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Cacille watched her brother body hunched lips curled back in a ferocious snarl. Every powerful muscle in her body was taunt looking ready to snap from the tension. Her eyes though blind, always showed what her heart felt and now her eyes showed rage, hatred ... blood lust , things his sister never would have felt .. whatever beast before him now it wasn't his Cacille.

Chokotae's startled cry and the scent of fear made her pause for a second. Her jaw slackening, eyes clearing, and ears turning towards her distressed love. But the glimpse of his sister lasted only a brief moment and the beast was back head snapping in her brother's direction lips curling back over the pearly fangs.

A deep gutteral growl rumbled from her very core.

A moment of tension seemed to last for an eternity and suddenly she was charging again, she would run him from her grotto, or she would lead him from it .. either was as long as he was gone it mattered not how she got him out of her territory.


~~~

Ersntas delighted cackled rang from her lips as she barreled without care through the undergrowth.

She dove between trees with amazing agility, she only hoped she'd reach the clearing before Cacille did. She wanted to be the one to destroy the wench that had started all of this and her foolish mate along with her. Her grin faded and she snarled, if it wasn't for them daddy wouldn't have left .. he would still be here .. alive and strong. She didn't care if the others thought her mad for believing it she KNEW it was true.

Drake was deluding their blood, making them weak .. hell even he had lost the thrill of battle he'd once felt not that he'd met the unworthy wench.

Snarling she drove herself father, forcing her powerful legs to act like pistons, driving her faster and faster through the forest towards what had once been her hoe and her family.

~~~

Shade paused for a split second shock on her face then she charged after Mista "Mista m'dear stop!" She barreled up beside Mista, long strong legs keeping pace easily beside her for the time being. "Stop Mista! You cannot help them! Constantine is strong and wise enough to fend off his sister without harming her! Let him fix what Ernsta has broken!"

The mare snorted, if need be she would turn and plow right into her son's mate and lay down ontop of her to get her to stop.

She grunted softly as she plowed into his immobile form. She wheeled back slightly reared onto her hind legs. Before crashing back to earth snarling out between serrated fangs "I have done nothing, his blood isn't spilled and gods help you if it does so."

She suddenly wheeled around him and charged down the path back towards the clearing.

Her breath came in rasping breaths as she exited the forest. See could sense Shade and her mother there, but her unfocused hate filled eyes and senses were attuned to only one thing now.

She shied to the side slightly as her sister emerged frm the undergrowth at that exact moment.


~~~

Ernsta almost plowed into her young sister as she dove from the underbrush of the woods. She slowed to a trot, Cacille tight on her heels moving like a big cat rather than a mare. She didn't seem to afraid as she danced forward head held high a twisted grin corrupting her face under the mask.

~~~

Shade Skidded to a halt fbefore Mista blocking he path "none of this is your fault, you have shamed none ... we are pleased to have you as our family never doubt that."

She stiffened as Cacille emerged from the path to her meadow ... and then Ernsta the root of all of this. Her eyes narrowed and her body tensed muscles pushing out.

