He made it a day before he found himself plunging into the ocean and eagerly making his way toward the Crossing island with his newfound authority. Raegar wasn't sure where the Peak was, exactly, but he was fairly certain that it had something to do with the mountains he'd seen on the horizon. He wasn't sure
how he was going to convince Filumena to leave it behind and come to the Badlands with him, but he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind since they'd met so many months ago. He didn't think he'd have much luck convincing her with words, but maybe he'd try and convince her gently first. After all, he wasn't
supposed to be making the Badlands any new enemies.
Raegar landed near where he'd first stepped foot on the islands, only nothing really looked familiar. The trees that had been shedding brown-red-yellow leaves were now wearing crowns of tiny green buds, and the desiccated grass had been transformed into a carpet of green that was disorienting to look at for a boy born of Salem. Everywhere he turned, this island seemed to be sprouting new life. It made him uneasy to be somewhere so absolutely alien, but he knew he couldn't back down now.
The border between the Commons and the Falls was unusually distinct, which is what caught his eye initially on his quest northward. The very paths through the lands where different, with the eastward side being much more utilized than the western side he was angling toward. This alone was enough to make him pause and consider what he knew of the Crossing, but it wasn't until he spotted another mare being escorted from the land by a watchful stallion that Raegar realized where he was.
The
Commons.
He sucked in an excited breath - his quest for Filumena momentarily placed on the backburner - and scanned the rest of the territory eagerly. He hadn't really planned to bring anyone else home, but he would be foolish to turn down this opportunity. He could prove to his father that he would do as he promised and bring more herd members home while also giving Ayiana someone else to talk to now that his mother was preoccupied with guarding Viveka.
He saw Teasel a moment later, her beautiful chestnut coat outlined by a rim of flaxen hair that glittered beneath the bright spring sun. She reminded him poignantly of Ayiana, which he took to be a good sign, and so he lifted his head and called out to her immediately. Before the sound had even faded from his lips, he was loping toward her, his head up and ears perked in eagerness.
As he got closer, his head dropped and he moved around her to try and drive her back the way he'd come with his head snaked down low. It wasn't exactly the words-first approach his father kept trying to encourage, but it had worked with Ayiana while also satisfying his instincts. The closer he came, however, the harder it was to ignore the heft of her belly, and the resulting understanding of what that meant. The realization drew him up short, and as he slid to a halt before her, he abandoned the notion of driving her to the Badlands... for now. She looked like she was going to have her baby any day now, and he didn't like the thought of putting her into danger.
Words it was.
"I want you to come home with me." He said plainly, opting for the obvious. What he lacked in charm, he made up for in earnestness, and he extended his muzzle toward her encouragingly.
"I'm Raegar, from the Badlands."