Their time had come, for though the endless night had not yet passed, they had not been inactive in their efforts. They have not wasted away their time as the other herd lands had; no, they had plotted, and they had planned, and now, here they were, stalking along the borders of the Dragon's Throat. This land's inhabitants were arguably their greatest enemy, and so they had waited, baiting the warriors into battle at the World's Edge, lurking in the shadows until the time was ripe. It was, by the shadow-mare's best guess, midnight; she hoped to catch them in their sleep and unawares, though she rather doubted they would be entirely successful in this respect. Still, she had passed along the order for silence, and so as she began to move, it was only a toss of her crowned visage that urged her ranks forward.

She wondered, briefly, how her recently promoted corporal was faring as she attacked the World's Edge. Surely the new (though secondary) Lady of the Basin had done well for herself, particularly so driven by vengeance, as she must have been. But there would be time for that later, plenty of time to regale one another with tales of new battle scars and many hours in which they could laugh at those who fell beneath their all-too-capable hooves. A feral grin blossomed in the darkness, a momentary gleam in the night, and then all was still once more. Blending easily with the shadows, the Dark Empress made her way past the still-unfinished wall, using the shadows to her advantage until there were no longer inky patches of darkness to use. That was the disadvantage of the desert, she supposed: there was nowhere to hide.

But they did not need to hide, not tonight, not with so many of the Throat's warriors eagerly assisting the Edge. And, after all, if one army should fail, then perhaps the other would succeed. They would regroup and would strike again when the opportunity presented itself once more. The shade did not fear failure, did not fear death; she was wholly consumed by a lust for blood, a desire to prove that her teachings were not in vain. The unicorns were of the noblest blood, and deserved to rule above all others; it was well known amongst her flock. One way or another, they would prove victorious, and they would reign over the land. She had bested Kri before; she could do so again - of course, the skyrat queen had been held captive as they departed the Basin, none the wiser for their plans. It was quite doubtful that she would appear in this battle, though stranger things had happened.

Amber orbs scanned the dark, clouded skies as she trekked diligently across the dunes. It simply would not do to be attacked from above, as she had warned her comrades prior to their arrival. The footing was tricky, of course; she had never particularly enjoyed fighting on sand, what with its unfortunate habit of shifting every time she moved the slightest. But at least it was open. The skyrats would be able to hide their arrival as poorly as their superiors; in this way, they began the battle with an even playing field. She had little hope of reaching the herd before being detected, but she would surely try - and so onward she travelled, ever watchful, ever waiting for the first brawl to break out.

[Invasion Type: Traditional, SWP Applies
Time frame to start an invasion or defense post is from now until August 22.

Setting: Dragon's Throat borders, traveling toward center; midnight, cloudy.
Buffs: Endure

579 Words
0/4 Attacks
0/2 Magic + 0/1 Extra Magic Use (Herd Champions)

Psyche awaits a defender.]

"Talk talk talk."