M
arceline had been restless these past weeks, her anxieties compounding upon one another until they had robbed her of her sleep and any modicum of peace she'd had. Her mind was busy turning the same thoughts over and over until they were like stones worn smooth by her constant touch. She thought of Lavender and Ursa, the mares she'd failed to save in the Commons. She thought of Seraphine, wondered where she was and if she was happy. But she thought most of Asenath, the young filly whose life had been cut tragically short. And by one of their trinkets, no less.
Had she truly lost her touch as a leader? What good would she be if she could not bring about well-deserved justice for her sisters? If she could not protect the weak?
Harried by her troublesome thoughts, Marceline set out to complete a patrol around the Peak. Her sisters were undoubtedly asleep and so she made certain to step carefully. It was during this patrol that she discovered Lucifer was conspicuously absent. A tendril of unease wove its way down her spine as she searched for him, from the highest lookout to the deepest parts of the forest, without seeing hide nor hair of him. Had he tried to make a run for it? she wondered. He had already attempted an escape once, but not before claiming the life of Ararat's daughter. Yet someone or something had forced him to return to the prison she'd made for him. She should not have been surprised that he might try again.
She managed to catch his scent, and as she followed it closer and closer to the base of the Peak, her suspicions were confirmed. But beneath his scent there laid traces another. Several long moments passed before she placed it as Bubbles, the daughter of the Peak's newest member. Marceline's heart thudded against the cage of her ribs. Had he taken her with him?
A harsh snort ripped its way from her nostrils, frustration and anger and concern blooming deep in her gut. Sparing no second thought, Marceline set off towards the border, but not before issuing a shrill call for her sisters, her voice echoing up the mountain. It was a call to action for any that would heed it at this late hour. As she descended towards the shadowy forest she spared a glance over her shoulder. In the distance she could make out Ararat's figure, and motioned with a jerk of her delicate skull towards the trailhead. She did not bother to stop and wait for the mare to follow her. She had promised justice - or revenge, if that was what the dun mare desired - and so it would be.
As she reached the Peak's border she considered where to look for him first. The first and most obvious place to look would be the Lagoon. It was where she'd fished him from, and where stallions of his ilk were most likely to slither back to when given the chance.
Marceline crossed the Commons at brisk but uneven canter, the stars as her guide. By the time she reached the Lagoon her leg ached and protested with each step, but she continued onward. Quiet as a cat she slunk past their borders and followed her wayward trinket's scent deeper into the territory. Lucifer's call shattered the silence that draped across the Lagoon like a heavy blanket, spurring her on.
She managed to make it to him, but not before Garmr did - he'd taunted her enough times on the battlefield that she would recognize his voice anywhere, a low rumble that carried through the inky forest. Marceline's ears almost flattened against her crest instinctively, but she managed to keep her expression schooled as she slithered from the darkness.
"Now, now, Lucifer, what did I tell you about wandering too far from home?"
Without waiting for his response, she directs her attention to Garmr.
"I've come to fetch my toy. It seems to have grown a mind of its own and walked away while I wasn't looking." And managed to murder one Peak filly and maim another, though she made no mention of those particular incidents in front of Garmr. She would not put it past the Lagoon Boss to commend Lucifer for his despicable actions and welcome him back with open arms.
That simply would not do.
She directs her leering gaze back towards Lucifer then, a malicious smirk curling her lips and her amber eyes sweeping over his sizeable form. He may have been several hands taller than herself and built like a boulder, but even the biggest beasts were beholden to the island's laws - if no one else came to his defense, he would be forced to return with her, and face Ararat's wrath. She expected she might earn a few new cuts and bruises along the way, but it would be a worthy price to pay to bring him to justice.
general of the peak
Marceline