Drogon

Drogon had known it was coming, although he had perhaps spent too much time hoping that he was wrong. Charybdis had grown even more mysterious as of late (a feat he would not have thought possible if he had not witnessed it with his own eyes), and he recognized the signs of a leader growing weary beneath the yoke of responsibility. The dark stallion had not spoken to her in over a year now, which was an odd arrangement given the title she had bestowed upon him. Every time he looked at her, he felt her betrayal, and worse still, it remained associated with Svenja's too. The children at their sides were reminders of his failures and he had come close to leaving them behind to seek the oblivion of the mythical mainland where no one would know who he was.

And then he thought of Estella and Vhagar. Of the way Svenja stayed, despite it all. Of Wulfric, still somewhere deep in the shadows. And of the legacy of his father, wherever he was. Drogon could abandon himself, but he could not abandon all of them. Not yet.

When the acrid scent of a new stallion wafted through the heavy, humid air, Drogon gritted his teeth and turned to meet it. As he meandered closer, he caught the scent of the black mare that had once ruled here and considered the possibility that she had risen up to retake her throne but cast that quickly aside. From what he'd heard of her current state, she was in no condition to rule anyone.

"That would depend on you, I imagine," Drogon said calmly as he arrived, having caught the tail end of the giant draft's question. The golden stallion was unfamiliar to him, but carried the acrid stench of mud and men which seemed to imply an affiliation with the Lagoon. The way he looked at and spoke to Faolain implied familiarity as well, although she didn't seem to return it from what he could see. All supposition, of course, but Drogon oft relied on the small details to get by. He studied the stranger quietly, trying to get a read on his reaction to Drogon's presence before speaking again.

"I would rather not have to move my family," he began, which was still technically true, if you ignored the whole wanting-to-run-away part. Mentioning them was, hopefully, at least a clue for the big brute to pick up on that Drogon had previously held a position of rank. "I'm Drogon, one of Charybdis' sub leads."

Can you feel it?