He launched into speech again, explaining away how Tio's mind worked - and the 'logic' as it were, failed to reach Mirage. The Throat had not behaved that way - had they? Kri had entered into a contract to keep the Grey from allying with him, and it had worked - the Throat had not heard of a threat from him since. A handful of warriors had aided the Grey in taking over the Foothills - they had fought directly against Tharos, in fact - and they had come out victorious, more experienced and with wounds that they would have gained from sparring in practice against one another anyway. They had begun construction on a wall, a structure so great that one could only get over it if they had wings, and it was heavily patrolled. They didn't need to work 'harder' as such, because they had enough strength in numbers to spread the heavy load evenly across many strong backs. Everything Tharos spoke of Tio's strategy was simply untrue in the case of the Throat - they were stronger than ever with the warning in the back of their minds, never growing complacent with what they had, always being on their guard.

And besides, they had the Qian as their allies. They were not about to lose a war to a fool with no allies.

The grulla continued to speak then, not of strategy (for clearly, he didn't have one), but more on the heartache his father had caused him. Mirage listened with a sympathetic ear, despite the expressionless façade she wore that gave nothing away to her innermost thought processes. Tio sounded like a horrible brute, one who lusted for power but did not know what to do with it once it was achieved. Mirage lusted for power - mostly in the form of knowledge - and for most of her life, it had been for the most selfish thing of all - her own survival. The survival of her bloodkin had followed soon after that, and then, she found herself loving so many - mostly all who called the Edge home held a place within the beating muscle of her breast, mostly all of them had earned that place, they had proven t time and again - she did not love easily, but when she did, it was a potent, powerful force. It was her combined strength and weakness - but I digress.

"Fear is not an emotion I feel when thinking of Tio." The mare spoke quietly, murmuring the words more than speaking them directly to the steed. It was true, she felt confident that the Qian and her allies could withstand his onslaught, and she understood full well that while it might not be easy for them - some may get injured - she still did not see him succeeding. She simply would not let it happen. "The threat Tio made was to the Throat, and they aided the Grey in taking the Foothills." She stated for the stallion's benefit, wanting to make sure his was not disillusioned in the silent request he was making to her - to join the Qian. "My Protectors obey me. They listened when I requested they stand down in aiding the Foothills so that the alliance we have with the Throat was not threatened. I wonder, are you capable of the same obedience?"