets... but more will come of this fight than meets the eye at first. He has worked hard to make sure that as many citizens under the king's rule are packed within the city walls as possible. His target will be these very people, I can assure you. I'll need all of you to help me if we are to keep them alive. We need to decide what we can expect, and how to prepare for the worst."<br/><br/>Kell and Solas spoke for several moments, during which Kell did the majority of the talking, seeming to be explaining a great deal. When they were finished Kell nodded one final time to Solas, then returned to the group, raising his voice for all to hear.<br/><br/>"My friends, you have arrived in just the nick of time. We face a very serious onslaught. There has been too much seen of our adversary's movements and plans to believe this attack that approaches the gates. He's up to something. It just doesn't sit right. We need to be prepared. Why don't we move to the kitchen and see what we can find to eat. We can talk more there."<br/><br/>He gestured with his hand, indicating the way, then began walking so that they could follow him. He led the way through the caverns to the kitchen area, where he found the healer and one of the strangers he didn't know. He immediately felt a strange pang in his gut at finding them that way, but he said nothing. There was no reason for jealousy, and this certainly wasn't the time or place.<br/><br/>Raven arrived last, having struggled a great deal to make it. She used the walls for support and immediately settled onto a bench when she arrived, sighing with relief when she was finally able to rest her leg and prop it up on the bench. Eyes serious and watchful, she observed the comings and goings, trying to learn about the group she would be trusting with her life.