Seeking Spiders & Answers

[Captain Stumpy]

There was a eerie feeling as Cascade entered the woods, it got colder quickly as the sun stayed behind them, for the desert mare it was enough to cause a shiver or two as she contiued. It took her a moment for her eyes to ajust from light to darkness, even the smell on the cool breeze changed, the smell of rotting tree's and moist moss was getting heavier and heavier. Cascade was sinking as she walked threw thick spongey moss. The path was probably a old riverbed, clear of tree's it seemed the easiest way to the deepest part of the woods. As her hoof-prints started filling with water cascade pushed up a old stone bank and through the low bushes and ferns and onto what looked like a deer-path.



Spider laid down in the shade beside a huge tree-trunk, ahead of him a small clearing, bright sunlight warming the otherwise cold woodlands, even he could feel the warmth on the breeze without the burn of the sun. His sunshine Stransy was with the twins, he couldn't have asked for a better family. His attention twitched from his family in the sun to a sound from the shadow's. He turned his head sharply, his ears erect and sure enough their was a faint sound of russeling and hoof-beats. He looked at Stransy, sure her attention was taken up with the twins he looked back at the sound. was it coming from the dried up riverbed? not quite. The lanky stallion climbed to his hooves, his white tail swishing with axiety. "Stransy stay here a minute" He said from the darkness not wanting to alarm the twins, but enough to put Stransy on alart. with that he took off to the deeper darkness. Arachne wasn't paying much attention till her sire broke the silence, useing a tone that made her hair prick. The black filly ran to the side of her dam, then circled the large chestnut mare looking for her chestnut sibling to start playing again.


Spider crept into the woods, firstly heading towards the river-bed. He checked the waterlogged moss and easily saw 2 sets of tracks, the sent left behind was clear enough to let him know a male and female were walking through. Spider felt more alert, he wasn't a fighter so he couldn't let this possible threat anywere near his small family. He trotted uphill, these strangers wearn't heading straight to the clearing but they'd soon pick up the sent of Spider's family there. It didn't take too long for the crafty lanky stallion to creep close enough to see the strangers. A pair of chestnut horses, to far to make any distinctions he continued to follow making sure they left his little patch of the woods in peace.

[Swede]

Cascade wasn't really the most pleasant company in the world, but Lonestar supposed it was better than nothing. He hadn't been inclined to initiate much conversation with her on their journey, though; instead, he walked in silence, losing himself in his own thoughts. She had given him quite a few things to think about, and it was still a bit difficult to know what to make of it all. Luckily, the woods were almost as silent as himself, and didn't disturb his meditations much. His dark chocolate coat melded smoothly with the shadows of the trees, and he didn't seem particularly out of place here. That was nothing more than an illusion, though; Lonestar didn't belong anywhere.

"You do remember what he looks like, right?" he asked Cascade, "Would be a shame if he slipped under our noses." It was a silly question maybe, but the mare wasn't altogether correct in the head, so Lonestar figured it was better to be safe than sorry. He himself only had a vague idea of what sort of appearance he was supposed to look for, and had no way of recognizing the scent if it passed him by. There were plenty of smells in these woods, some old, some less old, mingling into an aromatic mess that he had no reference points for untangling.

[Captain Stumpy]

"Who?" Cascade replied after a conciderable amount of silence had passed after Lonestar's question, With the silence you could almost hear the cogs on her head turning. She then stopped to face Lonestar, "Why are we in the forest?" She asked him after turning round. "I hate the cold" She murmered her ears pressed down on her head as if it was Lonestar's fault for the tempreture. She lashed her tail angrily, senclessly.
Then...
A sent from behind them hit her memory like a rock, A hard rock, She gasped. Eyes widened the hair on her back raised. "Syn" She said speeking out to the emptiness of the woodlands.

Spider sighed when he recagnised Cascade's voise. Though grumpy and unpredicatble the mare was ultimently harmless and he doubted anyone who traveled with her could be a threat, or be completly sound minded. Spider couldn't manage a whole year with her before he met his grand-sire. Walking out between to heavily overgrown trees, "Cascade I've told you before I'm Spider" The Sickly figured black stallion called to the chestnut mare. His bloodshot eyes then took a interest in the white tailed stallion. "Is he between you and my father?" Spider asked, Not sure of the strangers age, but in his head that made sence. Cascade looked confused when Spider said he wasn't Syn, her face relaxed. "Oh yeah, sorry Spider its your sent I get it mixed up" She said as carmly as anything. Falling silent again Spider assumed she wasn't intending to answer his last question so he looked at the stallion for the answer.

