a new world hangs outside the window
beautiful and strange
it must be I've fallen awake
I must be

The Peak was already a fairly crowded place. But as of late, there had been many "visitors" on their mountain home. It seemed that others among the islands were experiencing similar sentiments from the telltale bullies of this place. Cullen, for one, never seemed to make friends wherever he went. As for Rougaru, well, it seemed his day had finally come as well. One by one, fresh-faced stallions crossed into Vulcan territory looking for a handout. Some attempted to disguise their pleas as "alliances" but Wasp was nearly always skeptical.

She tried to keep an open mind - or at least that's what she told herself. The young and still somewhat newly minted Prime Minister knew that's what her dam would tell her to do. The Peak had a long history of coming to aid those in need. It just seemed like there were a helluva lot of horses in need lately....

Wasp tried to balance these requests for aid with her responsibility and commitment in keeping the Vulcan herd safe as best she could, but it was proving to be difficult. It was a constant strain, trying to decide which horse to help why and when. Sometimes Wasp didn't have a choice at all and was forced to react on principle. Vanya, the captive from Paradise, came to mind. No matter if Wasp and Vanya were friendly, she had vowed to keep her safe. That was the hill she would die on, she mused now as the threat of Rougaru loomed large. If she didn't keep her word, then what kind of leader was she, anyway?

But at the end of the day, there were mouths to feed and mares and foals to protect. That was her prerogative, first and foremost. These quests and agreements were secondary.

So the dark bay mare groaned loudly when she heard the foreign call and its masculine tones. She rolled her amber eyes and trudged down the familiar path to greet them. This one smelled of Tinuvel. He shared the similar look of defeat and determination on his face as a few who came before him. This one seemed proud, despite clear feelings of distraught that lined his face. Wasp narrowed her gaze on him as she slowed her stiff walk to a halt, and her muscles relaxed under her dark hide. She flicked her dark, wavy tail over her haunches and cocked one hind ankle up to rest, settling in for what she assumed would be a longwinded story.

"Let me guess." She spoke gruffly. "You need our help."

W A S P