Any Port in a Storm (saz)

[Swede]

Summer had always been Bagheera's favorite season. She was much like her sister that way, though perhaps for slightly different reasons. Summer was the season of life; Bagheera didn't mind winter, but it was this time of year when the fields were quite literally buzzing with living things, bees and flies tending to their business, birds hunting them with relentless cheer, and all the little mice and creatures which hibernated in winter darted through the swaying grass. For her, summer was happiness. But for Faradera, summer had been a reprieve, a chance to catch her breath before being battered by the storms of winter once more. Bagheera had hoped that she would get to see this last summer, but the old mare had finally lost her perennial battle, withered by a life she wasn't meant to lead. It was Bagheera who took responsibility for her family now, and as much as she wished her sister was still here to lead them, she did the best she could.

The group had been wandering for quite a while now; coming to this place was just another step in their rambling journey. Bagheera knew it was perhaps wisest to find a new herd to live in, but after a number of failings in such endeavours in the past, she wasn't sure the stress of yet another potential herd disbanding was worth the brief security it provided. Her main concern was to keep Stormcrow and Merlin safe for now; she figured this was best done by maintaining the status quo, at least until they were older and could better handle a sudden change in their lives.

Sirius followed his mother at a lazy walk, flicking his tail idly against the summer flies. The young stallion had lead a rather tumultuous life thus far, changing herds several times when he wasn't wandering around like they did now; he figured he could either fret over it, or just accept that life's an unpredictable mess and go with the flow. The former seemed like a waste of energy, so he was growing up to be remarkably relaxed and resilient, adept at riding life's rollercoasters without throwing up.

Stormcrow bounded merrily through the meadow, chasing anything that moved. Merlin toddled after his brother, though with a bit more caution in his play; he settled with darting after butterflies, whereas within minutes his taller but lankier sibling was dashing back towards his mother with distressed squeals. Bagheera dutifully inspected the bee sting on her son's muzzle, before sending him off to continue frolicking as happily as before. It was the third sting in just as many days, and they didn't seem to bother him for too long. If they were more severe, perhaps he would learn to be more selective in his choice of targets, but alas...

Cassandra followed a fair distance behind Bagheera, keeping an eye on the colts from the rear. The black mare and her eldest son walked towards the water for a drink, but Cassandra stood quietly on her own, eyes fixed on Merlin. She cared deeply about her little brother; perhaps a little too much, even. Sleep had become a rare thing, as she feared to let down her guard, and the increasingly frequent nightmares didn't really help make naps any more appealing, either. The young mare was still devastated by the loss of her mother, her rock, and felt as though she'd been cast out to drift alone on an endless sea. Bagheera and Stormcrow were of course dear relatives, but Merlin was her last thing to cling to. The fragile little colt relied heavily upon his big sister, but he had no idea how much she relied on him, too. Losing him would spell the end for her, she was sure of it. And thus she guarded him day and night, determined to keep him safe despite his weak constitution, despite the hungry beasts of the wild, despite the cold nights and the aggression of strangers.

[Saz]

Indy

With ears pricked up, the russet mare followed along behind Bagheera, perhaps this would be a place where they would find a stallion to take them in, whether by intergrating into an already existing herd, or creating one out of the group they were in. She had grown antsy with only Sirius there as a form of protection against predators and other stallions. The young stallion was rather too relaxed to keep the mare from fretting internally. However she managed to ward off any pre-existing anxiety by reminding herself that she had Merlin to care for, no matter what her own feelings on the situation were. Coming to a halt a little way from the black mare, she moved to the watering hole and quenched her thirst before moving toward where Merlin was tottering in the grass chasing the odd butterfly as it passed him.

She grazed not far from the young colt, lifting her head a little when she caught sight of Cassandra’s almost obsessive gaze that was locked onto the young colt. Her brow creased a little, before she nickered gently to the young colt, reminding him to come feed. After all, he needed to keep his strength up more than the usual foal did. Her gaze then drifted once more to the patched mare who stood in the shadows cast by the trees around the clearing. Cassandra was fading, and the only thing she had left to cling to was Merlin, but in time, she would suffocate the colt with the needs she had. She had bags beneath her eyes and her ribs were beginning to show through her once lustrous coat.

Her obsession with the colt had begun to worry the chestnut mare, Cassandra hardly ever let her gaze move from him. She barely ever slept, and when she did it was brief and fretful. Ever since Indy had met her upon the fateful day of her mother’s death, the painted mare’s condition had deteriorated. And she was beginning to get worse. Lashing her tail to and fro, the chestnut mare was about to speak when another horse entered the clearing. With his coat glimmering in the summer sunlight, Indy was immediately taken with this stranger. He was handsome, and something about him screamed dangerous. Nickering gently, she flicked her ears forward and continued to watch him as he sauntered closer.

Dora

Her pelt shimmered a little unnaturally in the dappled sunlight, but perhaps it was merely an illusion but it seemed to the casual observer that she disappeared now and then. She was chattering aimlessly to her golden companion who seemed to be ignoring her, not that she really cared. “… And it seems that she just keeps moving. Who knew tracking was this hard? No matter. I’ve pinpointed her now; I think she’s just up ahead. Hopefully she won’t freak out like she did last time. Who knows…” She snorted, weaving through the trees and then finally breaking into the clearing. She fell silent as she scanned the few horses before her gaze landed upon the painted mare in the shadows of the trees. She halted and turned to Legend, “That one over there. The painted mare in the shadows is the one that can see me and such.” She grinned brightly before jogging toward her to say hello. “Hi there, I’m Dora. I met you before, Cassandra, right? Shrine’s talked about you quite a bit. Said you were pretty skittish.” She chirped happily as she watched the patched mare with unveiled curiosity.

