Loretta watched the pale queen as Archibald spoke, though she did not pick up on any true emotion of anger. Her tail thumped against the hard ground. Will Ophelia help? she asked, looking up with curious amber eyes to her warlord. Archibald seemed to relax some, the muscles in his shoulders loosening as the Forsaken spoke. How true was that name of her now, Archibald wondered. She was strong, able, and wise. She had grown so much since her time of leading the Grey, and Archibald confidently, yet inwardly, decided he was proud of her. It was a different sort of pride than he felt as he looked on the strength of his sons, the beauty of his daughter. It was more akin to the pride he felt towards Lakota when she held her ground against him and his stubbornness of being healed after battle. A softness entered his eyes, so strange for the stoic, cold stallion, and he exhaled a breath he had not noticed he had locked inside of his chest.

”Midas as hurt Ktulu deeply, that is true. Ghost, his leading counterpart, made a mockery of Kaj while meeting with us. I was not lead then, but the taste of disdain for the hybrid mare has not left my tongue. Above the insults they have dealt towards the Edge, this war will be about my family. My herd. The ones I have sworn my life to protect, and this is the only way I see fit to fully acheive that promise at this time.” Archibald’s ears twitched some as Ophelia spoke, knowing nothing of the tensions that had started between the Falls and the Basin so long ago. During the reign of Illynx, Archibald spent most of his time in the ranks of the Windtossed Foothills and as an outcast. He had not been into political matters aside from the calling of his troops in his last herd placement--not since he had been Chief beforehand. ”I must admit,” Archibald opened his heart for Ophelia to dissect as she saw fit, ”I yearn to once more walk on the lands I hold in higher regard to any other in Helovia.”

Even if the name had changed, and the Earth God had moved his hoof over the land to morph the landscape, the territory was still the Windtossed Foothills, and it would forever belong to Archibald in his heart. ”Thank you for your allegiance, Ophelia. I will gather Kahlua and Kaj and meet you as soon as our hooves can carry us.” Archibald moved towards the entrance of the tent, but before moving his massive frame from beneath its secretive grasp the Dauntless turned over his shoulder, ”Bring Ktulu with your troops.” with that, the king dismissed himself.