The Peak and the Lagoon had long been at odds. Bane knew that, and she knew that such a tension had literally given her life. Her and Stratton… some days she still ached for her twin brother. There was a concern that he really was dead by now. Hell, it was likely, but she could hold onto hope until proven otherwise. Maybe it was stupid, but Bane didn’t care. She could be stupid in some things if she wanted to.

Half of her bloodline ran thickly through the Lagoon, and the other half flowed like rain down the sides of the Peak. The Lagoon wasn’t the enemy, but being an alliance was… a different thought. Two separate entities with their own goals and their own ends. Two separate entities that had their own means to achieve everything they wanted to be, and everything they could be. That separation was one of the things that kept them safe. Bane was doing her best to understand how things stood, though it weighed heavily on her mind.

Still, she needed to focus on the meeting at hand. Entitled was a funny (in a humorless way) take on the strength of the Peak. Though they ebbed and flowed like the sea, they would continually fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. A voice for the voiceless… it was a noble pursuit, even if Bane didn’t feel the nobility in her own bones. As the silver creature came into view, the Codebreaker didn’t shy from drawing to her full height, head high and elegant. A striking picture, the three of them were together. Their front was united.

“Why are you so defensive?” The question was blunt. Was he hiding something? It wasn’t so rude as to throw off the meeting and its purpose, but Bane’s gaze was steady. She’d inherited one thing from Anath– the striking, piercing look that would cut through anyone (especially a man) like a knife. At Oswin’s gaze, Bane offered a slight shrug. Even if it was a trap, there were three mares (skilled combatants, the lot of them) and one stallion. They could take him, if it really came to that.

As they entered the shade, Bane felt a bit more at ease. Too much heat, especially while her coat had grown in densely, was hazardous. That much was for sure. Oswin’s statement was bold, calling the man a villain outright. From the stories that had reached Bane, this wasn’t terribly off base. Everyone seemed to paint him as the antagonist in the picture, and it seemed fair to confront those accusations at the source. Bane watched the creature carefully for a reaction, but remained quiet for now.

Anath x Thane