fearghas

For a long moment, nothing happens. The marshy landscape remains as tired and quiet as it had when he had left. It seemed that the other bachelors were just as adept at keeping their cards close to their hearts, refusing to show one speck of inclination one way or another. Fearghas wasn't sure if their lack of action was due to apathy or a fear, but he hated it all same. He knew that the odds were against him, and that he had roughly a snowflake's chance of surviving in hell of defeating Cullen, and yet he had to try.

He had to try for the other Ally's that he hadn't known. And for the other stallions that would be used and discarded by the palomino brute. He had to try to make things better for them.

Movement catches his vision, and for a moment, the young spotted stallion only stares with a perplexed look. Hadn't Goose been freed? Raided by the fiery little pony mare all the way back to the Bay? Why was he back now? Had Fearghas known of the deal, he might have been more sympathetic and more willing to understand the novel that spills out of the other stallion's mouth. Might have spent more time trying to reason with him and understand his point of view, but he does not know the things that happen across the isles where he is not. He knows only that a stranger, not a brother of the lagoon, but a stranger, has come back to these marshy lands for the sole purpose of voting to keep a dictator in power.

"Yes," Fearghas answers, his voice friendly. He had no idea of the dual betrayal headed his way yet. His expression immediately cools as Goose attempts to talk him down from his decision, as though there was any way to go down. If he won, Cullen would retaliate. If he lost, Cullen would retaliate. There was literally no downside to continuing what he was doing. "Ye might be right," he says with a lopsided and tense grin. "But someone has'ta do it, and ye weren't keen."

His brows crease at the next question that Goose asks, wondering why it was relevant to their discussion. Cautiously, he answers, his voice clipped. "I came here on my own. I dinna owe allegiance to the man beyond his title."

But then he falls silent, and stays silent for the entirety of Goose's impromptu speech. Each new detail paints a clearer and clearer picture in his head of the sheer mass he is up against. It's not just the Lagoons unwillingness to take action, but interference from outside parties as well.

When he is finally done spilling his heart to Fearghas, the young colt's expression is frustrated and he turns away from the buckskin to pace. "I dinna get men like you. Ye see he's wrong. Ye know it, and yet instead of fighting for what's right, ye just wanna roll belly up every time he walks by."

He snorts and shakes, knowing that no matter how much he'd like to light into this stallion, to rip him apart verbally for his betrayal, it's not the type of stallion he is. Still, he turns back with flattened ears and continues. "I'm real sorry for yer situation, I am. But don't you understand? If he loses, you owe debt to no one. Not to me. Not to the Lagoon. Not ter anyone." He tries to be quiet for a moment to let it sink in for him but continues on before Goose can interject. "The only reason you think you owe debt to him is that he forced you to come here in the first place. And rest assured, he means nothing of his word. If the man can find any way to backstab you or twist his words he will. Unless he gave you a word for word promise that he would do any of that, he won't and it's all in yer head. Words that yer using to damn this whole Lagoon to another year of leadership with him."

"Tcha," he says with a dismissive note in his voice. Already this stranger had showed up and likely spoiled any chance he would have of getting to speak to his brothers who might actually vote for him. Not only was Goose wasting his time trying to justify his vote to the one party that could have made things better for him, but he was making it harder to reach the ones that might yet be swayed. "Yer no brother, Goose. Ye have a family and a home and a kid. Ye dinna belong here, making deals you don't understand."

Fearghas shakes his head and takes a step back. He knows that he should try to convince this pinto stallion to vote for him, to point out that if he were to switch his vote, and if Cullen were defeated, he would never need to fear the Lagoon again. But in truth, he is angry. Angrier than he has ever been. It's one thing to know the depths to which Cullen would go for most things, but to know he would blackmail a herd stallion into coming back for literally no other reason than to vote had ruined his entire day. How many other lives had Cullen ruined in the past? How many other souls had he wrapped his sticky fingers around and left puppet strings behind? How many more would vote for Cullen against their will?

"I dinna understand, Goose, and I willna stand around tryin. He's tied you up with threats ter your family, and I willnae make the bonds tighter by tryin ter loosen em. Ye best find someone else tae talk to. Ye willnae convince me ter stand down, and he won't appreciate you talkin' ter me." After all, if Cullen were to find out that the tobiano stallion had spared any breath for his rival, and he was sure to make his "visit" here worse. "Enjoy yer vacation in my home."

stallion . 3 years . 15.2 hands . smoky black blanket . loveinspired . credit