As Elias speaks, and then as Malthos vehemently follows him up, the Matriarch's face darkens. Her lip curls slightly, and she looks on you as one might a worm, or perhaps an incessantly barking small dog.

But then her gaze softens, and she says,

"... It is not the fate of every seed to fall upon fertile soil..."

Slowly, she rises to her knees, lifts her staff, and, leaning on it, gains her feet. Carefully, she walks around the pond, to the corridor through the trees, and looks out over the sea...

"... Yet even those that fall upon the path, or in the shadow, must grow, and seek out the soil and the sun... Even if they never find it...

...

... And we are yet ahead of the season..."

She turns back to you.

"... When we became aware that the Seal was broken, we prepared a great magic that, should the Blight fall upon us before our ships were prepared, we might burn our way free, and make good our escape.

Now, our ships are prepared, the Blight has not yet come for us, and the magic yet remains, hung in stasis.

Our course is set... But we shall continue to watch... If we feel that our intervention may turn the tide, we shall unleash the magic, and consider our return.

In this way, we shall help you."

At a wave of her hand, the corridor through the trees closes, the view to the ocean again blocked by the thicket.

"... May the gods watch over you all."

With that, she steps into a tree and is gone.