[Swede]

The dunalino stallion moved at a lazy walk, ears flopped disinterestedly as he followed the little deerpath among the scattered trees. He was beginning to feel stupid for relying on Dora to lead the way; she clearly had no idea what she was doing. Honestly, Legend was almost doubting the existence of this so-called seer; it was starting to sound more and more like Dora had just made up some story for the fun of it. That, or death made you a bit bonkers. Ugh; it would be nice to not become a ghost when he died, to just... fade into nothing, and skip the whole afterlife business. Too many faces he would rather not see again. But of course, damnation is not just a stage in life; it is everlasting, and would continue even after he stopped breathing. He did his best to make his life akin to purgatory, but only the great beyond could provide the hell he truly deserved. One day, one day...

Looking up at Indy's call, Merlin hesitated but then quietly acquiesced, trotting with careful steps towards the foster mare for a little snack. His tummy did feel a little rumbly... The butterflies would still be there afterwards, and maybe he would be better at catching them if he wasn't hungry. The little pinto colt sidled up close beside the mare, quickly settling down to nurse with his fluffy tail flicking to and fro contentedly.

Stormcrow paused in his play and glanced towards his brother. It was not as fun when you were all alone... hmph. The colt pondered for a moment, and decided that he too would take a quick lunch break, and then he and Merlin could play together again afterwards. Satisfied with this plan, the lanky colt loped towards his mother by the water, skidding to a halt beside her. Bagheera chastised him with a nip for being so rambunctious in such close proximity, but aside from a brief squeal, the colt wasn't particularly concerned by the disciplinary action, suckling hungrily while the mare turned aside to graze.

An icy knot twisted in Cassandra's stomach as Indy called to young Merlin. She was a kind soul by nature, battered into timidness by experience, and 'hate' was a strong word to apply to any emotion she might feel; but she was close, very close, to hating that chestnut mare. Permitted to invade her family on the basis of feeding Merlin, the snake just constricted tighter and tighter around the colt, lulling him into forgetting his true mother and threatening to suffocate the bonds with his family, the ones which should be most important to him. Soon... soon he could be weaned, and they could see her off, and let her be forgotten. Swallowing the ache that rose in her throat, Cassandra glanced away, staring numbly at the grass a few feet to the right.

But then... it was not so much a sound as it was a feeling, like a whisper in her bones, of something coming near. Dread pooled in Cassandra's belly; the veil was thin, broken, they were back. Not a moment later, a figure moved across the grass, yet none of the others reacted, and Cassandra kept her gaze focused upon the ground. But she was not ignored, no, that would be too merciful; when they had the strength to move through this world, or when she lacked the strength to keep them at bay, they were drawn to her like moths to a light in the murky darkness. "Leave me alone," she murmured, hardly moving her mouth, "Please, just... go away."

Her earthlier senses reacted to yet another presence, and she was not the only one this time. Looking up, she spotted the pale stranger across the clearing and immediately grew wary. Cassandra took a few steps forward into the light. "Merlin," she called in a low tone."

Legend did not acknowledge Dora's words; he was within eyesight of the little group now, and it would be foolish to be seen talking to the air. But he did permit himself a satisfied smile. So far, so good. Finding the mare was the hard part, really; especially as, glancing across the group, she was accompanied only by a couple others, both tending to young foals, and a stallion who, though having at least a hand on Legend in height, still had a leggy and coltish appearance and an obvious lack of experience. Oh, he could have fun here for a little while... a few minutes here or there surely wouldn't bother Hunter much. "Well hello there," he said breezily, watching for a moment as the little painted colt looked up cautiously before skipping obediently towards the mare who called him to her side. She was the target; but she wasn't going anywhere, and this other one looked appealing. How much havoc could he wreak upon this little herd, he wondered...

"I do hope I am not disturbing?" he continued, harmlessly striding a little closer. A polite demeanor, no move towards the colt who had retreated regardless, and in such an open place where one could practically expect to meet a stranger or two... no, it would take a paranoid mare to feel very afraid of him at the moment. Spin a web of trust, then suck them dry when they were well and truly caught... Only his flies lived to remember their pain and humiliation. Sometimes, anyway. "I was feeling thirsty, and the fountain is always so beautiful this time of year... although, strangely, it seems to have diminished- the effect of comparison, perhaps..." Legend allowed his gaze to slip appreciatively across the mare's copper hide; just for a moment- but a noticeable moment- before regaining eye contact. Another step forward, close enough to discern her warm scent. "Surely you are waiting for someone... I can hardly imagine a lovely creature such as yourself to not have some protective stallion watching over you; though admittedly, it takes a fool to leave such a treasure unguarded and out in the open, if he truly wished to care for it. Who knows what could happen?"

Sirius lifted his head from the grass, snorting softly to Bagheera in warning. She too looked up, spotting the stranger quickly from across the meadow. The black mare appraised the situation for a moment, but then returned to grazing, keeping a wary ear cocked in that direction. Merlin had retreated out of any potential harm's way back to Cassandra, and who Indy chose to spoke to was her business. There was no reason to be alarmed just yet; remain attentive, certainly, but no need to act rashly.

