The Lands Beyond (Drathan, Belocc & Morgella}

[JetAlmeara]

Drathan stood motionless upon the rocky outcropping, only the errant breeze giving movement to the otherwise still body, whipping strands of mane and tail about as though they had a life of their own. Below the stallion the land spread out before him, sun dappled valleys and shadowy forests, the rocky foothills where he now stood merging with them in an effortless manner that only nature could achieve. It was a large land and prosperous, a land in which most stallions would be happy to reside.

But Drathan wanted more. In the span of several years he had expanded his empire from on small relatively worthless grove to the wealth of lands spread out below him and yet the stallion was not satisfied, there were better lands beyond the mountain's..lands in which winter was not quite so harsh, where the grass stood green nearly the whole year through, where water did not have to be broken free of ice and snow. He had heard the stories and he desired to see such things for himself. To own such lands, to bring his mares and stallions to such a wondrous land would ensure his name rang throughout the ages - a legend for all time. Only when he had achieved such a thing would the drive within his heart subside, would the stallion rest. Yes this was a good land...but it was only the start of something greater.

Besides...he had unfinished business in the lands beyond the mountains. Business that he was not about to forget or allow to escape him. No one escaped Drathan ... they either joined him or perished, such was the way it has always been with the herds, such was the way it must always remain. It was not honorable to run and Drathan could not abide the thought of cowards remaining in the realm of the living. It was an affront to everything they had been raised to believe in. Snorting the stallion abandoned his statue like stillness, lifting his head to gave beyond the low lands spread out before him to eye the hazy, fog filled mountain pass beyond.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

They had made excellent progress in the last few months. In that time they had conquered several herds, expanded Drathan's territory by a significant amount and had even swelled their own rank. Belocc had enjoyed their march across these lands, watching each herd they encountered try to stand up to Drathan's more experienced herd and then fall to their hooves. Even the large herds could not stop them, for numbers didn't matter when few knew how to fight. And then there were those fighters from other herds who realized that they were on the wrong side, those fighters came to Drathan and were eventually added to his army. But of course that did not mean Belocc or Drathan trusted those new warriors. Belocc made it his mission to watch those Soquili very closely and to sent them into the most dangerous of situations, if they survived then it brought them one step closer to truly being a part of Drathan's herd.

Now the lands that his warlord commanded stretched out for miles in every direction. It could take days for the fastest of their members to travel from one side to the other. But there was so much more to take, this was only the beginning. Belocc looked forward to the day when they would make their way through the mountain pass and begin to sweep across the lands on the other side.

His gaze lifted to where Drathan stood on an outcropping. Their leader was in his element and yet Belocc knew that he craved for more, they all did, but none of them as much as Drathan did. He understood the stallions desire very well, there was not only new land to acquire on the other side of those mountains, but there was herds to be crushed and most importantly there were some escapees to hunt down. It would be a glorious day when those who had slipped their grasp were finally caught and punished properly.

Belocc made his way up the outcropping now. He had been among the soldiers while Drathan overlooked his lands. The warriors were eager to move on, but they all awaited for Drathan's orders. As the second in command Belocc was ready to pass on his warlords orders to the others, to start the next stage of their campaign. Bringing his hooves to a stop beside his commander Belocc looked out across the plains, his eyes settling upon the area where the mountain pass lied, though currently hidden by fog he knew exactly where it was. "The pass is clear." He reported to his commander now that the scouts were back. "There are no herds in the immediate area on the other side of the mountain." Which meant that the army could move through without an alarm being raise. In other words, those on the other side wouldn't know what was coming until it was too late.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

It had been a busy few months for Morgella. The progress that the herd had made across these lands was swift. Few knew they were coming and those that did have time to prepare were often caught in the middle of those preparations and fell just as quickly as the herds that were caught by surprise. The amount of land that Drathan held onto now was impressive but what truly mattered was that he was not only about to initially capture those lands but also to hold onto them as his army moved on. It showed just how strong of a leader the stallion was. Nearly anyone could capture land, but keeping it and expanding it continually took a great deal of strategy and power. And it was clear that Drathan had just that.

The winged mare looked up to where the warlord stood, she could see his second in command, Belocc, joining him. They were likely discussing the next move that the herd would make. Good, there was nothing worse than an idle army. Warriors often got bored and impatient when they had to wait around for too long, even those in Drathan's army could fall victim to such things. But that wasn't Morgella's concern. She had other things to keep her occupied. Though not a direct fighter Morgella was an asset to Drathans army. On occasion she would get the pleasure of getting her claws into some of the Soquili who stood in the warlords way and it brought her great pleasure to do so, to serve her warlord in such a way. But overall her purpose in life was much different than the majority of Drathan's herd. Morgella, more often than not, tended to those who left Drathan's army.

