The forest filled with waterfalls had been quiet for some time now. It was not unusual in the wake of a small war, but Archibald had been on edge for days. His patrols were constant--his companion and him splitting paths to cover more ground. It was Loretta who found their first interloper.

The shapeshifter, She spoke across their bond, a vivid image of the golden stallion showing in Archibald's mind's eye. The Czar nodded, trotting off in the direction of the entrance to his homeland. The Dauntless had not encountered the stag since the invasion he and his comrades aided in. Ktulu, too! Loretta spoke again, breaking Archibald's thought pattern. A small flicker of the flame of pride he felt for this herd swelled. Ktulu was the best warrior for the post of Champion, and the Dauntless would never regret appointing her as such. Loretta stepped onto the scene first, but her bonded was not far behind.

"Thranduil," Archibald's voice was deep, but calm and almost cold. "What brings you to our borders today?" The question was simple, and the Dauntless suspected that he already knew an allusion to the answer. Their herds were allied together, but through the bonds he held with Ophelia. Now the crimson woman no longer sat on her frozen throne, and neither herd had made movements to solidify or destroy their political ties--until now.

The mammoth stallion stood as an impassive, immovable statue. He was a mountain before the golden stag, impenetrable and unbreakable. His face was pulled into a tight, serious mask as he watched the Basin Lord. Archibald did not know this stallion--at all, on a deeper level--but he knew the history of the Basin to be suspicious, founded on schemes and lies. What separated this boy from Illynx? She had asked for his herd's fortification years ago and threw them into a fruitless war, in which one of his warriors found their end fighting the Basin's enemy Queen. Would Thranduil be a messenger to repeat the past, or was he a beacon of a new dawn? Only time would tell.

Loretta settled between the Dauntless and the Constrictor. Golden eyes still held the stag, but a flick of his tail greeted his Champion. She knew him well enough to understand that was all that was needed. They shared a bond, bound by blood and fire and massacre, and no words could give justice to the hearts that beat in tandem inside black chests.