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"I'm being no more wise than I am looking after the best interest of our family, for now war is not what we need." He tossed his head slightly makeing his mane fly for a moment. "Pitty them I guess, hate is never the right emotion to feel against ones own child ... it does more to you than you realize now." He found slightly, he'd completely forgotten to mention the new member of the herd.

"I failed to mention the ... addition to the herd .. a stallion named VooDoo ... he doesn't talk or make noises for that matter and his place in our debates isn't yet known .. but he has the scent of our dear Deutschland so he was allowed to join with us." He wondered about the silent stallion whom tended to stay off by himself creating string things his stitched lips barely twitching in any facial movements.

"Pyramid Head? Never heard of the stallion, but the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree, I of course have had male lovers. Markus didn't have the time to know if he liked both genders or not before Cupid shoot him" He gave as much of a shrug as his horse body would allow him and lifted his head, the sweet scent of Cacilie filling his nostrils. "Our sweet Princess is waiting for us around the bend .. surprising considering she usually stays with Chikotae..." He smiled slightly, Cacilie had changed much since Mista had last seen her, and he had already been talking to Shade about passing the herd down to her and Constantine once they stepped down.




The small brown mare waited silently for her mother and Nightmare. Her blind golden eyes were closed as her long silken white and icy blue mane covered her tiny face. She knew she should have been with Chikotae now, protective him for her conniving sister, but if she knew the stallion as well as she though she did he couldn't have been far behind her.

Cacilie hadn't seen her mother in so long, and she wanted to be the firs of their family to see her now.

She shifted and the armor on her hind legs jingled, and the sparkling semi-transparent blue flames sparked almost angry that she had dared to move.

Since her mother had been gone Cacilie had changed much, she'd once been small and weak but now her entire body rippled with thick muscles hidden beneath her chocolaty brown coat like coiled vipers ready to strike. Her mane mane was brushed to perfection and the armor had been polished till one's reflection could be seen in the azure steel. Her horns had even been sharpened to deadly pints.

She wasn't just their soft little princess, she was the herd's blind warrior princess.

He shook his head slightly "Indeed, Ernsta wants war to 'purge our family of weak blood.' Family is different for everyone, some see it as more than others might, one has to remember that Ernsta is sill young .. brash and stupid. She has not yet felt what cupid's arrow can do." He hoped the day would come soon when Ernsta would feel the sting of love but he didn't know if it would happen nearly soon enough.

He smiled at Mista's surprise and proudly looked at Cacilie, she'd been training hard with him not letting him treat her any different from the others.

A breeze whipped through his mane as he watched the mother and daughter stepping back together them room to greet each other after such a long and now very hard time.




Cacilie's ears perked forward as she heard the hoof beats then her mother spoke her name and she opened her blind eyes as a soft smile curved upon her lips revealing her inherited vicious looking fangs.

"Mother!"

She turned and moved confidently towards her mother, no longer did she stumble and tap the ground in front of her, for her powers had grown and she could see the world in her minds eye when she focused. The armor on her hind legs twinkled, almost sounding happy to now be adorning her legs.

She stopped before Mista and nibbled at the tip of her mother's muzzle, being very careful of the delicate lace veil.

"You've been gone to long momma,"

If only father could have seen her now, how proud he would have been proud ... right?

Nightmare stayed silent watching the exchange between mother and daughter, he had indeed trained Cacilie and trained her well. He was filled with pride every time he saw her, the way she moved with so much confidence and pride. Yet she always stayed humble until she needed to become the warrior she was.

His head lifted as he heard another approach and his nostrils flared trying to pick up the scent as every muscle went taunt in his massive body.

Finally a scent he knew entered his nostrils and he relaxed knowing well that the figure approaching was friend not foe. The massive stallion tossed his mane before finally speaking.

"Constantine..."

His voice boomed like nearby thunder makeing tree limbs rattle and leaves quake in it's wake.

"Stop hiding in the shadows boy you don't mask your presence from me."




She smiled slightly resting her head over her mother's back "thank you mom." She had indeed felt the tear drops hit her face, she had known her mother had been crying she'd seen it in her head but it still worried her. "It's okay momma ... you wouldn't want to live in the herd these days ..." her voice was sad but she quickly forced it away as Mare spoke.

"Constantine is nearby?" her head came up and her ears perked, she hadn't seen her brother since her training had begun months ago. She'd been so busy to hunt him down with her training and the new turmoil within the herd, she was even busy enough that she hadn't been able to project a new image of herself to Chikotae and show him her change.

Stepping back from her mother's embrace the brown mare raised her small head trying to focus her powers on her brother to see if she could locate him, but all she saw was trees and she couldn't tell if he was close or not.

The stallion stood silently then suddenly he was moving again leaving the mother and siblings to have their privacy, besides, he had other matters to tend to ... such as Ernsta.

"I trust Cacilie will be able to lead you all home from here... be safe, my duties are need at the herd."

For a while his uneven footfalls could be heard then they started fadeing away into the forest and finally into the clearing that the German's occupied.




She looked over to her brother as Constantine arrived "apparently not when myself and Nightmare are around brother." She gave him a teasing grin and flicked her spaded tail. She could see her brother's changes in her mind, but where she ahd been weak he had always had some strength, grace, and pride about him so Cacilie's change was far more awe inspiring than his own.

Her ears turned back at the mention of the herd "the family is in turmoil, Ernsta slips around recruiting family members to her dark cause .. anyone with a heart can barely live within the herd anymore." Her wings shifted upon her back and she tossed her mane slightly before turning once more back to Constantine.

