She was not really enjoying the situation. Between the ongoing battle and the heated words that shot through the air indiscriminately without a thought to respect or timing Erthë felt very out of place. As more foreigners appeared to join the blue-winged colt, she smiled faintly at him and withdrew again, retreating back to her own family to huddle between Iona and Alysanne, should they allow her to intrude.

When the painted Queen responded to the previous question, the young sage listened quietly, taking her time to consider the matter before saying anything. Ethically speaking, a wrong had been committed at the very moment the informants set out with the intention of procuring something that was not theirs. If everything was to be carried out in a clean and blame-free manner then in truth the whole rank of sleuths would be unethical, unnecessary even - because in a perfect world no one would ever desire what another possessed.

But the world did not work like that. There was greed and darkness in every soul, selfishness and a certain amount of laziness that made it more appealing to steal rather than craft something of your own, because it took less effort. It would always be easier to harm than to heal, harder to rebuild than to tear down; it was sad, and certainly would provide endless topics of discussion for long winter nights...

But. In Erthë's mind, one could either argue rhetorical rights and wrongs until the mountains crumbled and the seas dried, or one could strive to accept the way the world - and it's inhabitants - functioned.  

"I think" she replied, "that 'right' and 'wrong' will always be subjective, just as 'good' and 'bad' always will be relative. It depends on who you ask, and their relation to the matter at hand. From what I can tell the Mountain is attempting to argue ethics and morals while striving to keep herself impartial, whereas you and this Cowboy person view the matter of this bag and ownership from a personal, emotionally invested point of view. To Cowboy, the loss of a possession will be wrong, an 'evil' committed upon him. For you who received the same possession as gift from a friend, the same theft hold a different meaning, the bags are awarded additional, emotional, value... and thus we arrive at an impasse."

Erthë shifted her wings into a more comfortable position, the pale eyes fixed on the combatants as she spoke. The tone was calm as she spoke, and the look on her face suggested she found the subject only mildly interesting - a stance that was easy to take as she was not invested in the matter at all.

"I suppose the best solution would have been for you and Cowboy to meet and discuss this as individuals, perhaps even for a challenge to have occurred between you and him in private, without mixing in the herds in this. But the way it is now... I don't know, Alysanne. In either case it comes down to whether you wish to adhere to the commonly accepted rule that 'theft is wrong and stolen items ought to be returned', or whether you prefer to acknowledge this view without living by it."

"Either way, by keeping the bags despite receiving a request for them to be returned - regardless of how that request was phrased - you have taken a stance of disregard towards that moral code, basically saying that you don't give a damn about what Cowboy wants - and by extention also the Hidden Falls, as the Czarina made this a matter for the whole of her herd."

A smile appeared on her lips at this, and as she turned to look at the Queen there was an elfin look of almost malicious glee in her eyes as she sought to meet Alysanne's gaze.

"Personally I see nothing wrong with this at all. If you want the bags then by all means keep them, and to the Abyss with everyone else! You are the Queen of the World's Edge, leader of a prosperous herd and blessed by one of the most infamous Gods in all of Helovia. If you want something, why shouldn't you take it?"

"But, like I said, right and wrong is highly subjective. In the eyes of some it would probably have looked better if you had followed the usual code of conduct, or at least faced this challenge on your own, to reinforce your stance on the matter... I don't really care either way, as long as this disagreement does not escalate beyond the challenge. It would be silly to start a war over a trinket."

Still smiling the girl shrugged and returned to watching the fight, attention scattered between the people around her and the combatants. Personally she was rooting for Tembovu; he was her friend after all, her king and a good man in all the ways she thought mattered. It would be sad if he lost, but as the stakes weren't higher than a leather bag and some wounded pride the young mare thought it didn't feel all that traitorous to quietly admire Isopia's strength as well. She was certainly putting up a splendid fight, and the glittering dragon form she took was magnificent.

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Waiting for the rain I'm bracing for the thunder
A twig that wouldn't sway in the wind