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"Clan secret... if I tell they'll skin me for sure." he replied, flashing her a coltish grin before he broke the tree line and entered the outskirts of the camp.

Somehow, it always felt so damn good to be home. Even if his relatives were odd, friends odder, and the oddest bunch of two-leggers he'd ever met liked to sit on or near him and sing songs.

Now that he thought about it... they were always singing.

Much like now.

Pathen, the lithe huntsman, was drumming while the older autumn haired female Celei played a soft accompanying tune on a flute to the young raven haired Riverfire's singing. Tai and Killian were nowhere in sight, while Blais, Bonfire, and Toujours where standing in a loose semi-circle around the humans fire circle. Bonfire looked bored, predictably; while Blais was watching his father and Princess, Toujours was asleep, also not too unusual since he spent a lot of time arguing with Amarinne about theology. Behind Celei, the unicorn Amarinne was curled up, obviously asleep like TJ, with the imposing frame of her winged mate Crousader at attention behind her.

His blue eyes fastened immediately on his herdmate, Flame, who he had figured gone for the day... before glancing back at the stranger with him.

But none of the singers stopped, though Celei glanced up at the new arrivals and smiled.

Taking that as a sign to just get comfortable, Flame looked back at Princess. "Strange, I'm sure.. but it is relaxing after awhile..." he whispered, hoping that Crousader would catch on that this mare was not a threat... and to just relax.

"Well, the one with the death glare is Crousader... don't mind him. The unicorn at his feet is his mate and his keeper, Amarinne. As you can tell, she is asleep... so try to excuse his poor manners."

He paused, wondering how to explain the two-leggers.

"The human with the flute is Celei, she rescued Tai and myself a long time ago... and we've just kinda stuck around since then. Tai and Killian are not here at the moment by the way, they are probably fishing... but the dark unicorn (also sleeping) is Toujours. He's not as dour as he looks... he's actually kind of funny if you don't take him seriously."

"The other guy staring at us is Blais, believe it or not he is the alpha here... after I abdicated in favor of his.. vitality." That was said with a laugh, proving that there was a lot more to the story then that.

"The black mare next to him is his daughter, and my grand daughter, Bonfire. She's a spitfire, and a bit too wordy at times... but we love her anyway." The afore mentioned filly, after hearing her name, looked over... Flame just winked at her.

"As for the other two humans, Pathen, the male, is a bit odd... but Crousader and Blais are stoutly protective of him and, I dare say, a bit emotionally attached to him." He continued, debating mentioning the familiars and the two usdia mares that recently made themselves at home.

'As for Riverfire, she's the young girl with the black hair. Mostly she looks after Amarinne and sometimes Toujours... personally I think she has a touch of the unicorn's healing ability... or at least a sense of it. Celei was awfully ill a few summers back and between 'Rine and 'River, she pulled through." He finished, opting to keep the introductions brief and only to the soquili here at the moment...or likely to show up at any moment... as Tai and Killie often did.

For the first time, Flame allowed a look of mild offense to spread across his features as he listened to Princess. He understood where she was coming from, and that she was partially kidding and partially still very upset, but he felt that someone needed to tell her that others had boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. Alpha, Mare, Leper, or Otherwise.

"He's alpha here out of mutual respect, a respect that Crousader and I taught him to achieve. His mate, and the love of his life, would not put up with him if he was the type of stallion to trample over any and everyone in his path to dominance." He said, meeting her level look tit for tat. "I'm not expecting you... or anyone else.. to grovel and submit to him by any stretch. He'd find that disgusting anyway, but I would expect a certain level of respect on your part... and with that, he will see that you yourself are a leader, and are to be treated with every bit of dignity that you deserve."

"Especially since we also taught him to see the value in humor, but to also know when some things should be left alone." He added, almost as an afterthought.. though really it was his main point. Blais was a smart kid, and would notice her feminine touchiness right away... Cynara was a bit of the same, and he wouldn't have a problem with it.

Oddly, Flame wondered why he was going to such a great length with this troublesome mare, perhaps it was just his nature to meddle and 'make things right,' but he inwardly wondered if it wasn't something else. He really had admired her the first time he had met her, she was wild, proud, and free. But he knew the price one paid for such 'freedom.'