[Swede]

Lonestar stopped dead at Cascade's words. Then he groaned; he knew it, she was completely bonkers, had been the whole time; and even though he knew she was nuts, he still went on this stupid trip with her, and it would all be for nothing. The young stallion couldn't be bothered to argue with her anymore, but luckily, he didn't have to; for in the next moment, Cascade reacted rather bizarrely, and from there things progressed rather quickly.

Eyeing the stranger who approached, Lonestar was relieved to hear him introduce himself as Spider... at least then it seemed to be a more reliable source than Cascade, for all he knew she would just point at a tree and say "that's him, that's Spider!" and Lonestar would be no better for it. He surveyed the fellow curiously; his name suited him, and he was a bit creepy, though Lonestar had no doubt he could take him if things came to a head. The fellow didn't look well, or particularly strong. "So you are Spider... She thought I was Syn too, when we first met," Lonestar said flatly, not really caring if Cascade heard or was offended. She would probably forget his words within a few minutes anyway. "And no, she isn't my mother... but, according to her at least, you and I are brothers. Well, half-brothers anyway. Sons of Syn, you and I." Lonestar unconsciously flicked his white-striped tail, as clear a signal as anything that there was truth in his words; such a mark was quite a rare thing in these lands, after all, if one was not descended from that vile stallion.

[Captain Stumpy]

Cascade pulled a sour face when he mentioned mistaking him for Syn. But remined silent, instead she looked around from where she stood, spotting a small slither of grass she lowered her head to graze as carm as anything.

"That makes sence" Spider said with nothing short of a sigh as he said it. "Proably a good thing your not her son anyway" He said glairing over to her, but she seemed to have left the conversation, or the planet. He couldn't be entirely sure. Back on track he looked Lonestar over again, As he'd felt the stallion do the same to him. "Your the first Prodigy of Syn i've met, Our grandfather was much more of a family stallion" Spider said. "If you ever get Cascade on a good day she can tell you about him, or or father." He said. "Though She's the only horse on the planet thats got anything good to say about Syn" He continued ears flattening slightly at the name of his sire.

Spider looked behind himself, he wanted to get back and watch over his family, before Strancy came looking for him. "Sorry if I sound rather blunt" He said with a flash of his own skunk tail. "But what are you doing looking for me?" He said looking back at Cascade once more. "You really should put her back in the desert, she's harmless but another vile stallion could throw her over the edge." He continued his tone changeing to somthing more serious.

[Swede]

Lonestar shrugged, glancing at Cascade before returning his gaze to the sickly-looking stallion in front of him. "She was the one who suggested we find you. I don't know... perhaps I should start at the beginning, and things will be clearer. My name is Lonestar. Not long ago, I found out that my mother was, in fact, not my mother at all. Apparently my true dam abandoned me to die at birth." He snorted softly, almost a bitter chuckle; this whole quest was starting to feel ridiculous, but it was also evolving into something he hadn't really even thought about from the beginning. "So I set out to find my true parents, and find the truth... I do wish Cascade could tell me more, but what she has said already has convinced me that Syn doesn't deserve the title of 'father'. And my dam... I haven't found her, not yet at least. Maybe I never will, but I'll keep searching. A stallion who forcebreeds a mare and leaves her to fend for herself is not worthy of life; and a mare who abandons her colt, an innocent newborn who never did any harm, doesn't deserve any happiness. At first, I just wanted to find the truth; and then when I began seeing glimpses of it, I wanted an apology, some sort of sign that they felt guilty; but now..." Lonestar sighed, looking at Spider skeptically. It seemed he wasn't fond of Syn either, but to what degree? It didn't matter; even if he was offended by Lonestar's words, he could easily take him down if necessary. "Now I just want revenge. And for that, I need to find them. I don't suppose you could provide any more useful information than she has?"

