When Ruger had moved back to the Prairie, he finally got to have a taste of the peace he had been seeking his entire life. But just like always, some part of his past came back to drag him under again. He had thought himself free of the Lagoon’s hold, having been away from it so long. Cullen had made sure to remind him the day he had taken Macabre’s life he would never escape, and now the stallion had made the mistake of bringing him back here. Back to the place it had all started.

Ruger had sulked in the shadows of the lagoon despite the absence of the brotherhood. In some ways, the painted stallion was glad to be here and see what all Cullen had lost. But it was not enough to compensate for what he had lost by being here. Especially as he found his father’s scent once again lingering in the Lagoon’s depths. It had brought a sickening feeling to Ruger’s gut that had not went away since.

Today as the sun rose, Ruger prowled to the tree his father had always stood at. It was one of the highest points in the lagoon, always dry even in the wetter seasons. It had given relief to Felony’s injured leg, letting him rest from the constant pull of the mud. Though he was not there now, Ruger could scent him there still. While the stallion had been here, it seemed he had taken up his old post. Now, bathed in his father’s scent, Ruger stood in the shadows of the tree. Only the glow of his lupine eyes and the silhouette of his body could be seen.