She was a healer. But she also took care of the souls who fell in battle. Even the best trained armies out there were subject to loss. It was her main duty to see that those warriors who fell in battle were given the proper send off. They died for their warlord and therefore they would be rewarded. Of course the casualties were always much higher on the opposing side, but Morgella left those bodies to rot. Their souls were not worth her time or effort. Though there were many times when she had little to do after a battle Morgella knew she was doing what she was meant to do. She had been trained from a very young age to cleanse the souls of the fallen and to save the lives of those who were injured in battle. Though some days she yearned to do more, the duties she performed made her a worthy member of the herd.

Turning her gaze back to the herbs she was going through Morgella continued to check on her stock. She had made sure to always stock up on herbs whenever the herd stopped and so far she had kept up with the demand. But soon they would be entering new and unknown lands and she did not know if the herbs she needed would be found there. So lately she had gathered more and now she was making sure she would had enough to last them in the event that the lands on the other side of the mountain were less giving than these had been.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drathan's ear tipped backwards slightly at the sound of hooves behind him, it was a stride the stallion knew well, those of his second and most trusted General. "Belocc" He greet the other stallion without turning his gaze towards him. Drathan hoped that the stallion would have good news for him - it was always difficult to read the mountains, while the weather here in the low lands was clear and of good tidings ...one never knew what the high lands would be like. It was an ill tempered area that..once moment sweet and calm, the next cold and furious. They would have to ensure all were properly prepared for the journey ahead.

"Excellent." He responded as his general delivered the good tidings. "We should move before another storm delays us further." He stated, only now turning to regard the stallion beside him. "We have sat idle for too long and I am eager to explore the lands beyond." And to hunt down those who fled into the pass before him - wretched beasts, he could only wish that the mountain had spared them it's fury so that he might deliver his own. "The way will be treacherous, not only do we go into the unknown but the mountains, like the sea, are fickle and prone to erratic behavior... have the healers gathered what they will need?" He had suggested that they do so several days ago and surely they had followed his suggestion but it took time to gather so many things and Drathan could ill afford to loose his warriors due to sickness or disease in strange lands.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Perhaps another Soquili would have been bothered by being addressed but not looked at. Belocc did not mind. He didn't need Drathan or others to look at him each time they spoke. Now the warriors he commanded he expected them to all be looking at him when he spoke, but when Drathan spoke the stallion could look wherever he pleased.

It was good to hear that the would finally be on the move again. Spring storms had caught them here for far too long now. But like Drathan said mountains were unpredictable and trying to pass through one, especially one they had never encountered before, could be dangerous. Not only that, but if poor conditions persisted those in the pass would either need to push on and go deeper into the unknown or they would have to turn back, which with an army trying to move through the pass would lead to chaos of turning it around half way through. "I agree. The warriors are ready to move and from what I hear there should be clear enough weather to allow us to pass casually move through the pass. It would be best to break up our movements into squads. Sending a full squad into the pass every few hours." Doing so would ensure that the pass didn't become clogged with the herd if bad weather or conditions suddenly presented itself. It would also technically weaken the herd for a short period of time but even a full squad would be able to hold off an attack for quite some time as they were highly trained. "Last I checked Morgella was doing a final tally to ensure that she had enough supplies to last us."  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

The herb count looked very promising. She had been pushing all of the healers under her command to gather everything they could find. They even worked through the nights, taking short breaks to rest before returning to the task. With an army as large as Drathan's they could go through a substantial amount of herbs in days if a sickness swept across the warriors. So she had to make sure they were prepared for that and so much more. She looked out across the various baskets full of herbs used for healing wounds, relieving sickness, altering and making poisons. It was a good thing she had a large number of beasts at her disposal to haul them all. Large, strong Soquili who were not adept to fighting but seemed perfectly suited to a life as beasts of burden, they were crucial to moving her large supplies of herbs as the herd moved along.

As if sensing her voice was needed Morgella instructed one of her underlings to see to the remainder of the herds. The mare made her way up to the ridge where Drathan and Belocc stood just in time to hear the commanders question at a distance. "We have enough for two to three months barring any outbreak of disease. If they get sick, perhaps a month, it depends on how severe the sickness is." She nodded to both stallions and she came to stand with them. "I will keep a few of my more novice healers behind to continue gathering, they know what we need for the supplies but don't yet have the full knowledge of how to use them. They will be more useful to your cause left behind for a few weeks than they will be if they tag along." And of course there were the herbs that waited on the other side of the mountain. If the lands were as bountiful as they were rumored to be she might never run out of anything. But Morgella was not going to assume the rumors were true and therefore had picked more herbs than necessary in the downtime over the last few days.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drathan considered the words of his advisers carefully, some warlords in the past had looked upon the taking of advice with distaste but Drathan knew better - though he always made the decisions himself he always took into account the words of those around him. It was foolhardy to merely dismiss the words of others as useless and such pointless pride had led to the demise of many a leader. Drathan always listened..he might, in the end, decide not to take the advice given..but he always listened to it at the very least.

