The walk from the Peak to the Lagoon was a familiar one to Oswin, even after all these years. There’d been many reasons for her to travel this path in her past, but never the reason she walked it now. A civil meeting to discuss things between the Peak mares and the Lagoon boss had never gone right when she was in the Peak before. Again, she privately reminded herself to hold her judgments. Ernesto had been a bachelor too, but she’d never held that same Lagoon bias against him that she did for the others.

This was the stallion Kunžak had told them Božena at least trusted enough to help him get the Lagoon out from Cullen. Oswin had been here when Cullen was just beginning to settle into the Lagoon and saw how evil had spread. That was the thing about the Lagoon, she mused as she walked in comfortable silence with her Peak sister, it always seemed to attract those with a taste for evil. Why was that? What was it about this place of mud and still-water stench that attracted the worst of society?

They stopped near the border and Oswin’s blue eyes slid to Róisín as she lifted her muzzle and bellowed out a call beckoning the Lagoon boss forward. She felt an energy building up inside her. An excitement at the prospect of a potential fight. Oswin could swear up and down she didn’t want to resort to violence, but she was always first to swing and second to ask questions. It’d been worse when she was younger. Now she could look over at her Peak sister, remember they were here to remain civil and see why Rade felt the way he did about the Peak and know whether or not they’d have to keep an eye on this boss, too.

Was the Peak always destined to be at war?

"Ready or not, here we go." Said Róisín, and Oswin met her nervous smile with a confident one.

“Let’s see what complaints Rade has of the Peak,” Oswin said, her grin stretching a little wider at the preposterous nature of such a thing. Of course a Lagoon boss would think ill of the Peak. Why wasn’t she surprised? Still, did it only go as far as a personal distaste or did it come with a need for revenge? How many mares were in this shadowed place against their will, wishing they could run away and be free? She settled herself down before she got herself too riled up and turned to look forward, ears perked as she waited for the Lagoon boss to make himself known.

oswin
this is as brave as I know how to be.
I know it’s gonna hurt you, but please… be a little proud of me.