But that last quip was the only warning he could give her. The Islagiatt herd was not a traditional herd in the sense that they were family by blood, or by race. They did not play by anyone's rule book and had joined together only by the ties of friendship and respect. The Alpha mare, Yei Umeko, for instance, was Tai's adopted sister... and technically Flame's adopted daughter... not that he saw her that way. Like him, she had reached elderhood through her own unique skills, and he respected her for it. Killian was Yei's son, but because of his affinity for Tai, she had allowed the colt to stay with the Elderwillow portion of the herd. Blais, for his part, was the Protector to Yei's Alpha... and in an emergency situation it was understood that he would lead the Elderwillow soquili up the mountain trails to Yei, where she would then be the 'one in charge,' otherwise known as the Strategist. Her own mate, Grencia, was no lackwit either, and between the combined years of experience shared among the 'leaders' of Islagiatt... it was certain that the best solution to any problem would be found.

Thinking about it a little more in depth, Flame found it amazing that individuals like Crousader and Toujours decided to join with them... but then again... Blais knew his mentor's strength lay in scouting ahead and remaining an unseen watcher in the sky... while Toujours was a powerful healer but a bit of a free-spirit. After conferring with Yei, and Flame himself, the two were often paired together when expeditions were staged. Blais had thought that it would be a good strategy to keep at least one healer hidden, paired with a master of stealth and combat to both protect and alert TJ of trouble and if he was needed.

It all made frightening sense really...

The there was Blais himself.

Honestly, Flame hadn't the foggiest notion for where the younger stallion's burliness came from, but it had put the 17 hand stallion at a definite advantage in many a spare against his lighter, and decidedly shorter, father. Not that Flame was a lightweight, if anything Crousader, topping off at only 15 something hands, was the lightweight. But once Blais had learned to fight, and then had had to fight off several intruders and large predators, there was no mistaking who was best suited to lead... not when instead of fighting the intruders head on, he had devised a plan to divide them, and then take them out one by one.

Whatever the case, he hoped Princess would not make too big a fool of herself with her sharp tongue and dry sense of humor. Since the first person to take her down a notch would probably be the gentlest one of the bunch. Amarinne. The unicorn disliked stereotypes, and uncomfortable social situations, like nothing else.

His golden eyes glittering with a suppressed smile, Flame nodded acceptance of her brief apology and strode purposefully towards his tall son, around the ring of musicians and dozing soquili. Celei was watching them, he was sure, but he hoped she wouldn't break the music trance and approach just yet.

Blais, acting on the assumption that this was another one of Flame's charity cases, received the mare's nod with a warm smile and a similar nod of his head in greeting that his father often used. As they approached, however, he mentally revised his initial impression. Flame was not treating her with the carefully crafted patience that was his usual, instead, he was almost being flirty... well, as flirty as the old man could get these days.

Blais found her blanket assumption that she would be welcome somewhat amusing, along with that curious gait that Cynara also had.

Dominance... she's used to be listened too. He thought to himself quietly, while mentally patting his father on the back. Hope she doesn't eat you old man.

Likewise, he couldn't avoid the slight grin, the one that was so reminiscent of his father's... as he returned her greetings in kind."

"Any friend to one, is a friend to all. Of course you are welcome milady...?" He purposefully left the pause, allowing her the grace to fill in her name herself, since Flame had not yet supplied him with it.

Not that he would have, the fiery stallion was all for letting people stand on their own four hooves.

Blais, momentarily taken aback by her definite avoidance of a formal greeting (which to him always included full names,) wondered what could possibly be worse then any of the hundred names Celei had for... just about everything.


Then again, if humans had anything to do with her naming, maybe he could understand...


"Milady Princess then, you are well met." He replied, attempting to be as charmingly differential as he remembered his father and Crousader instructing. Likewise, he never realized how much he was becoming like both of them, which was a good thing, since if he did.. he might have become irritated with himself.

"And thank you, we... try to at least have a good time no matter what time of day." he added, glancing at the fire circle before looking back and smiling at her.


Flame, for his part, was standing at Princess' side quietly, both letting her introduce herself.. and letting his son handle a new comer on his own.

"Then be welcome, and join us at our fire." Blais responded promptly, bowing his head, half to hide the mischievous smile the was threatening to break through his carefully erected mask of calm acceptance. The look on his sire's face was just rich!


Sensing uncharted waters, Flame finally reasserted himself in the conversation, coughing politely to catch Princess's attention, more then a little startled that the.. interview?.. had reached a climax so swiftly. He would have thought Princess would have wanted more information from the leader himself before doing anything, let alone asking to stay. Mildly he wondered how much trouble she had been in when he found her...

Nonetheless, he gave his son a mental pat on the back for running through that awkward conversation smoothly, and trusting his father enough to know he wouldn't have brought home someone unsavory.

"Well then, shall we?" The older stallion asked, gesturing with a flick of his head towards the circle, in particular an empty space far enough away from the humans so as not to bother a wild spirit like Princess.