In this case he agreed with Belocc, it would be wise to send the herd through in squadrons rather then in a large mass. However he was impatient to see this new land and as such he decided he would leave with the first group. "Myself and my guard will depart first - Belocc, I leave it to you to organize the squadrons and order of departure after that, leave behind your second and a sturdy group of warriors to keep things here under control and to protect Morgella's gatherer's until they join us." The stallion ordered.

It would be good to be on the move again, the warriors would be pleased to venture into the pass, to new lands where they might gain fame that would live long beyond their bodies, creatures of legend, told in stories to the foals of generations to come - it was the dream of many a warrior. Turning slightly he let his gaze rest upon Morgella for a few moments.

"This new land could well prove the home of many unknown ailment's, your healers could well have their hooves full learning of them - we will offer a sacrifice to the gods before we depart, ask them to lead us true in this venture and provide us with the knowledge we require. A goat I think..would be sufficient."
 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

He stood silently as he awaited Drathan's decision. He knew the stallion was eager to move, the whole herd was, but the reason why Drathan had been so successful in his campaigns is that he made sure he knew what he was walking into before starting the charge. And in this moment Belocc was glad that Drathan thought things through instead of running blindly into them. One couldn't always know everything but Drathan was no fool, and that was why he had such great respect among his underlings. He would only go in blind if it was the absolute only option. But in this case they had several bit of information to work with and so he allowed his leader time to digest everything and with time he was rewarded with an answer.

"I will have a squadron ready to accompany you by night fall." It was already well into the day and though it was obvious the lead stallion wanted to go as soon as possible, but the mountain pass was not something to tangle with at night. "Morgella, can you spare a healer to accompany the squadron?" He asked the mare. While they could likely manage fine without a healer Belocc wanted all aspects covered and it was this detail oriented mind that had seen him fly through the ranks of the army quickly and why he was Drathan's more trusted adviser and second in command. He turned his attention back to Drathan. "I'll have the remainder of the squadrons sorted out by morning." It would be a lot to sort out in a short among of time but it was one of the many things Belocc excelled at. He even looked forward to the challenge of it just as much as he looked forward to seeing the lands on the other side of the mountain.

Already his mind was sorting out who would end up in which squadron. Obviously the strongest fighters would go in first with Drathan, which really could be any of the herd, but he would ensure they had the exact mix of warriors they would need to cover almost any situation that they may encounter before the rest of the army passed through.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

"I am counting on it to be filled with many new ailments." She informed her leader with a nod. "It is one of the many reasons I we healers have been tirelessly gathering herbs to ensure we have as much of a supply as we can." She had not followed Drathan's army for this long to watch it fall to some unknown disease on the other side of the mountain. She knew that with time they were bound to encounter something unknown, and it would take time and herbs to see if what they had would work as a cure or if something native would be needed. There would be loses to disease making a move such as this, but she and her healers would work as hard as possible to minimize the number of loses.

And it was this thought that ended just as Belocc asked for a healer to accompany Drathan to the other side of the pass. "I have two healers that are capable of handling almost anything that I will send to accompany Drathan." She told the second in command. She would like to have gone herself but there were details to sort out first and she would not be responible for the delay of Drathan's squadron because she was running behind. "I'll assign one healer per every other squadron after that." She had enough for each squadron, but that was counting those who would be left behind to continue collection so she would need to spread the good ones out a bit. And a healer in every other group would suffice.

"Shall I leave the honor of choosing which of the goats to sacrifice to you?" She asked Drathan. There were times when the stallion would hand pick a sacrifice and others when he would leave the choice to someone else. This was one of those times that Morgella felt Drathan would want to make the choice to ensure the gods were full satisfied with their offering. "And I shall have a bonfire lit." It didn't have anything to do with the sacrifice, but had some connections in a way. The fire cleansed those who gathered around it and could help keep evil and illness at bay. Plus it acted as a signal as well, a signal that they were ready to move into their next phase and would help to rally the warriors. She would sacrifice a small amount of the herbs they collected to burn in the fire as well, to fulfill it's purpose.  

[JetAlmeara]

The words of his advisers were pleasing, neither of them raised any concerns that would cause further delay, neither of them argued with his plans or suggested something else that would need to be seen to. This was a good thing - not only because it pleased him personally but because it meant that thus far everyone had been doing their jobs and things had been handled sufficiently enough that no problems had arose.

