Winter in the Lagoon was a dull, miserable time. With the passions of autumn behind them, and the short, chilly days stripping the trees of their leaves and freezing the ground into treacherous sheets of ice, Gent found his mood darkening. He had spent autumn in the common grounds, courting women and enjoying fresh air that was free of bachelor musk, so the Lagoon this time of year felt like a prison in comparison.

It did not help that he had no interest in the handful of mares in the Lagoon; they were captives, and he preferred his partners to be willing. This meant that, other than Diamant, all Gent had for company were a dozen or so stallions he knew only by name or not at all. Some of this was his own fault for not putting in the effort to get to know them, of course. But it was more than that. Something about the atmosphere of the Lagoon was off; it wasn’t the carefree place he remembered from his youth. He could tell just from looking that many of the stallions around him were more than harmless mischief-makers: they were mean-tempered, violent beasts; possibly even murderers or rapists. That hardly made for welcoming company.

Cullen’s announcement regarding the war had not helped matters either. Gent had found it difficult to hide his disgust when the Lagoon leader had revealed his vendetta against mare-led territories, and that he had found like-minded herd stallions to join in his crusade. The Lagoon was supposed to be a neutral space: one that harried the herds for amusement, to be sure, but otherwise largely unconcerned with their affairs. Yet Gent regretted letting his tongue slip and making his feelings on the matter known so quickly. Cullen was the Boss, after all, and if Gent wanted to weasel his way into his good graces, he would have to play his cards right.

A day or two after the announcement, Gent sought out Cullen but did not approach him immediately. He grazed a short distance away, watching the Lagoon leader and attempting to ascertain his mood. Only when he was confident how he would be received did Gent make his approach. His pale face was composed but friendly, and he carried his head high, with confidence. Let Cullen remember that he had once been Boss too. “Afternoon, sir,” Gent greeted him with a slight dip of his head, then glanced up casually at the pale grey sky. “I figured it was well past time we had a one-on-one chat. I can only apologize for not making it happen sooner. I was rather… distracted last season, which I’m sure you can understand.”

Gent side-eyed Cullen and chanced a smirk. “I’m impressed you’ve held the Lagoon this long; I didn’t think I’d ever see you again when I left all those years ago. I’d be impressed if you even remembered me. Do you remember me, out of curiosity? Please be honest; I won’t be offended.” Gent shifted to look Cullen face-on and tilted his head with curiosity, causing his thick, dark forelock to fall over one probing blue eye.