The call that had echoed across the Lagoon was one that Rehoboam had not heard in weeks, if not months, and he stiffened at the implied demand within. Such a call
should have come from their boss, but the golden stallion they had elected to lead them into a new future had disappeared, and Tyr had not yet been selected to replace him. Bristling slightly, Rehoboam left his customary spot near the junction of the Lagoon's border and the Commons and moved toward the call, only to grimace at the sight that greeted him.
The young tobiano had known that few of their brothers remained. The swamp was dead quiet most days, and the few brothers that had been among their number during the last vote had all but vanished.
All that seemed to remain were Rehoboam, and the father-son duo with their assorted partners. The sight of Frey brought a narrowing of the Marauder's eyes and curling of his lip that he could not suppress. It was bad enough that the rank-less shit-starter had knocked up his sister, let alone that he intended to keep her and their new baby in the Lagoon. Worse still was the realization that not even a rank was enough to have any influence over him.
Rehoboam had seen firsthand that the Lagoon was dangerous. Had grieved at the foot of his brother's grave after a Lagoon stallion had attacked then-pregnant Sabriel for reasons unknown, and had watched helplessly as a young colt as Lagoon men charged into the Cove to try and steal what did not belong to them. They may all be working toward a better future now, but there was no safety to be found in the Lagoon.
There never had been. And without a way to control who came or went, there never would be. All it would ever take was a single moment where Rehoboam or Frey wasn't watching, and Bellona would be hurt. Pretending otherwise was evidence of Frey's youth and naivete.
"Do not twist my words," Rehoboam answered sharply as he moved to join the duo, his gaze cutting away from the loathsome red colt to the General and then back with a grimace.
"I said it was a respectable place for men, not for my deaf and pregnant little sister to have her first child."
It took all of Rehoboam's self-control to stop himself there, and to resist either launching a verbal or physical attack in an attempt to drill any kind of reason into Frey's head.
"And as an insider," Reh continues, latching on to the 'other' label Frey had foisted upon him and twisting it to his advantage,
"you don't understand what we're up against. For decades the Lagoon has done whatever they wanted - raped, pillaged, stole, cheated. We've made the islands feel helpless to stop us, and have reaped the benefits in the past." The tobiano tried not to think too much about his own unsuccessful raid of Titania or of the way he'd contemplated forcing Celestine to join him before she'd done so readily on her own.
"Swearing to do better and then not keeping our promises," he said sharply, lips tightening as he thought back to Frey's misadventures shortly after the Lagoon leadership had sworn to the Peak's proposal.
"-Isn't going to change anyone's minds." He pauses for half a second, his tail lashing across his hindquarters as he tempered his own emotions. His gaze rose back to Tyr again, attempting to read his reaction to all that he'd said.
"We need a code of conduct. Some sort of guideline to hold our brothers too."