"Very good, we shall plan departure of the first squadron at daybreak, the following I leave to your commands, tonight we will celebrate and prepare, it will do the warriors well, a lift to their spirits before we set off." Drathan agreed with the plans set out by his advisors "I think I shall choose the goat yes, it must be one fitting such an important occasion."  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

There was much to be done now. Squadrons to form, things to double check and of course there was the sacrifice of the goat to attend and to be a part of the pre-travel celebration. Though he had been fairly busy while the herd had awaited good weather conditions to travel through the pass Belocc felt more himself when he had a large number of things to do with little time to do them in. "I will seek you out once I am done preparing the squadrons." He said with a nod of his head.

Turning his attention to Morgella for a moment he spoke to the mare. "Once you know which healers you are sending through the pass let me know and we can decide which ones to place with the different squadrons." They needed the squadrons to be well suited for a number of situations so knowing who and what to place in each one was vital. Having plenty of work to do he nodded to the mare and then to Drathan before making his way down the outcropping.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

"I will have the drones begin putting the wood together." Drones was what Morgella called those Soquili in the heard that played the role of beast of burden. It would take them little time to get the bonfire ready but she would make sure extra wood was on hand to allow it to burn throughout the night. It would not do them any good to let the fire fall too early, it should still be burning when the first of the herd stepped into the pass come morning. She would also create a small pouch of herbs for Drathan to wear when he began the journey. It was something she did for him at the beginning of each major leg of his campaign, it offered him and his army luck, strength and was said to assure success. Given Drathan's record she would say that it worked well, but honestly the stallion probably didn't need it, she just wasn't abotu to break tradition at a time like this.

"I will send one of the healers to oversee the sacrifice once you have chosen the goat." She said to the leader and then unfurled her wings, the breeze coming over the mountain allowed her to drift down to the bottom of the outcropping quickly to get to the things that awaited her.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drathan watched his advisers leave in silence, he had the utmost confidence in their abilities and was quite certain that each of them would ge their required jobs completed on time with no further interference from him. Once jobs were delegated it was often better to stand back and let them get done, the need to constantly micro manage those under you generally mean that you should rethink who those underlings were. Drathan had no such worries about Morgella and Belocc.

Once his advisers were well on their way Drathan made his way down the outcropping, head high he moved towards the goat herd's. The animal he picked would have to be large and healthy, a suitable sacrifice for such an important endeavor. Surveying the herd upon arrival Drathan picked out several he thought might work. "Separate that one..,that one and ...that one." He told the tenders with a nod towards each animal he had chosen. Once separated the stallion took a better look at the three, he discarded on for a slightly crooked horn, and then a second for a displeasing pattern of color. "This one." Have it prepared." He told the tenders of the pure white ram.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Once down to the flat land where the herd awaited, Belocc wasted no time rounding up those who would lead each squadron down the pass. "We move in the morning." He announced to them as they gathered to plan out who would go first and which warriors they would be assigned to oversee. This planning would take him well into the night, perhaps even into the morning. But the most important thing was to have the squads, especially those that would accompany Drathan down the pass, to be selected first and be the strongest and best of their warriors. Looking over the various commanders before him Belocc mentally cataloged each of their strengths and weakness, yes even those in Drathan's herd had some weaknesses though they were minor ones. Eventually he found a pair that would be perfect.

"You two." He motioned to the selection leaders. "Your squadrons will move first with Belocc. I think using the same warriors you commanded last time would be best, though I will be adding a few additions to your ranks. Agreed?" He waited for the two stallion to nod their head. "Go and gather them then, I will bring the additional warriors once they are sorted out." He watched the two leave and turned his attention back to the rest. "Now for the rest of you..." He began to sort out who would lead who and in what order they would travel down the pass.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Morgella immediately put several of the drones to work gathering wood and placing it into a pile. "It must be large." She instructed them and those who were helping her oversee it's construction. "The largest we have ever had, for this step of our journey is a great one and we must start it properly." It would take some time to build the pile of wood big enough, but it would be a few hours til sunset still and so she was not worried. All she had to do was make sure the drones were kept busy and before long they would have a fire burning, one that would make it through the night and into the morning to see Drathan off down the pass. Nodding at the progress Morgella then began to work on the next step.

Moving over to the stores of herbs she began to pick some out from the various large baskets, handing each to a lesser healer who collected them in a small basket. "We must ensure to use the right ones." She told the other healer, one who would be left behind to continue collecting herbs as the army moved on. The mare was still learning but Morgella saw great potential in her. "And it must be the correct amount." She explain while pulling three leaves from the one basket. "This fire is large so we are using more than normal." She would see to these herbs first, since the fire would be lit well before nightfall. Once these were take care of a properly added to the fire then she would see personally to collecting the herbs for Drathan's pouch. She may even allow this other healer to tag along for that, so that she could gain the knowledge needed to keep the herds traditions alive.