[Saz]

Indy

She glanced toward Cassandra as she spoke, flicking her tail a little she half-smiled toward the painted mare before taking a careful step closer to the golden stallion. "Oh, of course not. What is there to interrupt in such a gathering? Mild, boring conversation?" She smiled gently, hazel eyes moving to meet mahogany brown as they paused, observing each other. She simpered, cocking her head slightly as she attempted to place him. He was oh so familiar, yet a stranger all the same. Hmm, perhaps it was merely deja vu, she would surely have remembered such a charming fellow. She giggled like a young filly, taking a few steps closer to the dunalino.

At the mention of a stallion she hummed softly, "I did, but the herd proved not to be for me. Tragedy seemed to never leave us." She paused, tossing her head in a dismissive guesture before refocusing her gaze upon the handsome stallion. "Oh, I just realized, I haven't even introduced myself. I do apologise, I'm Indy, the company I keep are Cassandra, Merlin, Stormcrow, Sirius and Bagheera." She nickered sweetly, turning slightly to motion to each individual with an easy nod.

She then returned her gaze back to the dunalino stallion, "So, what might such a handsome stallion like yourself be called?" She nickered sweetly, fluttering her lashes slightly and taking another few steps closer until she was able to brush her muzzle against his. She was in season, which was one of the major reasons she was being so brash and disreguarding of whatever Cassandra or Bagheera thought about her sharing their names. Or really, what ever they thought full stop. Neither of them could do anything to stop her from speaking with this stallion. Just as none of them could prevent the things that had been set in motion even before words had breached the peaceful silence.

Dora

The ghostly mare hummed an eerie tune as she turned away from the painted mare to watch as Legend began to seduce the pretty chestnut. She smirked and rolled her eyes, refocusing on Cassandra as curled protectively around a young colt. "Oh! He's just so adorable!" She squealed eagerly, stepping closer to the paint to peer round her at the youngster. "Oh he reminds me of my daughter. Oh how adorable she was when she was his age. Mind you, I suppose she still is." Trailing off with eager eyes, she glanced up at Cassandra to see that she was rigid and looking rather stressed. "Hey, whatsa matter?" She asked, eager happiness fading and concern replacing it as she gazed squarely at the mare.

[Swede]

This was like stealing clover from a foal; Legend considered himself to be a pretty smooth fellow, but the mare wasn't exactly making him work for it. So much the better. He touched her muzzle, inhaling her scent deeply. "I've been called many things, and few have really stuck for long; the lady may call me whatever pleases her best, and I'll drape the name like a mantle cross my shoulders and take it for myself, as I doubt you capable of choosing anything less than worthy. Or, if you prefer, I could remain a mysterious stranger," he said with a roguish grin, before growing a little more somber. "I am sorry to hear about your past herd. Days gone by are often filled with pain and sadness, it seems... but it is better to think of pleasant things as they come into our lives to shape a happier future." The smile which crossed his face was an almost joyous one, though there was no way for the mare to know that his twisted joy was born from the knowledge that her involvement with him would in no way lead to a happy future whatsoever. His muzzle brushed ever so lightly along her jaw. "You do make it easy for me to think of pleasant things," he said, his voice shifting into a deep, seductive murmur, "And I certainly hope I can provide you with a little more than mild, boring conversation... Indy."

Even if she closed her eyes, the mist rolled freely across her mind and the mare still stood there, clear as day. When she was a foal, Cassandra had thought her conversations, and later terror-inducing visions of the past and future, had just been dreams or nightmares. It was not until she was older that she understood that those who managed to speak to her from beyond the fog, or bring her into a whole new land without making her move a step, were real souls, passed into oblivion. In time, she managed to block them out completely, with only a hint of their existence in the corner of her mind but not making itself heard. Yet after losing first her herd, and then her mother, she had weakened in her ability to stave off the unwelcome gift; these days, she could no longer tell if the things she dreamed were normal nightmares, or if the visions had returned to haunt her. And she dare not look into anyone's eye; at the height of her traumatic experience in the past, she had been blasted with an individual's entire soul, their past and their emotion, and Cassandra did not want to ever experience that again. But her defenses were pathetic indeed, if the ghosts were strong enough to simply appear in front of her.

Very well. She would subject herself to that horrid experience, just this once. Her eyes were closed, and her body motionless, but the pinto mare could still see the stranger and the field and the fountain; only the others were absent, and the world was deathly quiet. "Please go away... I can't help you, if that's what you want. I don't want any part of it all, never again. Shrine promised to leave me in peace; I don't want anything to do with the dead, or see things others don't see," she said softly, shaky and uncertain in this ethereal state of mind she could not control.

Merlin glanced up at his big sister nervously. He didn't want to go back to Indy, the big stallion was scary; but Cassandra was dead silent and trembling ever so slightly; her eyes had been closed for a moment, but now they were open again, blank and glassy, as though she wasn't even there. "Cassandra?" he whispered, nudging her shoulder softly, but received no reaction.

