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Marceline’s departure from the Peaks has left them short on members. This in turn, means they were short on able bodies to help patrol the borders which in turn, has taken up much more of her time as of late than expected. As much as she wanted Ryvar to continue her battle training and enjoy these last few years of childhood she was awarded, Khar’pern simply did not have the numbers to not force the little brown girl to take a bit of the border patrol. Luckily, the young girl seemed eager enough to be seen as an adult that she did not put up much resistance, only glaring at Khar’s command to take Khroma along with her. She knows the girl believes herself capable if facing a bachelor interloper… Khar only hoped that with Khroma along, the boy would be able to find assistance before anything bad happens.

And the bad happens.

Raven-tipped ears snap forward at the gutteral sound of a stallion’s voice. A stallion she knows all too well. Garmr.

Anger flares in her silvery gaze as the rose-dappled mare changes direction, momentarily abandoning her patrol. It could wait. This, this would not.

It does not take her long to find him, the stench of the lagoon sharp against the crisp cleanness of the mountain air. Jealousy tugs at her hardened heart at the sight of Khyber strolling towards the frosted beast, but she does her best to tamper that emotion down. She had no business with it.

A cocky smirk instead fixes itself across her ashen labrums as the exotic woman pushes through the woodline and begins to climb the hillock towards the pair. Clarity appears, and again the pang of guilt tears at Khar’s heart. Although Clarity is far from old, the mare has always tried to keep a peaceful existence here in the Peak. Something that Khar’pern wanted for her. Marceline’s abandonment had not only irked Khar’s nerves, but caused the black and white mare to forego her peaceful existence to help fill the necessary leadership roles that the red mare left behind. Khar made a mental note to thank her later.

She is too far away to hear Khyber’s words, merely a muffled garmble of his tone that causes her nostrils to flare on instinct. He is either being his typical snarky self or relaying information to the mutts leader. Either of which does not necessarily bode well for the Peak until they are given the time to recuperate from Marceline’s departure. ’Why are you here?’ Clarity’s voice is level and guarded as Khar’pern approaches. A exhaled breath is released against the older mare’s pale hip as Khar’pern takes her place at Clarity’s side. ”That didn’t take you long at all.” she quips, her multifaceted ooids flashing in the undiluted sunlight. A single fluted lobe twitches amid the curling tendrils of her charcoal mane. ”He is here to bargain… isn’t that right?” she asks, tilting her chin up fearlessly. She should be furious that Khyber stands so easily beside her enemy, would be lying to say that she did not feel the tiniest hint of jealousy with how brightly his auburn gaze shown at the frosted stallion… but she knows better. For better or worse, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum and while that led to explosive levels of passion and lust, maybe even something akin to love, there would never be anything more between them unless one or the other of them bent. Except Khar’pern knows that neither of them would bend, only break.

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