[Snappin' Turtle]

The chestnut mare was thin, though not exactly starving. The woods didnt hold too much in the way of anything nutricious, especially not for a mare with two fillies to care for. The arabian mare flicked her tail, raising her head at Spider's words. His tone worried her and she was glad when Arachne made her way over to her side before looking for Caro. The chestnut filly darted out from behind a tree, rearing up to bat at her black twin lightly with her miniature hooves. Strasny snorted and the chestnut returned all four hooves to the ground before racing around to her mother's other side to peer at her sister from under her mother's belly.
"Step carefully." the arabian mare said, tucking a twin into either of ehr sides before starting after Spider. His trail was easy to follow, especially with the pair of tracks from the intruders. Though, they couldnt really be called intruders.. this place was open to all, though few actually came through. The chestnut mare slowed as voices reached ehr ears, though she still pressed on. She'd caught Spider's voice and knew that he wouldnt let anyone hurt her or the twins, and Strasny could more than defend herself.

[Captain Stumpy]

Spider shook his head. "My, Our sire has a tallent for disapearing off the face of the earth" Spider said, rather heartlessly. "My grandsire raised me after my Dam left, before another demonic stallion arrived in the territory I wanted to get revenge for threatening me. long story short I didn't get my revenge and by the time I returned my grandsire's territory he was gone too." Spider hung his head low at the thought, He did miss Cryptic in some ways.

Arachne stuck her tounge out at her sister while they were looking under Stancy's belly. When her mother moved off Arachne sobered up abit. Following her mother close to her hip before falling back behind her dam to give a nip at Caro's exposed rump.
"Who are you?!" Cascade barked so loud it made Spider jump. Her ears flattened and her teeth were bared, He followed the mad chestnut mares eye-line and spotted Stransy coming closer. Cascade charged towards Stransy, "Stop!" Spider said, aimed at both the mares. If Stransy thought Cascade would hurt anyone she'd try to kill her for sure. "Cascade!" Spider said, watching the mare freeze still but she still looked agressive. Spider flashed a look at Lonestar, expecting him to have some responcibility over Cascade.

Looking behind himself again, he didn't feel right turning his back on Lonestar just yet. "Cascade come back over here, This is my Mate Stransy and my two daughters, Caro and Ara" Cascade flattned her ears to the red mare, then glanced at Spider, Lonestar, then flattened her ears again at Stransy. "Fine" Cascade muttered glancing down at the foals, she'd not noticed them till Spider named them. Cascade lashed her tail before walking passed Spider and coming to rest behind Lonestar to graze as if nothing happened. Spider looked at Stransy, he wasn't happy about seeing her even if Lonestar was harmless what if it was someone who wasn't?

"Lonestar if could give you just a little advise, I wouldn't go seeking revenge from horses you've never met." Spider said putting his full attention on the stallion again. "Syn isn't worth it" Spider said his tone a little angry, "Best you can do it live a better life than the lives that produced you"

[Swede]

Hearing Spider's brief tale of his past only strengthened Lonestar's impression that Syn truly must be a heartless stallion. "This grandsire, would it be one we share, or was he on your dam's side of the family?" Lonestar asked quietly. Here was a chance to get more information about his own lineage, his own heritage, and he wasn't about to let it slip away just yet. For someone who has no idea who they are, every little bite of information is precious.

The conversation was bluntly interrupted as Cascade suddenly went mental. It took Lonestar a moment to comprehend the situation, and another moment to understand Spider's sharp look. What? He was only traveling with the crazy old mare because- well, he wasn't really sure, to be honest. Because she might be useful, he supposed. She had led him to Spider, after all, and though he was losing hope that this fellow could be of any real use, there was still some potential... but he wasn't here to babysit Cascade, and as a grown mare she was responsible for her own actions.