[Saz]

Her heart fluttered violently in her chest as his words penetrated her mind. She returned his grin with a simpering smile and pressed herself a little closer to his warm golden pelt. "You do so flatter me, my handsome stranger." She paused, gently nibbling at his flaxen mane before she continued. "Well, aside from this conversation, what do you think you can give me?" She purred seductively, brushing her muzzle against his neck and inhaling his masculine scent. She then glanced behind her at Merlin's tender voice as he tried to get Cassandra's attention. She turned away from Legend immediately, taking a few steps toward Cassandra and Merlin and turning her back completely upon the golden stallion. "Cassandra?" Her voice rang out toward the painted mare, concern tainting her tone as she watched the paint shudder in the shadows of the trees.

Dora paused, unsure how to proceed. Why was this mare being to strange? All she wanted to do was talk. Swishing her tail in a confused manner, she glanced back at Legend before beginning to speak again. "I... But..." Swishing her tail dejectedly, she sighed deeply. "Sorry for bothering you. I guess I just wanted some company. Life is boring when you can never talk to anyone." She sighed dramatically and turned her head away from the painted mare before suddenly she stiffened, becoming unnaturally still. Her eyes narrowed and she turned her gaze back to the patched mare. "Help? Help?! Psh, if I wanted some help I wouldn't come to you," She sneered, her voice dark and scathing as she glared at Cassandra. "Pft, no, I was dragged here by the owner of this stupid, infernal body. At least her mind is so pathetic I can overrule it easily. Oh but you... You I will have fun with. I'd like to see you try and shut me out now, Dear Cassandra. Now that I'm in your mind... oh ho ho. We're going to have fun." Her grin turned dark and a little sadistic as she took a few steps toward the mare until they were almost touching. "Such a pity you have this little colt with you, though, I wonder what I could do with him..." Her grin turned cruel and her eyes narrowed in sadistic delight. Oh she loved playing with mortal, how fun they were to mess with over time.

[Swede]

Bagheera glanced up from the grass in time to see Indy turn her back to the dunalino stallion, and rolled her eyes. She was a valuable, indeed necessary, addition to the group for Merlin's sake, but it seemed she wasn't choosy with her stallions. The black mare lowered her head again with a yawn, ripping at the grass in a methodical, relaxed fashion. It was vital to fatten up properly before winter, when food would become scarce; Faradera had been weak already coming into winter, and the subsequent effects had no doubt had a heavy hand in her demise. Bagheera had been keeping a close eye on the group to make sure no others were in questionable form at this time of year; Cassandra was a tad worrying, but she was young, and even if she ended up needing extra help, she would probably be alright.

"What I can give you..." Legend inhaled Indy's scent deeply, his expression seductive and yet also vaguely reminiscent of a cat who has caught a fledgling bird. Ah, but then she was distracted, and the moment lost; luckily, Legend was quick on his feet and even quicker in the head, and quickly judged that this little snag was no problem at all. It seemed his ugly side would just have to surface a few minutes sooner than planned. Stepping forward, he abruptly reared and landed heavily on the chestnut mare's back, biting hold of her ear; any false moves would have very painful consequences for her indeed. "I can give you many things," he hissed, "I can give you regret; I can give you guilt; I can give you a sickening dread that never leaves you alone. You wanted my name? They call me the Kinslayer, and that is what I am. I killed my parents, I killed my siblings, and I will kill my foals. Death is what I will give you; this new life will be nothing but an illusion, stamped with the guarantee that I'll hunt it down and end it. You can try to hide, you can try to run, you can place an army of stallions in front of the dear little foal, it doesn't matter; I will come, and I will destroy it, and it will not be pleasant. Of course, you can grant it a more merciful death by your own hoof- if you can live with the guilt." Legend chuckled, properly pleased with himself; guilt was something he knew all too well, and that it was gnawing at him now indicated he was doing his job well. "You're lucky, you know... I didn't even give the last one any warning. She was allowed to live in blissful ignorance, stashing herself away on a lovely little lake island. Took some time to find her, I'll admit, but the thrill is in the hunt. Unfortunately someone else did my job for me, what a shame. Pretty little filly, the youngster was, and nearly grown up, of course that ended when her brains got bashed in. No matter though, her mother was a blessed fool, so easily tricked into giving me another target to hunt. I do hope that one survives long enough for me to get to it first, it's no fun at all when they die without my help. You'll take care of this one, won't you? I'd be horribly disappointed if I tracked you down and it had been eaten by a bear or something."

Smirking, Legend at last relinquished his grip on Indy's ear and slid from her back; she bolted immediately, but he had expected that. She was no longer important, and he didn't care what she did. The dunalino broke into a swift gallop, quickly overtaking her and ramming her bluntly with his shoulder to get her out of the way. This would rapidly turn into a mess, though, unless... suddenly, his eyes landed on the jackpot, the magic key to resolving the situation, and a new plan swiftly formed. Perfect.

"No, leave me alone," Cassandra shouted frantically into the ghostly meadow, "Get out of my head!" She wasn't sure why the ghost had suddenly changed tones, but it looked almost warped to her now, as if the soul's original shape had been bent and distorted the projection of itself. But then... then it mentioned Merlin, and desperate anger flared up in the young mare. "GET OUT!!" The mist vanished and reality shifted back into focus, and it was then that she saw the dunalino stallion baring straight towards her.

Merlin nudged Cassandra's shoulder again nervously, frightened by her odd absent eyes and by the unknown stallion's sudden aggressive behavior towards Indy. "Cass... listen... Cass I'm scared..." His sister suddenly blinked and gasped as if she had just swum from the depths of an ocean; yet instantly her gaze shifted into startled terror, and before Merlin could react at all, he was flung off his hooves.

