The stallion had awoken in a dark sweat. His body had ached something fierce and blood rose like red cliffs on parts of flesh that already were scabbing and itching. A soft whine from the dog at his side buzzed in his ears, head pounding in rhythm to his heart.

The tongue that leapt out from the black and white muzzle told of the dog's excitement as the stallion stirred.

War of that measure had been a different beast than the creature Ricochet normally tamed on the battlefield. Gunslinger had not taught him of this. Yet they had won, it seemed, though Ricochet himself still lay strewn in the dirt and the mud. They had won and that brought a fool's grin to his scarred maw as he struggled to his hooves.

With dog in tow they'd set back to the Foothills, shouldering the Edge behind him. Talk of dragon queens did not interest the fighter that had only come to taste the blood on his lips of foes, any foes, but especially horned foes. He did not love the Qian and he did not serve under decree of the black dun. Ricochet only loved to fight.

---

A few moons had risen and the stallion was just feeling hale enough to do more than graze. Trailing from his favorite field the mare's call set his head up high and fast. Guns howled in response to the call, the noise cut off as Ricochet aimed a feign kick in his direction. Tossing his neck the stallion took off towards the sound, recognizing the owner. Guns, pouting at the affront to his song, followed at an unhurried jog.

"Solstice!" Ricochet called out ahead of himself as he finally caught sight of the familiar form. Hooves hummed over the earth but he stretched his pace, suddenly eager to be upon her once he recognized her path aimed to the land's borders.

Skidding to an ungraceful stop, his muscles still complaining of the battle not some days past, Ricochet heaved himself in front of her. Breathless he wheeled to face her, teal eyes bright with confusion and hurt. "Don't tell me you mean to abandon this place too!"

There was a young wail that crept into his tone as he spoke. One by one Ricochet was loosing what little support he had in this herd. Not before long he would suffer the same disease as they - what ties kept him here when all the knots had loosed themselves to be bound elsewhere? Solstice and he would never see eye to eye, but he could not bear the unicorn lead without her lovely equine face to refresh him every day.

Her voice held a somber tenor as it reached his ears. It caused his heart to skip a beat, eyes sinking even more with despair as he already knew what would be coming next.

Beside him Guns stole forward, creeping around the backside of the mare to view that which was being concealed. Far more observant than Ricochet, who was too absorbed with Solstice, Guns sniffed eagerly towards the stranger.

Solstice's response was anticipated, but it did not keep the hurt from his heart to see her go. She spoke extensively of her family, a bond Ricochet knew well, but his family had either died or been scattered. He was forced to adopt everyone, anyone, equine. They were his brothers, his sisters, his mothers, his fathers, his children - all of them. Back when they'd talked, she'd revealed to him that she did not so much appeal to the other species as tolerated them for the sake of peace. Would she not stay with him, aid him, serve him in their equine partnership as willingly as she did her young?

No, he thought, she would not. She still had her family and was collecting them in as single a location as possible. He could not truly blame her, but it still had him withdrawing and pouting. What about what's best for me he wanted to wail childishly, but did not. He was not a child any more after all.

Just as Guns' nose was reaching out to touch the little filly Solstice moved aside to expose her to Ricochet's view. Wounded already by Solstice's departure the appearance of a newborn filly at her side cleaved the young boy's heart. He staggered back, his initial reaction horror at the blemished foal before him and shock at it's position bestride the mare he'd thought to partner with.

That wound cut deeper than any she'd given him yet.

His composure regained itself swiftly however, a terse whistling having Guns sharply back at his side. Teal eyes left the abomination of a filly to burn into Solstice's gaze, narrowing with a cruel detachment he normally reserved for those not equine. "Go," he spoke with an authority he did not possess, but a seriousness he did. She would be given only this once chance by him, she must understand that. The next time her child would be as much of a target as any other foul pegasus.

"GO!"