The grullo was standing at the peek of a rocky crag, watching with dull eyes as countless bodies infiltrated the land of his mate's beloved home. There were horses of all kinds, some with horns upon their brows, some with wings at their sides, and some without anything but the hooves at their feet. The voice of the black dun was difficult to hear from where he stood, but thanks to the layout of the land, the sound reverberated, and almost instantly he wished he hadn't come to see.

The Foothills were being invaded, and the enemy's numbers were growing greater and greater with each passing second. Xanthso wanted to be down there, standing amongst those who called this great land home, ready to throw himself into the throngs of battle. But alas, he found himself at war with himself, so to speak. If he fought, would it disrupte the fragile sort of alliance he'd made with Mirage? The Edge would not be participating at all in the battle, and Xanthos found himself more upset with that fact than anything else. Had the two lands not been allied before? Did that mean they held false alliances with everyone else? The idea sickened him.

But more troublesome was the constant worry of his mate, heavy with child, and how she was taking all of this. The grullo supposed he was glad she wasn't a participant in this invasion, yet it was only because of her current state that he felt as such. Should she have been well and unhindered, there wasn't a doubt in the stallion's mind that he would be at her side right now, staring down those who wished to overthrow the Foothills.

A sudden chirp from Azel pulled Xanthos away from his thoughts, and he spared a glance to the young cub. As young as he was, the cheetah was already growing more and more in tune with his bonded's emotions every day, and he could sense the worry and dread looming over Xanthos. It worried him, too, and Azel scooted closer to the grullo, pressing his fuzzy head into the unicorn's fetlock.

Breathing a sigh, Xanthos dropped his head, giving a comforting nudge to the cub. "It is alright, Azel," he spoke, voice thick with raw emotion, "Let us hope this ends quickly." Reluctantly, the stallion lifted his head once more, casting his golden gaze to the scene laid out before him. Would Romani be upset with his decision, or would she be understanding as to his reasoning behind it all? He only wanted to assure her safety, as well as the safety of their unborn child. He breathed another ragged sigh.

There was nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness.

[ooc - This takes place during the invasion, near the border of the Foothills, within view of what is going on.]

"blather blather blather"