Legend swerved away from the pinto mare at the last moment and collided with the little colt instead. He swiftly placed a hoof atop the foal's head, baring his teeth at the pair of mares. "Nobody. Move." The commotion had attracted the attention of the black mare and her colt, as well as the young stallion by the water, and all three had begun running towards the others before being halted by Legend's clear threat. Having gained a powerful bargaining chip and thus a moment to take stock of the situation, Legend glanced towards the pinto mare, eyeing her curiously. She hadn't even appeared to have seen him until he was nearly on top of her, and yet she didn't seem to be blind; whether she had some sort of power or not, he wasn't going to speculate, but there was certainly something off about her. "Right. You there, you're coming with me. Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to touch you, as long as you behave. But I'm told you've got certain talents, and someone else is interested in them."

Bagheera's eyes widened. There was only one thing that could mean; but how did this stallion know? And to subject Cassandra to those torturous thoughts again... she couldn't handle it. "Stay away from her!" the black mare snarled angrily.

"Temper, temper," Legend said, shaking his head. "Careful now, if you shout like that I might get startled, and if I get startled, my hoof just might... slip." Bagheera trembled with anger and fear and frustration, but fell silent; there was nothing she could do. Sirius stood fretfully beside her; he was the stallion of the group, really he ought to defend against a threat like this, but what could he do? If he attacked, Merlin was a goner. If he stayed put... who knew what would happen?

"Don't!" Cassandra blurted at the dunalino's razor-edged words. "I... I'll go with you quietly... just don't hurt him. Please." She could see Merlin's sides fluttering with frightened breaths, but the colt had enough sense to remain as still as possible.

"I'm glad we're all so sensible about this. Right then, up you get you little scamp," Legend said, lowering his muzzle and clamping it across Merlin's crest. He held on as the colt scrambled shakily to his feet, and then motioned forward. "Get moving girl, we don't have all year and it's a bit of a trek to where we're going. Me and the kid are just going to walk nicely together, and once we get to the treeline, he can scamper on back here and everyone will be happy." Cassandra began taking tremoring steps towards the treeline, continuously glancing over her shoulder to make sure Merlin was alright.

Halfway to the trees, Merlin suddenly bolted; within seconds, Legend was on him, his teeth grabbing hold of the colt's neck and yanking him off his hooves. Before Bagheera could stop him, Stormcrow sprinted towards the pair on long and gangly legs, furious over the mistreatment of his brother. "NO!" Cassandra screamed , her voice resonating with all her anguish and fear and heartbreak. The sound was abruptly cut off by a sharp crack as Legend kicked out, catching Stormcrow in the head and ragdolling the colt's motionless body into the grass. Dragging the stumbling Merlin with him, the dunalino approached the fallen foal, eyeing him carefully. Then he shoved Merlin back to the ground, pinning him and watching him with mild irritation. "What happened to behaving nicely?" he grumbled. "Look, you lot over there, stay put. That one made a big mistake. He's still breathing; if you're lucky, he's just knocked out. Any more false moves, it'll be much worse than that, trust me."

Shaking his head, he lifted Merlin back up on his hooves, and nudged the colt forward until they converged with Cassandra by the treeline. The young mare's eyes shimmered with tears as Merlin looked up at her. "I'm sorry Cass," he said miserably, ashamed that he was the weapon which brought her to obedience.

"Sshh, it's alright Merlin," she answered softly, nuzzling his neck. "I'll come back soon... be good for Indy now, okay? I'll see you again soon. Run along now, go on." The colt hesitated, not at all convinced by Cassandra's words, but reluctantly loped back towards the others.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Legend said to Cassandra. He watched her for a moment, following her gaze to the distant figures of the rest of the little band. His eyes settled on the chestnut mare again, and he smirked. "You're pathetically easy to fool, you know that, Red?" he called across the meadow, "Remember what I said, now. I'll see you later, eh?" He almost wished he could read her thoughts over the coming months, bathe in her anxiety as the foal grew and the clock ticked down until his return. "And as for you... well, I said I wouldn't touch you," he added, returning his attention to Cassandra. "Unfortunately, I lied." He struck out, biting the mare's shoulder viciously, and with an agonized cry, she wheeled around and ran, allowing herself to be driven to her dreaded destination.

[Saz]

Suddenly everything turned to hell. She was watching Cassandra one moment, turning her back on the believably kind dunalino, but she had been wrong. She screeched as he landed heavily upon her back. Her head was yanked up as he seized her ear in a painful grip. She froze as he spoke, his words seeping into her soul as she stood there, him atop her. Her breathing quickened and as soon as he released her ear she bolted for Cassandra, instinctively wanting to protect Merlin. But then he reappeared beside her and as she made to shy away, his shoulder rammed into hers and she stumbled, landing heavily on one knee and skidding to a painful halt.

"No. No. No no no no no no..." She gasped, heaving herself upright and staring at the golden stallion who now had one hoof on Merlin's head, ready to kill him at any moment. She stood there, petrified that one false move would kill the colt she had come to care for as a son. She shook visibly from the terror that had befallen their little group, and it was all her fault. All of it. If she hadn't been so stupid. So hormone driven. If she hadn't allowed herself to be drawn into his web of lies. None of this would be happening. None of it. As she stood there, things had been going on and she snapped back to earth at the cry of Merlin. No, it had been Stormcrow.