"I can sense that you have brother ... I fear that all our strengths will be needed before to long ... Ernsta seems nearly ready to strike."

She pawed at the earth makeing her flames crackle loudly.

"It might not be as easy as that brother, I don't know how many of our family have already been lured into believing Ernsta's lies, there are also new members to the herd.... if the one named VooDoo hsould turn against us and stand on Ersnta's side we very well may loose, I have never sensed a being of some much pent up magical power .. rage .. hate .." a shudder ran down the small mare's spine " he's not likely as psychically strong as one of us ... but his magic." She shuddered again, even though all of her training had strengthened her immensely Cacillie could barely think upon VoODoo's magic and not feel fear coarse through her veins like poison.

Damn that Ernsta! Damn her damn her!

Suddenly a small hoof shoot like greased lightning and connected with a large oak with an unrivaled sound.

The huge old oak groaned as it slumped to the side then fell with an earth shuddering crash to the forest floor.

Physical power was her families calling, but not even Ernsta could topple such an old oak with a swift strike of a hoof. Cacillie's small head was up now in shock, her nostrils flaring. She had seen the image in her mind's eye as if she had been watching someone else ... her hoof flying out in a blurr of motion, connecting with the old oak, then the oak groaning and falling, huge roots thicker than her legs sticking up in the air behind her body.

" Ooops..." she flushed slightly and shook her mane, she hadn't meant to do that especially not to such a beautiful old tree.

At the talk of Drake her ears turned sadlly to the side "I haven't seen our brother since shortly after the fight with grandfather."

She frowned deeply; Drake should be with the herd, yes maybe he had a new mate but he still should have been there with them.

Cacille tossed her mane as she moved long beside, yet slightly ahead of her mom. "I don't know if it will be that easy though mom ... he smells like pure hatred ...even Ernsta doesn't hold enough hate to cause it to have a scent rolling off her in waves." She flicked her tail with a snap. She was enthralled by the strange stallion, such raw power ... potential .. hate .. death. There were so many things about this strange creature that made her want to know more but she couldn't deny the fact that he was not a social creature and seemed far more likely to attack and kill than speak to anyone.

She was hopeful that Ernsta would be gone for the time being when the arrived back at the herd grounds, that would be their only hope to get to meet VooDoo without having to worry about their sister trying to croon him away from them and to her side.

But there was still the problem of would this stallion side with them of his own free will? Would his hatred keeping him from seeing their side?

Well .. only one way to find out.

Tossing her long mane she picked up her pace slightly, she had no lcue that the object of her morbid curiosity was moving towards them through the darkness of the shadows in the woods.




A huge stallion slipped through the shadows of the forest, he was nearly as large as Nightmare muscles bulging and rippling under his satiny black coat. These forests were said to be haunted with vengeful spirits of past yuma murdered by Nightmare and NightShade, spirits that attempted to kill any that invaded their shadows, yet they fled from him. Maybe it was the stench of death, blood, magic, and hate … yes maybe that was it the stench of rotting eggs and raw meat that seemed strong enough to burn the hairs in one’s nostrils.

He could smell them ahead, the three Nightmare had asked him to find. Normally he didn’t listen to any creature, but the herd’s youngest Cacille was one creature he did take care of… why? He had no hell of a clue, but he was as protective of her as any other German, despite not showing it very often to anyone even her.

He’d watched her and her mate from afar many times, making sure that her sister didn’t try anything foolish and stupid for the time being.

No, even without hearing the other side he had decided that he wouldn’t stand beside Ernsta, what she was doing was far too much for even him, a family was a family whether one viewed them as weak or not.

His extremely long mane drug the ground, yet it didn’t get dirty, flames crackled about his hooves and on the end of his long lion like tail. The shattered skull of some unknown Yuma hung about his forehead, held only by the thick long horn pushing from his skull and bones stitched to his large sides, his lips forever stitched close, speech eradicated until he could remember the spell to restore it for a time. Piercings gleamed across his body, from the two corset styles to the countless ones in his ears. The heavy chain about his neck jingled with every step and the spiked gauntlets upon his forelegs gleamed deviously.

He was ferociously beautiful ... yet deathly hideous all at the same time.

She flicked her tial and shook her mane yet again "we can hope mother, I don't know him well nough to ye undertsand what he thinks ... nor can he tell you." She continued to walk not bothering to watch where she was going so when she nearly bupe dinto the massive stallion as he seemed to materialize out of the shadows themselves.

She blinked slightly "oh ... OH!" she danced back and forth for a moment before stepping back from him her small hooves dancing feather light across the earth beneath her.

"Momma ... brother meet one of our newest members .. VooDoo." She had no clue why he was there but she was glad to see him



VooDoo's pupil-less eyes scanned over the family before turning back to Cacille carefully. He nodded a stiff greeting though it was obvious he cared nothing about the pleasentries. Then with a quick snap he turned and started to walk away the heavy thud of his hooves and the light cast by his flames leading them through the rest of the forest until it opene dup into the huge valley the German's called home.

He started to move stffly away, the croset piercings tugged painfully at his skin, but he'd long since forgotten to care about that anyway.

The rest of the families eyes were on him now as he moved through the field, a silent beast of a shadow, away from he small group he had escrted the final leg of their journey at Mare's request.

He stopped suddenly and turned back eyes the armor Cacille wore on her hind legs, he'd seen armor like that before on a stallion ... how could he have never noticed it before ... was she related to that stallion.

VooDoo shook his mane once more, he'd figure it out later for now he needed to work on his spell.