Beneath the surface

Ryder shouted above the voices, making sure his input was heard. A loud sigh escaped him as he glanced down at the foal at his mate's hooves. Leif was glancing around them with interest. Although, it seemed the colt knew not to disturb what was going on. The fate of the herd was at stake, and he had a feeling that the young colt knew it was important since so many horses were participating. Everyone was on edge and either furious or anxious. No one was sure what would become of them now that Cael had been taken from them by the Bachelors. He frowned at the memory. He had been one of the few to step up against the Bachelors to try and convince Cael that there had to be another option though it had obviously been for nothing. The Exiles were without a home and now a leader. A whinny cut through the air, making his head swivel in the sound's direction. "Rae?" He called out as the mare galloped toward him. A tired smile crossed his face as he walked to meet her.

Ryder hugged her back with biggest smile the tired stallion could muster. The journey back to the herd had been difficult, and now with Leif born, him and Effie were constantly chasing after him. At the mare's motions, Ryder looked back at the bickering herd with disdain. "The Bachelors took Cael, and now we are deciding where we should go. Some wish to side with Olde while others want to side with the Bachelors to try and get our herd-members back," he said with a frown. He wasn't quite sure which direction he wished to take. He supposed whichever one offered the most safety for his family.

Ryder looked down as Rae carved an X into the ground with her hoof. He nodded. Of course she would be choosing the Bachelors. Ace was a Bachelor, and he wouldn't imagine that she would side against him. A small sigh escaped him as he thought for a moment. Vasska's deal was definitely outrageous, but Cain was certainly not a merry vacation either. Both decisions had their ups and downs, and it was hard to choose. With Cain's offer though, it had made it even more difficult. The pale stallion had promised safety for his family, and that was all Ryder truly wanted out of this. He had to keep Effie and Leif safe no matter the cost. He had thought about joining with Olde, but now it was quite clear which path he would choose. "Effie and I will be siding with the Bachelors as well. Cain's offer was much more persuading than Vasska's," he said with a flick of his tail. 

Ryder looked back to the arguing horses. He didn't really see the need to bicker when most of them had already chosen sides. A proud smile crossed his face as he heard the clumsy footsteps of his son as he whizzed past him to meet Rae. The brown paint chuckled. "Rae, this is Leif. Effie had him once we got back to the herd a few weeks ago," he said as Leif's tail wagged happily at the sight of a new horse. He was always full of energy, and it didn't surprise him one bit that he would come over here so excitedly. The grey foal loved to meet new horses.

Ryder chuckled as Leif pranced around Rae, biting at her playfully. Rae looked pleased that they had chosen the name she had thought of. It had suited him so well that it was hard not to name him that. A shout rung out, making Ryder turn his head. A sooty mare stood on a hill not far away, calling down a greeting in a familiar voice. "Khala?"


((How far should this go? I don't want to repeat myself or have conflicting stories lol))

Ryder felt his heart jump in his chest. The sooty mare at the top of the hill had been the mare to save him during the fire that had destroyed the Southern isle. If it hadn't been for her, he probably wouldn't be here right now. The group decided that she would be the new leader, and they discussed their situation further, bickering back and forth with a few minutes of needless mudslinging. By the end of it, Ryder was exhausted. A yawn escaped him as he said goodnight to Rae. He found a spot near his mate in the field where he quickly fell asleep.

The next few days were spent preparing for a journey. Cain had told them to meet the Bachelor her by the Summer fields if they chose to side with him, and the group that would do so had decided to leave today. A sigh escaped him as he looked over the herd. All of the familiar faces were comforting, but how many of them would he see after the war was over? Would he even live through it? It had been years since he had actually fought seriously, and he was doubting himself that he could do it again. At least he would have his gift to lean on a little as long as there was some source of water.

Ryder waded around the Bachelors in search of a partner for this sparring match that Cain had decided to have. Finding someone to match up with was becoming harder than he had thought. It appeared that everyone was already brawling, biting at each other as they exchanged blows. The brown paint stopped in the middle of the well-worn field as a calm voice spoke above all the noise. The pale stallion that was the Bachelor leader strode toward him and asked if he had a partner. "No. Yourself? If you don't, maybe you and I could match up." He said with a small nod toward the other horse. Cain might have been manipulative, but he was just a horse like any other.

((I think we should wrap this one up, so we don't mess anything up. XD I know I'll start repeating and contradicting myself very soon lol ))