Oh god.

Time seemed to slow down as the painted colt was caught in the head by one of the dunalino's hooves, and was rag-dolled sideways into the grass, lying still as he landed. Her breath caught and her heart plummeted. Tears welled in her eyes and suddenly her legs gave out. Landing in a heap in the grass, the chestnut mare shook, fear and guilt coursing through her. It was all her fault, Cassandra being stolen. Stormcrow getting hurt, possibly killed. And now she was most likely carrying the spawn of the stallion who had done all of this; and he said he was going to hunt the foal down and kill it. Some how, beside all of his lies, she believed that part, knowing in her heart that his speech had been the true him. The Kinslayer.

His voice cut through her self-loathing thoughts and she visibly flinched, reeling back and attempting to hide her face from his sight. No, no, no. She couldn't face him again. No, she couldn't. The very thought terrified her out of her wits, she would rather kill herself than face that monster again. Her breathing was harsh, panicky as she lay there in the grass, unable to move for fear of causing something else to go wrong. Suddenly, Merlin seemed to appear out of nowhere and she knew then that the golden stallion had gone. Cassandra with him. "Merlin..." She whispered, raising her head to see the colt appear. Suddenly, she broke. Just staring at him, not saying anything as she realized that she was the cause of all of this. She had just single-handedly ruined his life. She had gotten his sister stolen, and his brother possibly killed.

And yet, he seemed to still trust her. After all she had done. After all of this, he had come to her. Nickering softly to him, the chestnut mare made a promise to herself. She would protect this colt on her life, she at least owed Cassandra that. Gritting her teeth, the mare got to her hooves and blinked away the tears that had threatened to fall. Her eyes only remained upon the dark colt, she daren't look over to see if Stormcrow was okay. After all, Bagheera probably hated her guts. And who knew what Sirius though. Blinking away more tears, she lowered her head and pulled Merlin close to her, she closed her eyes, curling close to him. Now she needed him as much as he needed her.

Now she knew exactly how Cassandra had felt.

~*~*~

The ghostly mare smirked broadly but allowed the painted mare to push her out. She turned away, stepping closer to the treeline as Legend finished with the chestnut mare and galloped straight at Cassandra. She chuckled darkly as the chaos unfolded, relishing in the peril and fear that the mortal creatures felt. Smirking, she loped into the trees to where Legend was headed and settled back as more mayhem unfolded. Suddenly, her face went blank and her whole demeanour changed. Blinking as though suddenly exposed to a bright light, her face turned from confusion to sadness and then to complete horror as she witnessed the mayhem Legend was causing. She stood stock still as he used the young colt to blackmail the mare into coming with him. "Oh. My. God." She gasped, shaking her head to hold back the tears that were starting to build. What had she done? Is this what his plan had been? Is this what he had bargained with the dark behemoth that haunted crescent island. Reeling back into the shadows as the trio approached, Dora watched in horror and sadness as the mare bid her brother good-bye and then as Legend snapped at her shoulder and drove her away from her family. "Oh Cassandra... I am so sorry..." She whispered, tears silently streaming down her cheeks as she turned and unwillingly followed the dunalino back to the hellish island. Her partial amnesia during the situation was now forgotten, after all, there were now bigger things to worry about.

[Swede]

Merlin nestled close to Indy's chest, desperate for whatever comfort he could get; yet despite the mare's warmth and closeness, he felt all cold and clammy inside, as though a damp grey morning had invaded his chest. He could still feel those teeth clutching his neck, controlling him, rendering him utterly helpless. An involuntary shudder ran down his spine as he tried to dislodge the memory of it from his mind. The stallion was gone now; but so was Cassandra. "Why didn't she run away," he sniffled miserably, "She should have run away..." It was difficult to comprehend how truly terrible things might have been had she not chosen to cooperate, but Merlin did understand that it was for his sake that his sister had done what the horrible stranger had said to do. "Why was that stallion so mean... Indy I'm scared, what if he isn't nice to Cass?"

The moment Legend's tail vanished in the shadows of the trees, Bagheera bolted for her son; but it was Sirius who reached him first, finding use for his thoroughbred influence. The young stallion lowered his muzzle anxiously, sniffing at his younger half-brother. He gave him a gentle nudge, desperate for some sort of reaction and yet terrified of hurting him further. Bagheera reached her sons a moment later, and Sirius reluctantly stepped aside to allow the more experienced mare to deal with the situation; plus, as concerned as he was, it still seemed like a very bad idea to be between a frightened mother and her colt. "Stormcrow, darling, wake up," she murmured frantically, nibbling at the limp colt's neck. "Wake up sweetheart... come on..." In all her years, she had never lost a foal, and though she had felt sympathy for Faradera, she had never really been able to understand her elder sister's emotions with each foal she lost. Suddenly, unpleasantly, she realized what sickening fear Faradera had always felt. Bagheera desperately didn't want to feel her sister's pain as well; she nudged Stormcrow again, her heart screaming for him to move.

The initial shock and terror faded within a minute or two, and Merlin suddenly remembered that the horrible stallion had attacked Stormcrow too. He abruptly disentangled himself from Indy and sprinted towards the others, boldly nosing his way between Sirius and Bagheera. "Storm are you okay?" he said, falling to his knees beside his brother. Sniffling again, he stubbornly pushed his muzzle against Stormcrow's cheek. "Storm, get up now please... get uuuup.."

