you shouldn’t walk where the hemlock grows

Faolain chuckled smugly at Rougaru’s comment that she had been the first to cross the border, and therefor the first to start trouble. It was true. Once again, she thought of Shamwari’s words of warning on the beach of Atlantis so many seasons ago, and wondered how differently her first interaction with Rougaru may have gone if she had not been so quick to listen.

The sound of excited hoofbeats reached Faolain - and paused for a second before resuming - as she stepped back within the Ridge’s border. Faolain twisted her head around on a still-slightly sore neck to see Rivaini as she came to join them, and the black mare’s face lit up softly in the company of the red Guardian. ”Rivaini,” she greeted, falling comfortably into her place at the silver bay’s side. It did not escape Faolain that Rivaini was less than pleased to see Rougaru, and despite her own amicable greeting to the Wolf, Faolain could not blame her. She leaned into Rivaini’s side and drew her teeth comfortingly against the copper skin behind her ear, brushing silvery strands of mane out of the way to do so.

Rougaru bowed, and offered an explanation for his visit. Faolain raised a brow, still somehow surprised that the battle had turned out as it had. She had not expected Rougaru to take the loss as gracefully as he had, especially considering his efforts to unite the island had been ongoing since before Faolain and Rivaini’s arrival to the Ridge. A strange sort of pride warmed the black mare’s chest; perhaps, if she could unite the other two leaders of Atlantis beneath her as well, the island might truly be whole. They would be stronger and better protected for their alliances, and maybe the burdens of leadership could be lessened by the presence of friends on all sides.

But Faolain knew it would not be quite so easy. Rougaru, she knew, would have made the most difficult adversary had she decided to take on the island on a whim, rather than as a compromise, so it was a great comfort to have his support even in spite of their previous feud. She still held onto some type of feelings regarding his coupling with Rivaini, but she could not deny that their deal had worked, even if indirectly. She could only hope now that Rivaini would not come to resent her sacrifice - though Faolain would not blame her if she did. The little ‘Teke was grateful beyond words for her partner, not only because of the physical sacrifice she had made for her, but because the silver bay had brought out Rougaru’s true colors. Over the next several months, Faolain would get to see what kind of stallion the Wolf truly was, and so far - from the little she had seen already - he didn’t seem so bad.

If Rivaini agreed to a walk, Faolain set off slowly along the border. It was pleasant to walk at such a relaxed pace. Rivaini at her side made it infinitely more so. The usual itch to get where she wanted to go as fast as possible was sated by her tired muscles and sore limbs. She swished her tail lazily, brushing it against the red skin of her companion before picking up the conversation once again. She addressed Rivaini first, her head dipping apologetically before she spoke. ”I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” she began. ”I challenged Rougaru again. It was originally for an alliance, on the terms that he come stay in the Ridge for a time and prove himself a worthy father and ally, but we agreed in the end to battle for support in leadership of the island.” She paused to glance at Rougaru, her eyes following his stiff gait for a moment as she limped onward. ”Surprisingly, I won. We now have Paradise’s support should we choose to unite the island, but more importantly, we have an alliance. It is... a great weight that has been lifted, though I think I would feel the same if I had lost the battle.” It was true, but she was particularly glad to know that Rougaru took the loss with dignity and honor.

She addressed the Wolf next, laying out her thoughts as plainly as she could, inviting Rivaini to input with a touch of her muzzle against her cheek. ”I am not overly ambitious,” she said. ”I want safety and peace for the Ridge, and by extension, for Paradise. I hope it is not too much to ask of each other not to do anything rash with the herds of other islands. If we do come across trouble, we handle it together.” Truth be told, Faolain had not thoroughly considered what she hoped to accomplish, outside of finding Siobhan and making sure Nyimara would not continue living out her torturous fantasies on the red mare. Beyond that, she did not know what the future held, and even that was uncertain, but at least now she was hopeful.

mare | black | 14hh | akhal-teke