Common

"Hate to disappoint you," He said with a sense of accomplishment that defied all of his misgivings over their situation. "But I'm not Faline."

He is wary this time, opting to slink closer with his head high and charcoal rimmed ears pinned tightly to his nape. The pretty autumn-colored mare that he had targeted in the Thicket had been alone and sweet; an easy target for a novice Lagoonie to try and raid. He'd caught her playing in the water for heaven's sake. He literally could not have imagined a better scenario for him to take advantage of, but this little wildcat was different. This one not only had claws, but the skill and talent to use them. At least here she would not have the fluffy white stallion or the innocent damsel to back up her rejection of him.

Still, he couldn't not try his luck. This black and white viper of a mare certainly wasn't the easiest target, but in a way that was almost better. Not because Rehoboam possessed any particularly masochistic tendencies, but because it reassured him that if he did manage to get her to the Lagoon, she would be alright. If she could fight like that over someone else, he felt at least fairly confident that she could fight twice as hard for herself if it came down to that.

Decision made, he rushed forward to align himself side by side with the feisty she-devil in order to mitigate her retaliation, and then stretched to try and place a nip of claim on her shoulder. He was wary of her teeth and her hooves, and her mouth, if he were honest, but he knew that he had the upper hand of surprise on his side. Fighting to keep himself near to her and out of the danger zone, the lean tobiano did his best to stay side by side with her.

"You can call me Rehoboam though, on our way to the Lagoon." He says almost triumphantly, although the pride that crows in the words is hollow inside. The last place he wanted any mare to be was the Lagoon, and yet it was the task he had been assigned. He had to do it if he was going to make any headway in the Lagoon. To understand how and why they did what they did to the herds of the islands, he needed to become one of them… even if the thought of forcing a prisoner to the swampy mire filled him with an uneasy disgust.

The bachelors would never follow him if they didn't first learn to see him as one of their own.

"We make this quiet and we can go get your Faline and send her somewhere other than the Lagoon, or we can make this difficult, and you can both come with me." Gritting his teeth against what he imagined was her colorful retort - be it bodily harm or a verbal attack - he refused to budge from her side. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, wildcat."