Stormcrow's eyelid fluttered slightly, and he emitted a muffled groan. "Owww," he mumbled, blinking back into consciousness. "Wh... what happened... Mnngh why does my head hurt..."

"You charged at that stallion and he kicked you," Merlin said seriously. "Why did you do that, silly?"

"Nngh, well he was being a-" Stormcrow suddenly noticed his mother standing over him anxiously, and lifted his head slightly. "-a butthead," he whispered in Merlin's ear, careful to make sure Bagheera didn't hear his vulgar choice of words.

At that moment, Bagheera could not care less about her son's manners. What mattered was that he was alive and speaking. "Up you get, Stormcrow," she said quickly, lowering her muzzle and nudging him impatiently. "Up on your feet, pronto." If he had any fractured bones, the situation would be dire indeed; they wouldn't know until he was standing.

Stormcrow grumbled under his breath, but reluctantly, with a great deal of help from his mother and moral support from Merlin, heaved himself up to his hooves. Dizziness immediately washed over him, but it passed after a minute or two, and though bruised and sore in a thousand places, he reassured Bagheera multiple times that he could walk okay and that nothing was hurting superduper bad. "Well, 'cept my head," he muttered, "I feel like I've got a dent in my skull."

"Really?" Merlin said with mixed curiosity and concern. He took a step closer, peering closely at the crusted cut on Stormcrow's forehead which was rapidly swelling and turning a variety of unnatural colors. "I don't see anything like that... your face doesn't look very nice though. I've never seen a bruise like that."

Sirius chuckled a little; despite the terrible events that had transpired, he was so relieved that Stormcrow seemed to be okay that he just had to crack a small smile. "Stormcrow, you're going to scare away all the fillies until that's healed up... but after that, if it leaves a scar, they'll be all over you. Girls love scars and they love hearing stories about how brave you were when you got them."

Both of the younger colts wrinkled their muzzles in disgust. "Yuck, I don't want fillies chasing me," Stormcrow said, pulling a face.

"Yeah... let's hope it heals super slow, that way your face can be like an... anti-filly... thing..."

Stormcrow snorted softly, but then looked up, struggling to remember the recent events through the fog of his headache. "That mean guy, he was going to take Cass away..."

Merlin's shoulder slumped, and he looked as though he'd been crumpled up like a ball of paper. "Yeah.. he bit her and made her run away," he mumbled, tears welling in his eyes again. Stormcrow wordlessly scooched closer to his brother, both comforting and seeking comfort himself. "I don't understand, why would he do that..."

Bagheera sighed, glancing up at the treeline and willing Cassandra to magically reappear again. What was she going to tell the colts? That their beloved sister was crazy and others wanted to take advantage of that? The young mare had been doing well the past few years, living a normal and happy life, and the family had silently agreed to not bring it up. They had thought it was all in the past. Sirius only had a faint inkling that Cassandra had experienced horrible things in the past, but it was something he had instinctively known not to ask about; the colts didn't know at all, and there had never been any reason to tell Indy. But now... what now?

[Saz]

The chestnut mare bit her lip, unable to soothe whatever anxiety the young colt held by answering his question. Somehow she believed that Cassandra would not be okay, she just hoped that the mare could hold up under whatever torture the dunalino would put her through. She inhaled sharply as Merlin squirmed away and bolted toward Stormcrow, Bagheera and Sirius. Her heart plummeted as she realized she would have to face them sooner rather than later. Taking slow, pained steps toward the small group, the chestnut mare eventually made it to the group after it was discovered that Stormcrow was still alive, and aside from a huge swelling bruise upon his forehead he was right as rain.

She paused a few feet away from Bagheera and Sirius, her gaze solely trained upon the slender tobiano colt. She lifted her right foreleg, unwilling to rest too much weight upon it considering her knee was particularly bashed and torn up from the sideswipe she had gotten from the dunalino earlier. It was interesting how easily such calm could go from chaos and then back again. Only now the group was scarred, one physically and all mentally. Indy felt her stomach lurch dangerously and she turned away from the small group before limping toward the lake. She submersed her legs in the cool waters, flinching slightly when her grazed knees came into contact with the cool water. She lowered her head and took small sips from the water, attempting to soothe her growing anxiety that would only grow worse over the next few seasons.

She allowed herself to listen to the colts as they spoke about the most recent happenings. She turned around, glancing from Bagheera to Sirius before deciding to speak. "Boys, sometimes there are horses in this world that are horrible and only exist to cause others pain. That stallion was one of them. He stole her to cause us pain, he hurt Stormcrow to also hurt us. But there are also those that live and strive to help those in need, and one day he will come face to face with one horse like that. And he will get what he deserves. Cassandra will survive, after all, she has survived this long and she is strong." She spoke quietly, but with strong conviction before slowly stepping out of the waters, skirting around Bagheera to come closer to the two colts. "Cass will be okay, we will help her, somehow. I promise." She nickered softly, lowering her head and training her gaze upon Merlin for a brief moment before glancing to Bagheera. What did they do now? Continue to wander with two foals and a young stallion who was more of a submissive wallflower than a dominant protector? "What do we do now?" She asked the black mare, looking to her for direction. They couldn't stay here, not after such an experience, and Indy was barely keeping herself above the rising waters of her panic as they loitered in the meadow.