He glanced back as Cascade settled down and retreated behind him; with a helpless shake of his head, he turned his gaze back to Spider. That mare was hopeless. "Nice to meet you, Strasny. Hey kids, I'm Lonestar, I'm your uncle I guess," he said tonelessly, giving a distracted nod to the mare and twin foals. But Spider's words were more important, and he narrowed his eyes angrily. "Maybe that's easy for you to say. You knew your parents, you know your own history. Me? I'm nobody. The mare I called my mother was nothing but a selfish liar, and the herd I grew up in wasn't a family to me. How am I supposed to just forget the fact that somewhere out there, my true parents are living without taking any responsibility for their actions?" He pawed at the ground in frustration; first Cascade tried to drive him off, and was too crazy to tell him much of anything, and then this Spider told him to just forget the whole matter. Nobody was in the mood to be helpful, it seemed; this entire journey had been a constant uphill battle, and it seemed it would continue that way. But Lonestar was nowhere near giving up. Not yet. "The lives that produced me are scum; I know I can do better than they did. And I will. I will find them, and I will make sure they cannot spread their cruelty any further than they already have; with or without your help. What if someone harmed you and your mate, would you want your daughters to just forget the matter? I might have survived, Spider, but as long as they're still out there, others could still be getting hurt. What if other foals are being tossed away like trash? Maybe you're happy to ignore that possibility, and I don't blame you, you've got a family and all. Me, I have nothing, and I won't be able to live my life until I can get some answers and some accountability."

[Snappin' Turtle]

Her ears flattened back and the arabian mare stepped in front of the two fillies, her lean body in a defensive stance. "You dare challenge me then charge at me?" Strasny growled, her voice cold. Her tail flicked angrily against her chestnut sides, gaze going to Spider as he called Cascade back. A snort ripped from her notrils and she nickered to her daughters, their eyes wide. "Come on, Carodejnia, come on Arachne. Its fine." Strasny soothed, planting affectionate nuzzles along their chestnut and black bodies. They soon brightened back up, peering around their mother at the strangers.
Caro squealed at her twin, nipping at Arachne's fluff of a tail playfully before bounding back behind her mother.

[Captain Stumpy]

Spider flattened his ears to his brother, not liking the tone he used around his children. "I think you should be counting your blessings Lonestar" Spider said his neck arched mildly agressivly. "You can't chase horses you've never even met and if you think you can change the world for the better then let me make this painfuly simple. You can't" Spider said fighting the erge to sound agressive he didn't want to be that sort of stallion around his daughters.

"You know Lonestars a better Son than you" Cascade said breaking whatever concentration was going on between the young stallions. "Cascade we arn't your son's" Spider growled to the old mare. She ignored him as she walked beside Lonestar to join the conversation that had nothing to do with her. "Your soft Spider, weak, painfuly so. Cryptic only kept you around out of morbid curiousity." "Shutup Cascade or I sware..." "Lonestar's strong, sticks to his words, he doesn't faulter or question his-own motives, his intentions. Just like Syn, Syn would have been proud" The old mare spoke as if they were words of wisdom, though coming from her deluded mind they didn't mean anything to Spider.


Arachne came beside her chestnut sibling nipping at her sisters ear before taking more notice at the 2 strangers ahead of her. "Uncle?" She murmered looking up at Stransy for a explination, The filly was unneurved by the tone of the talking adults. "I think we're done here" Spider said, turning his head away dismissivly from his brother. Arachne smiled at Spider turned her way but he didn't notice. "Shall we depart Stransy?" He asked though he didn't give much room to refuse. Cascade watched Spider silently.

[Swede]

Lonestar snorted softly. "I'll forgive a crazy mare for comparing me to the scum who sired me. Perhaps she is right... perhaps I got the best from the gene pool he had. At least I am using that strength and determination trying to do some good in the world. What blessings do I have to count? I am alive. That's what I've got. And I'm strong. Why not use that to my advantage, to enable myself to live a better life, and to rid the world of one more terror?" He stared at Spider quietly for a moment, feeling thoroughly disgusted. "You can hide in the shadows if you want, skulk around in the woods like a pathetic, honorless coward. I have a right to make my parents answer for their crimes... at least I've got a goal in life. At least I strive for something, rather than just sit back and be happy things aren't even worse. You may not be as evil as our sire, Spider, but you haven't made my impression of my relatives any better."

Spider... it seemed his courage and his resolve were as weak as his body. He was useless to Lonestar, just another obstacle. "May your foals be braver than their sire and kinder than their grandsire," he said coldly, "As for you, it seems I have no blessings to spare. I'm sure you're too busy counting the ones you already have, anyway, since you value that so highly. Goodbye." Flattening his ears in frustration, Lonestar turned away and began walking off among the trees. Back at square one. Again.