The voice of Kahlua’s daughter was enough to make Alysanne shudder as it rang throughout the Edge. Would that she had been petty enough to burn or drop the bag off the cliffs so that the Falls could seek it out in pieces! She had considered it briefly when they had parted ways the day before but knew that would hardly help the situation.

She had not slept all through the night, so enraged by the younger mare’s beratement and self-righteous attitude, but what was one more sleepless night? She felt haggard and weary but dismissed these weaknesses as she hurried towards the border.

Alysanne had known, of course, that Isopia would be arriving with the morning. And she knew that the herd’s best chance at winning was if she did not answer the call herself. They had two other demigods with them now that may be a better match, experienced warriors that would know how to match the Earth God’s daughter in blows. Tembovu was one such warrior and though her heart ached to see the two giants meet in battle as she trotted towards the small group that was gathering, she knew that this was better.

She approached not long after the fight began, arriving just after Sacre and in time to hear everyone’s words. She came to stand beside Raeden, whose skills at espionage had led to the bag landing in her possession. She attempted to reach out with her dark muzzle to give a silent, for now, greeting to the mare but her green eyes found Alune first - her voice steady and eyes blazing still with the anger she felt over this ridiculous situation.

And to be insulted by their absentee Seer? Well, that just did not seem fair.

“If you have an issue with me, Alune, say it to my face. Tembovu is fighting because he is more experienced than I, because in this field he is a better match and stands a better chance at winning. This is not just a fight between two mares, but has rather evolved into one between two herds.” If it was just about the bag, after all, why did not Cowboy come to seek it himself? It seemed only fair that Kahlua's daughter came here looking for a fight and found Alysanne.

Had she brows, one would be arched as she continued - her tone casual as her tail flicked and showed the frustration she was trying to master. “Are you so eager to see your queen beaten on the field of battle?” She did not doubt that there were those in the herd that would like to see her battered and bleeding but that wasn’t exactly the diplomatic style she intended to rule the Edge with.

Why did no one seem to understand that leadership required balance and that it was good she and Tembovu had separate strengths? To her it was such common sense!

Alysanne was honoured Tembovu had taken on this fight for her, though she suspected it had  more to do with the fact that it was for the Edge and not just her. The fate of their relations with the Falls would be called into question whatever the result here today.

She hated even the sound of the fighting and so she turned her attention to Sacre, agreeing with him that there was a better way. “She and I spoke yesterday and though I attempted a more civil manner to end this dispute she was adamant that a challenge was the only way that was fair.” The way Alysanne stressed that last word, her eyes performing a graceful eyeroll to punctuate it, made it clear she did not think fighting was the solution. Not for this, not for anything really. It showed a lack of intelligence to her, or a lack of diplomacy at the very least. “She didn’t even try asking first.” She continued to explain, reminding herself that they would have only heard one side of the story so far and that she could try to help shed some light on why this farce was taking place.

She then turned to Raeden and commented in a low voice, intended only for her ears. “I do not think the mountain knows as much as she thinks she does.”

Alysanne

the devoted