Warm Eyes, Clouded Hearts.

[Saz]

The bay stallion bobbed his head thoughtfully, "I know what you mean. I'd rather have a few more mares that were dependable and unlikely to leave us teetering on the edge of not being able to keep these lands. There's more than enough room for a couple more at the very least. I hope that if I take Anthem with me, that perhaps she'll find her place away from here and move on like her brothers." He sighed, glancing away from Alanna and across the beach at the young mare, she had fit in once upon a time, but now with Ronon and Wolfgang gone, and Remington on his way to leave. There was no one of her own age around. Glancing back to his lead mare, the stallion nodded slightly and continued, "As for Alter and Lady, I can hardly blame them for being spooked and nervous around here, I can only imagine what Viper did to them." He shivered derisively before shaking out his mane and casting his gaze up to the noon sky, it was still relatively early in the day so if they left in the next hour they would have enough time to get to the common grounds and find somewhere to sleep for the night.

"We'll leave soon, hopefully before the late summer storms roll in. I'll return in a couple of days, three at maximum. If anything happens then see if you can seek shelter under one of the other stallions on the island." He murmured, a crease forming between his brows before he took a careful step forward and gently pressed his muzzle against Alanna's neck. "I apologise for the almost constant disturbances, I just hope everything settles down soon." He spoke quietly with an earnest tone before he turned away and strode toward his eldest daughter. "Anthem," He greeted the young mare with a tight smile as he attempted to persuade himself that the herd would be fine whilst he was gone. "I'm going to the common grounds for a few days to see if I can find some mares to join our ranks. I thought it would be a good idea for you to come with me, perhaps take a look around outside of the herdlands and maybe explore a little? I brought it up with your mother too, and she thinks it's a good idea. Of course it's still your choice, but considering you've almost always been here, I thought you'd enjoy a bit of a field trip?" He phrased the suggestion smoothly, though he stumbled over his words slightly as he gazed at his daughter, he hadn't had time to really bond with her any time recently as he had been worrying after the mares as they were foaling, and then the whole thing with Phoenix, and of course the most recent upheaval didn't improve his spirits or his stress levels. So maybe, if Anthem agreed, this trip would turn into more of a father-daughter bonding experience as well as a mare finding excursion.

[Swede]

Alanna snorted softly. "I was a traveler for years before I settled here, remember. Constant disturbances are nothing new to me, and even though things have been a little rocky lately I've dealt with worse. Take care of her, maybe it's time for her to move on but there are some roguish colts out there that are best avoided if it can be helped. I'll hold down the fort here, good luck with your journey."

Anthem raised her head, a little surprised by Cobra's sudden attention and proposal. It was true, she had never left the territory in her life, and it sounded a little intimidating. But her mother had been all over the place, along with the other mares, and there were plenty of horses who explored the wilderness; the only thing dangerous about it was that it was unknown land instead of familiar territory, that was all. Perhaps it would be exciting. "Oh, uh, sure dad. Sounds like fun," she answered, already feeling a mixture of curiosity and apprehension coming over her.