rade

In his silence, the old stallion read the emotions etched in the furrows of the golden dun’s face— both those that lingered, and those that visited only briefly. Suspicion was never far, but it was buried first beneath resentment (why, he wondered, when his Lagoon had never wronged her?), and then disbelief. Clearly, there was something more personal about her vendetta than whatever doctrine the Vulcans fed to their own, but he didn’t have enough of the history to understand what. And it bothered Rade. Not that the young mare’s opinion of him was so low— he was used to that— but that he felt as if he was being held accountable for others’ crimes. Just as his brothers had done in the Peak those years ago. But he, at least, could claim more responsibility for anything that had happened than they. He was the one responsible for Cullen’s existence, after all— and if the Peak should find out, he didn’t doubt that any hope of peace would end with that truth.

Or that his life would probably end with that truth.

After passing through the stages of revulsion and doubt and back into composure, the younger Vulcan launched into a speech as old as time. Lagoon stealing children and mares. Lagoon forcing children on others. Lagoon harming others. And it wasn’t that the golden roan didn’t care, but he felt the implied weight of Roisin’s words. The guilt she seemed to transfer so smoothly to him, guilty by association. Guilty for the crime of stepping into this role, guilty for wearing a crown stained by blood— even though he himself had not shed it. Even though he had, in fact, done his best to bring the worst of their men to heel. Granted, the sabino woman couldn’t know that he’d been ready to kill Torsten for the act of raping Tauri, or that he’d freed Carbon. But even if he told her, would she believe him? Probably not.

Even after you took control of the Lagoon… Rade’s tattered ears perked at these words, his amber gaze narrowing as the youth continued. Tyr’s challenge was something he’d been unaware of, but the palomino wasn’t particularly surprised to hear it either. The bullish General did what he pleased, and was not known to seek out his leader for council either before or after. But Tyr had also voted to oust Cullen, so he wasn’t about to paint him with the same brush as his own vile, murderous son. To his knowledge, the draft had never sought to harm others without some cause, even if that cause was ultimately misguided. He only seemed to want the same thing his Boss did— a strong Lagoon— with an entirely different set of ideals on what would get them there. And if nothing else, he did provide a valuable tie between the old ways and the new; a means by which Rade could connect with and change those who favored force as their first and last resort.

You hold just as many prisoners in your ranks as you did under Cullen, while we hold none. This time the scarred bachelor was not able to hold himself in check, and rolled his eyes visibly at the accusation. Yes, it was easy to assume that every single one of the women staying here was a prisoner, but that didn’t make it the truth. Hell, two of the women belonged to Tyr, and neither could have been pried from the General’s side by anything short of violent force. So it was easy for the little Vulcan to draw her verbal conclusion that there were injustices to resolve here, that they bachelors— and Rade— were unworthy of her support. And it would have been equally easy for the stallion to turn his back and walk away in response, but he didn’t. He stayed, his gaze shifting towards the elder Vulcan when she broke the uneasy silence that followed. How many mares are living here against their will right now?

Ah, and there they had him neatly trapped. Because the truth would condemn him, and a lie would paint him no different than those who’d come before. Sighing heavily and shifting the weight of his slender body again, the roan chose to be honest— whatever might follow his admission. “As far as I’m aware, only one,” he responded sotto, his eyes tracing the contours of the ground between them. Whatever these two might believe, he didn’t relish the fact that the Lagoon held any prisoners, and would have preferred none. But sometimes, you had to commit an evil to prevent an even greater one. “She is an… associate of one of Cullen’s staunchest allies on the island, a mare called Nyimara. It did not seem prudent to set her free so she could tip the scales more in their favor.”

Setting her free certainly would’ve been the easier option, especially given the promise of retribution for Rade’s refusal. Only the firm belief that he was right in his decision— the determination to weaken Cullen in any way that he could, even at his own expense— had allowed him to cling to the brown mare of no real worth. But as his gaze lifted to meet Oswin’s, it occurred to the stallion that the Vulcans themselves might present a solution. “You’re welcome to her, if you want her. But only if you promise to keep her close. She — she doesn’t seem so bad, but that other one, Nyimara, is. From what I’ve pieced together, she was the cause of Cullen’s… inexplicable interest in your young friend's family.”

His gaze flicked over to the dun, wondering what the mare's reaction would be to this claim. Whether she would be surprised, or if she already suspected or knew the truth.

stallion / palomino roan / arab mix / 15.1 hh