Common

fearghas

Ally was just as pretty as he remembered, with her silk-grey coat and dark tresses. In truth, even though he has postured himself as to protect Ally from Faolain, it is the grey mare whose opinion he cares about. The black 'Teke is a stranger to him, and her view of him is not that important.

He takes her smile as all the indication he needs that she did not hate him and offers a crooked grin of his own in return, soothed by his assumption that she did not hate him. The petite mare covers for his faux pas, introducing him to the dark mare, but he doesn't take his eyes from her again. She addresses him next and his grin broadens, even though he isn't entirely sure what the answer to the question was. In truth, he had come here because he was too old to stay at home, and had been lured by the idea of finding a brotherhood that he could embrace. A place where his rough-housing and playfulness would be rewarded with friendship rather than hooded glares.

But what he had found was far from that. He had been excited when he brought Ally home, if only because the Lagoon was empty and he was lonely. The majority of his time had been spent alone, and while it wasn't terrible, it wasn't enjoyable either. There was no brotherhood, only a cold, empty territory ruled over by a golden stallion that Fearghas had not yet spoken to. He stayed because he wanted to be loyal, but who was he being loyal to? The ideals he had hoped for were lacking, and the leader was all but a stranger to him. The young stallion puzzles over his reply while she turns back to Faolain, but completely loses his entire train of thought when Ally asks if he can come with.

She wanted him to come with her?

Wide chocolate eyes turn toward her in shock and both of his ears prick forward as he stares. He almost misses Faolain's reply, but an ear finally creaks towards her at her welcome, slowly followed by the tip of his dark nose. She would welcome him there? Why would a mare welcome a strange stallion into her territory? It was puzzling, but he remained silent for a moment, still shell-shocked at the idea Aallotar would want him to accompany her on this adventure. He'd been so certain she had come here to escape him that it never crossed his mind that she just wanted something new.

And for one brief, heart-lifting second, he almost said yes.

Right up until the flash of gold caught his eye and his gaze fixated on Cullen as he approached. Fearghas knew little of the yellow stallion, only that he ruled the Lagoon and that there seemed to be a cruelty in him that the spotted colt did not fully understand. He had hoped to avoid this very scenario by checking to make sure that they weren't followed when they left the Lagoon, but it seems he had not been thorough enough. His opinion of the overo drops to basement level as he sidles familiarly against Aallotar and his ears tip back in anger. He wants to rip him away from the pretty Paso Fino, to force him show some respect to the mare that Fearghas had brought into their lives, but he is torn by what he feels is his duty. He was a Lagoon stallion, was he not? Didn't he owe some sort of loyalty to the golden stallion? Or at least enough to hear out his demands?

Fearghas's coat twitches in indecision as he listens to Cullen speak of Ally so callously. He had claimed her, yes, that was true, but it wasn't with the mindset of making her property. And even if he had been so cruel as to think so lowly of her, she had grown into a wonderful friend to him since then and he didn't like the implication that Cullen could just trade her off like property. His unease only deepens when Cullen makes his demand known - that Ally would have to give up her first son to the Lagoon if she wanted to be free now. Both options seemed terrible to him, especially considering he was the reason any of this was happening in the first place.

"I wasna leavin," Fearghas offers in an attempt to appease Cullen. He had very much considered it when Ally asked, but he had a feeling that protesting that it was his decision would only make things worse. Flicking the dark strands of his tail, he shifts subtly forward, willing his silver friend to separate herself from Cullen so that he can step between them. "And Ally is my responsibility. She isna having a wee one this season, and a new wean would take more'n a year to make it to the Lagoon, even if she had one right away."

Fearghas isn't entirely sure where he is going with his argument yet. His gut leads him forward so that he can fill in the gaps hesitantly as he goes. "We need bodies now, yeh? So how's about I promise ter find a new guy ter take her place instead? And if I don't succeed, ye can punish me as you like, boss."

He isn't entirely sure this is a convincing argument. After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and he cannot guarantee, even to himself, that he'll be able to find another stallion that wanted to joint he Lagoon. "If'n she's not happy, is nae like she'll ask for a foal from either one of us anyway, aye? Might as well find someone ter join us that doesna spend every day tryna ter find a way out, ye ken?"

stallion . 2 years . 15.2 hands . smoky black blanket . loveinspired . credit