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With fire to keep us warm, and tools we made from rocks and bones
First there was Mauja ...
Gaucho was not surprised the spotted ice king was the first to speak. Out of those assembled, the former King was the only one who immediately seemed fitting of the position in the offering. Still, the responses of the others might elevate them above the mammoth stallion, but Gaucho had his doubts. The Wildfire's steely gaze only briefly roamed over Mauja's physique before meeting his chilling gaze. Perhaps it was good fortune for the Frostheart that their meeting in the caves had been ... anticlimactic. Boring even. Had less time passed, surely they would both be standing on these sands recovering from injuries that they would have dealt each other. And now? Now they were clearly so well acquianted that Mauja skipped with the formalities all together, save for a nod, which Gaucho returned.
The Wildfire's ears dipped and roamed with Mauja's words. In his antlers, Mara aided in keeping track of what was mere rhetoric and what was an actual answer. Gaucho fought not to smirk as Mauja considered the cost to the Throat, should they aid in the Edge in this hypothetical situation. He very much doubted the Frost King's mind was truly concerned for whether the Throat could survive a splitting of resources. Never the less, if diplomacy was the aim of the game, such ... facades were sure to be expected. As he mentioned his heart, Gaucho did snort, his gaze hard and annoyed. The glance towards Kahlua suggested that perhaps whatever imagery that sentence was meant to convey, was not for him. Even so, such flowery language not only went over the dun's head the majority of the time, but he found it bothersome.
Incredible kindness and honor.
Gaucho's dark gaze met Mauja's paler one. And what do you know about honour?
However his expression changed entirely - and surprisingly for the better - with Mauja's conclusion. That he had a backup plan - namely one that involved force - was precisely the sort of thing Gaucho would do in a similar situation. Other than the flowery language, the hint towards begging for help, and all of the excess verbiage, Mauja's answer was fairly similar to that which Gaucho would have given, if they were in similar situations.
"A good answer." Gaucho said after a time. It seemed the only thing appropriate to say, considering the cirumstances...
Next was his own ... Amaris ...
As her voice cracked, Gaucho's hardened gaze grew even harder. He knew that Amaris was a child of the Edge. Even though he found her actions duplicitous, he at least understood her motives. That she would cave now, shake and tremble before him, just seemed pathetic. She was stronger than this, and if her resolve could waiver so quickly - from Throat to Edge and then back again - did she really belong in either herd? What was it she actually wanted? The life of a Queen was certainly not an easy one, and it was never one that was free of tough decisions. Amaris had shown she was capable of leading neither.
"Gaucho know you from Edge. It not surprising that you want to be queen there. But you go disappear and go behind Gaucho's back, and then break immediately. Maybe Amaris would be good queen - but queens are strong. Queens stand behind their choices and are not afraid to do what is best for herd. You say you are not a queen ..." His deep voice trailed off as his blue-striped shoulders shrugged. The dragon child had talked her way out of her candidacy.
Next came a stallion taller than both himself and Mauja. On the ground by his hooves, Vorsa hooted a hello to Sabine, happy to see one of her kin here. Listening to his words, Gaucho's gaze narrowed as a skeptical look graced his primitive features. "Gaucho not want your friendship, Thor. " He began, once the Gentle Heart had given his answer. "Alliances and aid not about friendship. Gaucho can offer aid to those he not friends with, and can refuse it to those he is." Flicking his tail, he shifted his burning wings at his sides before continuing. "Dragon's Throat not need escape from heat. We surrounded by ocean - can cool off at any time. Have oasis. Most of us have wings, can go anywhere to cool off - we not need haven in Edge for that. Besides - you say you give us refuge even if Gaucho say no ... so Gaucho not have any reason to say yes."
For a moment, Gaucho's gaze fell to Kahlua. Thor's answer seemed like something the Sunshower might say. All kisses and rainbows in a world of death and murder.
The last to speak was one that Maren had brought over on the boat. He listened to her words - to the odd accent in her voice, but was unmoved. "You come to Gaucho once herd is starving. You let all your friends, family, children, lovers down, because you not notice that you have a drought until too late. It is poor leadership to only have one source of food. So why should Gaucho believe that you will even have military or aid later? You fail to provide basic needs for herd, and Gaucho is supposed to believe that you will make better decisions later?" He shook his antlered skull. It was amazing how none of them seemed to take responsibility in this little scenerio. They all offered things that none of them had - they made them up out of thin air. No one explained how it was they would have a military, healers to aid with plants, or glaziers to create. As far as Gaucho knew, the Edge was currently empty. Just like the promises they were all making.
"Asking for aid is not about friendship-" He began in summary, his hardened gaze falling specifically upon Thor, and then Amaris. Their reliance upon his emotions was misguided, especially if they were to be lead. "Gaucho not care. You come to me as leaders, and address a leader. Personal feelings not matter. Alliances are about give and take, not braiding manes and walks in the sunset." His voice was borderline sarcastic - a trait he had picked up from some of the new members of his herd. Sarcasm was rare for Gaucho. "Your family going to die without Gaucho's help. Where is your urgency? You come to Gaucho with nothing more than words? You say you going to give metals and herbs? Show up with them. You say you going to give military strength? You not going to have military if they all die from starvation. "
Flicking his tail, the Sultan regarded the four who stood before him.
"All answers have problem ... but only one had a back up plan. Only one thought about what to do if Gaucho say no." Looking to Mauja, the dun nodded. Whatever differences and hatred lingered from Gaucho remained in the past. He had had the chance to take revenge upon Mauja in the caves, and he had not. His anger and regret slipped silently into some shadow to die quietly and without a fight. Regardless, Mauja's answer had been the most thorough, and was the one that seemed the most realistic. Gaucho's gaze fell to Kahlua, before nodding his antlered crown, his decision clear.
"If one of you going to be new Edge King or Queen ... Gaucho think it better to have alliances in place before you need help." For a moment he was struck by his own words, as his gaze once again found its way to Mauja. If he was to be the new King of the Edge ... would the two form an alliance? The thought seemed so absurd given their history, and yet here they were, upon Gaucho's sands. The group was even going to stay the night before they departed in the morning, and while of course Gaucho's warriors would be patrolling, there was a time that Gaucho would have never even entertained the idea of having the spotted stallion anywhere near his borders, much less allowed so far inside.
How times change.
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[O] my king and queen [Edge Leads Competition]