[Swede]

Bagheera turned her head away from Indy slightly as the chestnut mare approached; rationally she knew she could not blame her for what had transpired, but she needed to rein in her frustration and anger and fear before dealing with her. She glanced towards Sirius, but the young stallion had fallen silent after his attempt at cheering up the colts, and was staring at the ground in dejection. She wanted to comfort her son, but the immediate future needed to be planned out first; this band of lost souls needed a compass to follow. Bagheera sighed quietly. Faradera had always been the one with the good sense and wisdom; she had always looked up to her sister, happy to follow her advice. Now she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps that sense of leadership had wasted Faradera away as much as a life of sadness and physical hardship had. It could not have been easy, making decisions which affected the entire group, never certain if what one chose was right.

Bagheera did not interrupt Indy's speech, but neither did she chime in. Let them believe whatever made them happiest. She alone in the group had witnessed the results of a similar progression of events in the past, and she feared what would come of this one. "We find somewhere to stay," she answered dispassionately. "Once the snows come, we'll have much more difficulty living as nomads; we need to find a place which is already known to be safe harbor through winter." This in particular was spoken with the colts' safety in mind; though Merlin had gained some strength as he grew, he was still much smaller and weaker than the average foal of his age, and though Stormcrow was a bundle of energy at all times, there was not an ounce of spare fat on his wiry body. "Stormcrow, are you okay to walk for a while?"

The young colt looked up at his mother with wide eyes, but nodded slowly. "I think so," he said, "I don't feel as dizzy anymore... but, mama, where are we going to live?"

"I don't know yet. We'll figure something out."

Merlin glanced between the two adults, and then down at his hooves. "I don't want to find a new home," he mumbled, his voice slightly choked, "I want Cass to come back."

"We would have needed to find a home even if Cassandra was with us," Bagheera said tightly, "I know it's hard, Merlin, but you have to be brave right now. Cassandra would tell you to be brave, and to not worry about her." Merlin sniffled and sat down in the grass stubbornly, continuing to stare at his feet without a word. Stormcrow frowned and sat down too; if Merlin wasn't going, then neither was he. His brother was right; this did sound like a stupid idea. Why didn't they go find Cass instead?

"I'll find her, you guys," Sirius said suddenly as he took a step forward. "We'll go find somewhere nice to stay, and then I'll go look for her and bring her back. If we all went looking for her then the bad guys might hear us coming, and I need you guys to be in a permanent place so I know where to bring her to- if you were all traveling, I'd have no idea how to find you guys again. Okay?"

Merlin mulled the plan over, and nodded slowly; but Bagheera cast a sharp glance at the stallion, and motioned him back. "You don't have to prove anything, Sirius. You're staying with us," she said in a low tone.

Sirius shook his head with a sad smile. "What good am I if I can't keep anyone safe? I'll guard you guys until you find a decent territory, and then I'll go look for Cassandra. I have to bring her back. You know she won't last long away from the family."

"You're only three, nobody's expecting you to fulfil a lead stallion's duties. As for Cassandra, I know a lot more than you do about the matter, you don't need to lecture me. You're staying with us."

"But I can't just-"

"You have no idea what you're dealing with. What happened before... this isn't just a bachelor snapping up stray mares. It's bad stuff, things you aren't prepared for." Bagheera's voice cracked imperceptibly. "I lost your father, and Stormcrow's father. I've lost my sister, and now my niece. I am not about to lose you, too. That's enough on the matter." Turning sharply back towards the stubborn colts, her voice regained its sharp commanding tone as she addressed them. "Come on, boys, up you get. We don't want to still be wandering when the snows hit; you've never experienced winter, but you better believe me, it's not pleasant to be lost in the middle of it."

[Saz]

Her heart gave a terrible lurch as Merlin spoke, he was such a sweet innocent soul, he deserved nothing that had happened to him. His mother dying, his sister going slightly crazy and then being stolen away by an unknown stallion, who had also happened to forcebreed Indy. Sighing deeply, the mare shook her head slightly, closing her eyes for a brief moment as the family worked out a few differences in opinion. Her eyes snapped open once more and she glanced down at her adopted son before lowering her muzzle and giving him a firm nudge.

"Up you get, Merlin. Cassandra will be fine, it'll all work out in the end. You just need to have some faith." She nickered sweetly, soothing him as she attempted to convince him to stand once more. The russet mare stilled as a harsh, cool wind rushed through the nearby trees and cut through her winter coat with unnerving ease. She shivered and nudged Merlin harder, "Up, come on, we need to find shelter before the snow decides to fall. A few minutes of walking can mean all the difference between life and death." She snorted sharply, gathering her remaining courage and spirit and urging the little painted colt to his hooves.

As they finally set off at a slow walk, compensating for Stormcrow's head injury, Indy finally turned and looked directly at Bagheera. "Can you think of any stallions that might take us in? Even for the winter? Maybe an neighboring herd to when you lived with Stormcrow & Merlin's father?" She asked softly, careful to keep her distance from the dark mare, she certainly didn't want to cross any sort of boundary line, especially in such tense circumstances. With her question hanging in the air, the chestnut glanced briefly up at the sky and watched the stormy clouds above with a cautious glance. Her caution was well deserved, as within a few minutes of walking, the snow had slowly begun to fall, it seemed they would need shelter sooner than they had hoped, unless they wished to freeze.