I threw myself into the swim from the Lagoon to Atlantis with relish, craving the outlet of energy so that I could appease the anger that had consumed me for the past few hours. I had returned from a scouting trip to the territories to find my little gray Peak mare gone and Vane dead, only to be forced to piece together the puzzle after the fact. The General we had appointed barely a season ago hadn't even managed to protect a mare he shouldn't have been defending in the first place.

Khar'pern was mine. Just like Hiyori. Just like Vogue. Mine.

Or she had been, until a few hours ago.

But there was no point in pursuing them just now. Even if I did manage to catch up to Marceline - her scent was all over the scene - there was no guarantee I'd be able to wrest Khar'pern from their clutches. The only luck I'd ever had against the Peak was picking out the solitary mares and catching a sentry unawares. Going into the heart of their little girly fortress alone was asking to get ganged up on. And realistically… I knew I was never going to be able to keep her. I had known that from the beginning, but that didn't lessen the annoyance I felt.

Marceline was probably over there crowing about her victory like the windbag she was.

Thus, I had stormed over to Izumi and grumbled something about it being time to find her a home and then herded her pretty palomino self into the surf. I'd told Hiyori I would do so, but I kept putting it off and putting it off. I don't know if that's why Hiyori avoided me this past fall, but I suspected it might be. My little mouse had grown even more elusive this past season, and I'd been too distracted to do much about it. Another black mark on my record, I suppose.

Now though, as I shook myself off and turned my dark gaze to the golden mare, I found some of the irrational anger that had driven me to swim so hard fading. Khar'pern was gone, but she wouldn't forget me. Not that she could have the first time - no matter what she said - but certainly not now as she carried a sibling for our daughter back to those lonely mountains. And I still had Vogue and Hiyori to occupy my time. Perhaps if I managed to get Izumi settled with Lucifer or whoever had claimed this land, I could get back into my little mouses' good graces enough to stop spending my nights alone.

"You good?" I asked the girl brusquely, although I wasn't sure it mattered. We weren't exactly close and I certainly hadn't asked her if this was where she wanted to go. I had never been cruel to her, but I certainly hadn't tried to be a father figure, either. I kept her safe the way I kept Hiyori safe, and let her entertain herself as she wished. I had picked Paradise because rumor had it that Lucifer had ended up here, and Lucifer had - at least for a time - been a Lagoonie. Loyalty mattered, after all. And even if Lucifer wasn't here, or wasn't interested in her, then there was still the new ruler - whoever he was. Either way, Izumi wasn't coming home with me.

Lifting my blazed face, the dark chestnut called out for the rulers of this land, and then settled in to wait.

Stallion - Young Adult - 15.2 - Brown Overo