Then .... she froze as a deep cry split the air, it wasn't a roart angry or upset it was the deep tenor of a voice she would know anywhere .. her mind must be playing games Markus was dead .. never coming home ... dead.

~~~

A large brown body matted with mud and blood shambled forward one still useless leg dragging beside him. He had heard the sounds of battle cries and it had ripped his heart asunder, his family couldn't be fighting he wouldn't believe it They were all so close how could they have erupted into battle among their own ranks? They didn't! He knew he was lying to himself but he so desperately wanted to believe ...

He let out another deep tenor bellow that echoed farther than Cacille's screech could have dreamed of going.

He picked up his pace sudden;y flapping his huge wings as he tried to lift himself off the ground.

The wind whipped past him yanking his mane as he flew, but he didn't care all he knew was that he had to reach his family and he had to reach them now, he felt like lives depended on it for some reason.

He finally made it, flying low over the trees and it wasn't long before he saw his family their in the meadow poised like statues, unmoving.

They hadn't seen him yet.... he suddenly banked barreling for the ground.

His none to graceful landing left him in a heap of flesh for a moment before he began to push himself up. He as a wreck, his armor sun bleached and rusted, his mane an unrecognizable wreck, his coat caked in dried mud and blood, scars littering his once sleek body, and one (for now) bum leg.

But he was there .. he was alive .. his eyes shinning from beneath her rusted helmet as he staggered to his feet from the hard earth.

((*boots everyone else out for now just fer Markus*))

He stood there silent looking at each of his family members. He knew he should have been resting, or eating, or just trying to regain his strength in general but he couldn't ... he just couldn't let what he'd heard continue any longer. He knew very well by the shocks that played across their faces, the disbelief, that they had believed him dead, Oh how they had underestimated him so greatly to really think he'd die out on the hunt ... hurt beyond the ability to move for so long maybe but never dead.

His eyes flashed to each member. Ernsta ... probably the root of all this ... standing their muscles taunt, a hideous smile falling from her features as she started to back up pinning her ears down against her skull.

Behind her Cacille, oh his sweet Cacille once so small now a warrior. He could see the hate leave her face and then she was ashen, pale her body trembling from ear to hoof. What had become of his sweet daughter that she now feared his presence? Hopeless question, by her close-ness to Ernsta he already knew that answer.

Now to Constantine, his son hadn't changed a bit, still proud , tall , ... huge in general. A soft smile curved his lips under his own helmet and his head moved again.

He could feel Drake coming, but he wasn't here yet so his eyes and head moved on.

Shade and Mare, oh gods above they looked more frail than he could ever imagine his glorious parents being. Shade hadn't been eating he knew it and his eyes narrowed angrily at her, they couldn't leave this world not now. Nightmare looked as though he'd been broken for a long time .. but he could see the spark coming back to his eyes now, oh dear gods he'd blamed himself Markus knew .. he now remembered hearing his father's voice as he'd been dragged away by the helpful mare.

Then they feel onto the one creature he so badly wanted to see again and his heart broke, she'd been crying and he knew in his gut that this wasn't the wort of the tears she must have shed these many months. "Mista..." his voice broke for a moment and he stepped forward but his body rebelled and his legs gave way beneath him sending him down once more to the ground.

He was so tired ... oh so tired. The huge brown stallion rolled onto his side knowing well he couldn't and wouldn't be getting up for some time now. But he was home .. that was all he needed to know.

He smiled softly and nipped his love's muzzle tenderly as she pushed it against his "don't fret my love... I'm just tired from a long journey." He still wasn't planning to rise, even when he heard the thunder of smaller hooves as Ernsta and Cacille retreated back into the woods. He didn't think he had the strength to stand as it was.

That was until he heard Drake's voice. His eyes slowly opened as his son moved to stand near him. He couldn't show this weakness in front of them...

Tossing his head up the large brown stallion rolled onto his stomach and after a moment began to rise back to his hooves.

His movements were unsteady and hard to do. His bum leg drug pitifully along the ground slightly as he used his good one to push himself up.

His wings flared out instinctively to help him keep his balance as he rose. But once settled he folded them back down again.

He now appraised Drake, even he had grown some during his absence, he had no clue what had gone on since his disappearance but for everyone to be so bulked up ... and fighting .... it must not have been good. "It's good to be home Drake" although his eyes were hidden the smile he wore came out in his voice.

He lowered his head to hang it over Mista's back for a moment and sighed softly, content, but there was finished business to be done so he lifted it again.

"I feel we all have much to share ... shall we retreat to privacy?"

She smiled brightly at the n** that was given upon her snout, loving the affection he gave her even if it was just a simple n**. She had thought she would never feel such an emotion, rush of feeling, ever again in her lifetime. Her mind had thought he was dead, and convinced her heart of such a thing as well.

Flicking her tail slightly, she felt the weight he laid across her body, gently nuzzling his neck with her snout, careful of not causing harm to her Knight. She heard the smile Markus gave their son, and she smiled slightly as well, and with her wings raised, incase another spill, she begun to lead him back toward the glade.

Shade had join in the leading, obviously wanting to be close to her son, walking along Markus' left, Mare not so far behind. The whole family circled around Markus as they began to walk.

~~~

As he was appraised by his father, he felt like a bug under a magnifying class, awaiting the sun beam to get burnt by. But words did not come, either way, he nodded to his father at his words, a smile curling along his scarred face.

His damaged eye was away from his father, so he did not spot Allura with his eye, but something clicked within his head. She was close, instinct told him so. As his family began to walk toward the glade, he turned and flexed his sparkling wings.

"Allura, Will you join us?" He murmured, still not seeing the mare with his eye but he could scent her now.

He shambled along towards the entrance to the woods, during their walk he pointedly asked Shade, mare and Constantine about Cacille. He needed to know why she had appeared the way she did ... what was happening. But none of them could give him a reason as to her sudden demented.

It worried him, what had set his daughter off there was so few things that could make her angry ... what could it be that had driven her into Ernsta's grasp.

Markus paused in his shambling walk as the mare approached and slowly turned to face her beaming. "Hello All...." his beaming smile fell away instantly replaced by shock. Oh dear gods what had Drake done ... did he not know how Cacille felt about the armor passed down to her family, how much she prided herself in it being to family only? He was silently for a long time his breath halted in his body as his mind scrambled.

Then he was moving again in the direction he'd seen his daughter's leave, his leg not seeming to be a burden anymore as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He hand to find Cacille before she did something she would forever regret.