Loretta waits for Archibald to tell the boy of her love, but the Captain does not. The indifference stung, and the bitch took her leave. I will hunt. She whispered, carefully and silently turning to the west to leave them. She bound away, her large, muscled frame oddly quiet in the forest. But, this was her home now, and she came to learn how to navigate it's intricacies. Aside from that, she had stalked into this land as silent as the fog that raised around her ankles, and had spilled blood, and slayed a dragon.

Archibald is silent and statuesque as he watches his son. There is some sort of childish tantrum that seeps from his grey pores, and Archibald merely waits for it to escape completely. His son was never the type to explode in his anger, no, that was Abraham's position. Reginald was calculating, cold, patient in his seething rage. The Dauntless knew this well, having guarded over his son when he was nothing but helpless and feeble, just a small mass of fur and bone and horn. The warlord blinked his golden eyes, tail flicking ever so slightly against his thick hocks, the ticking of a clock above them, moving time along as Reginald continued to stalk into the herdland. Finally, the ironborn prince regarded his question, and Archibald felt the tension of anger rise from his son's breast. "Dragons are powerful, but they do not replace blood."

Stepping forward, the behemoth closed the distance between him and his son with ease. He looked down into the eyes of grey solemnly and tilted his head some. He beckoned for his offspring to follow him, to walk with him, and to learn from him. Virgin-white feathers danced in the wind as Archibald began to walk towards the cliff sides, away from the density of the forest. "Duty is something I was born with, something that was fueled in my like a fire. It is time you hear my story, son, and meet your grandmother." The scarred beast continued to talk until he finally stopped, just outside of the cluster of trees, listening to the sound of the foamy waves as they crashed against intensely sharp rocks.

"I was born in a land far away from here, a land that is no longer inhabitable. The name was Isilme, and much like Helovia, there were several herds that inhabited its entirety. I belonged to the Mystic Woodlands for as long as I can remember, and this place reminds me of the ancient trees that I grew with oh, so much. The Woodlands was a place of turmoil, mostly, and my mother trained me hard. I have a twin brother, much like you and Abraham, and his name is Vincent. I have other brothers, too, nine of them; all lost to this world. That does not matter."

"Mandrake, my mother, trained me to be a warrior. Out of the ten of her sons, I was her greatest success. My skills in battle and my wisdom of tactics far surpassed those of my siblings. I grew in the ranks of the Woodlands until I was training warriors under the eyes of Roanne the Sentinel, the military lead of the herd. Soon, dangerous shadows attacked the lands, and I fought hard and long until I knew my family had fled to safety. I followed them, finding Helovia. On entrance, I was approached by every herd leader but one, as well as an outcast band leader, each of them nearly begging for my battle prowess. I followed a mare into the Windtossed Foothills, finding myself a warrior there. I soon gained purchase and raised in ranks--from warrior, to General, to Chief."

"I was challenged in my position for Chief, and lost to dragon fire." Archibald motioned to his scars briefly, before continuing his tale. "I found the Grey, a mercenary band, and joined their ranks as the General once more. We invaded the Foothills and I took my rightful place once more. I met your mother, and we came together. Our first child was a beautiful blue filly, but she was taken unjustly. Her name was Callisto, and she never saw the light of day. Her death was the first snow of the season, and I knew the gods were crying for our loss. I scouted the north for some time before returning to your mother, and leading my troops in to invade this herdland you stand on now. I lost a warrior that day, and Loretta killed a dragon with her teeth. I returned to the Foothills and denounced my rank, and I left. I found your mother again, and we created you and your brother. At your birth, Lakota, our dearly beloved friend, kept your mother alive. You were her greatest feat. For most of your life I stayed an outcast, keeping my skills sharp and teaching you boys, and loving your mother. Finally, after not seeing Circe for weeks, I decided I needed to fall back on my nature, on what I was in truth. I came here, and I stand as Captain."

Archibald looked to his son, his eyes hard and emotionless, as he looked at the eyes of his mother in his seed. "We all are born with something, Reginald, and mine is duty. I am to serve, lead, and protect. The earth needs me."