“I told you!” Purple Heart snapped for the thousandth time at the collection of daemon-ponies trailing after him as he stalked through the underground tunnels, “I’m NOT taking over as Master Daemon-whatever!”
“But you are the First!” Navee cried. “It is your destiny to lead the Daemon Cult of Bael to glory!”
“If I had a destiny, I’m pretty certain it isn’t that. It’d be much more mundane!” the purple earth pony called over his shoulder. “Besides, I have no intention of staying here any longer than I have to! I have places to go, things to do, daemon-ponies to punch!”
“Do you have any solid reasons for not staying? Are we that horrible a group of daemon-ponies? We will follow your every command, Master First,” Navee wheedled. Purple Heart stopped at a crossroad where several tunnels met. He sighed, rubbing a hoof across his face before turning around to face the tenacious blue pegasus and the impromptu retinue behind her.
“There happens to be a veritable carpload of reasons for why I don’t want to stay here and run things,” Purple Heart grimaced. “Prime among them is the presence of paperwork.” Navee and the retinue blinked and cocked their heads to the left in confusion.
“Paperwork?” Navee asked.
“Yes,” the purple barbarian explained. “The bane of all leaders, be them village chiefs or conglomerate heads or imperial stewards.”
“We don’t have paperwork,” Navee said primly. Purple Heart blinked.
“Say what?”
“No paperwork,” Navee reiterated. “The only paperwork we use is for messages and scrolls for orders.” Sometimes… she thought. Maybe he won’t notice...
“Huh,” Purple Heart grunted. “Okay, point for you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stay and run this cult!”
“Not a cult!” a pony from behind Navee called.
“What are you then?!”
“A non-profit organization hoping to better ponykind?”
“...You almost had me believing that for a second there, but that aside, you’re missing the point!” Purple Heart sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. “I have previous engagements far away from here. I can’t run this place AND be elsewhere at the same time! Besides, there’s the small fact that Bael is my EN-EM-Y.” He chopped the final word up, enunciating it as clearly as possible as to get the daemon-ponies to understand his meaning. “I haven’t the bloody foggiest idea why he’s so interested in me and I doubt it’s because he bats for the other team.”
The crossroads of tunnels was silent for several seconds as the daemon-ponies absorbed this new factoid.
“Lord Bael is out to kill the First, the Progenitor?” one of the daemon-ponies whispered.
“Should we be loyal to the First, or the one who gave us this gift?” another asked.
“Why does Lord Bael wish death upon the First?” more questioned.
“Navee?” they all said finally. “What should we do?”
The blue pegasus didn’t respond. She was looking at Purple Heart, her eyes seeking truth in the purple earth pony’s own cobalt orbs. Seconds passed, during which Navee continued to stare into Purple Heart’s eyes as the daemon-ponies around the pair shifted uncomfortably at the tension-filled air.
“How about a compromise?” the blue pegasus offered finally. “You become Master of the Daemons but take control as a field commander. You’ll receive reports and give out orders from abroad while we act upon your will.”
“And how do you propose I receive these reports and issue these orders?” Purple Heart asked. “Unless you possess some sort of telepathic connection with me.”
Navee shook her head. “We don’t have a connection like that. None of us do, not to each other or to Bael,” she explained. “I’ll travel with you as your advisor in fairy form.”
Purple Heart blinked.
“Fairy form?” he echoed. “What, pray tell, is your fairy form?” Without a word, Navee closed her eyes and a soft green sheen enveloped her form. She began to shrink, slowly at first, then with greater speed until she was roughly the size of an apple, simply hovering there in front of Purple Heart.
“I’ll be your fairy companion,” Navee squeaked, her voice several octaves higher than it was prior to her bout of self-inflicted shrinking. “I’m small, barely noticeable, and I’ll have the chance to fly around the world and see everything!”
Aside from the blue glow, she’s just like that moth. I hope she isn’t as annoying, Purple Heart mused to himself. But I have to admit, having a secret organization at my call would definitely be helpful in the coming weeks, particularly if I have to gather information or need a helping hoof. The pros outweigh the cons… I just hope the paperwork is kept to a minimum.
“I won’t have to deal with any paperwork at all?” he asked out loud. Navee nodded. Purple Heart twisted his lips to one side, mulling over his thoughts. Eventually, he reached his decision.
Looking at the group of daemon-ponies before him, he narrowed his eyes and deepened his voice, giving it a commanding quality.
“Assemble the rest of the organization to me,” he ordered, looking at Navee. “I have a speech to make to you all.”
The blue pegasus nodded, swelling to her original size. “What about those who are on patrol or scouting?”
“Pass my words to them when they return,” Purple Heart said. He turned to one of the daemon-ponies behind Navee. “Take me to a chamber big enough to hold the entire organization. The rest of you: help Navee gather the other members for my address.” Several of the daemon-ponies saluted while others inclined their heads before they all disappeared into the tunnels, save the one Purple Heart had ordered to direct him to the conference chamber.
It took ten minutes for those daemon-ponies present in the tunnel network to arrive in the impromptu conference room Purple Heart commandeered for the purpose of addressing his soon-to-be subordinates.
He stood on a slight rise, allowing him to look out at the assembled daemon-ponies. All of them were murmuring to each other in hushed voices, waiting for the purple earth pony to begin speaking. With a deep inhale followed by an exhale, Purple Heart stepped forward. Instantly, all conversations ceased as scores of vibrant emerald green eyes stared up at him. Taking another deep breath, Purple Heart hoped his charisma stat was enough to convince them of his ideals and intentions.
“My name is Purple Heart,” he began. “I am an adventurer. Some of you have never opened chardonnay under fire! Some of you know me as the Purple Barbarian, Champion of the Gallopilli Coliseum. I am fairly certain that most, if not all of you, know that the Emerald Seed failed to change me into a daemon-pony.” Whispers broke out across the assembled audience. Purple Heart cleared his throat in a means of regaining their attention. Once he had achieved silence again, he continued. “The reason behind my immunity to the effects of the Emerald Seed is fairly simple, if a little hard to believe: the Lord Bael you speak of and worship was derived from my being.” Chattering and cries of disbelief and surprise swept through the chamber. Groaning in exasperation, Purple Heart waited for several seconds for the outburst to die down.
It didn’t.
Feeling mildly put out at being ignored, Purple Heart stood on his hind legs, leaned his body to the right at a rough forty-five degree angle, and clapped his forelegs together lengthwise.
“SOOOOOOOOPEEEEER~!”
All conversations, subdued or otherwise, ceased abruptly as the daemon-ponies blinked and looked up at Purple Heart in confusion and surprise. Dropping down back to all four hooves, Purple Heart nodded. “Good. That ridiculous antic got your attention. Now, pay attention, you’re going to have to tell those who aren’t here what I say. Ignore the Taunt though. That was just to get your attention. Good thing it worked too, else-”
“Master,” Navee nudged Purple Heart.
“Hm?”
“You’re rambling.”
“Ah. Arigatou.”
“Pardon?”
“Thank you.”
“Oh. You’re welcome. Continue please.”
Purple Heart inclined his head to the daemon-pony fairy transformer. He turned back to gaze out at the audience. Inhaling, he spoke.
“As I am the Progenitor, the First of the Emerald Seed, I shall be taking control as Master of this organization,” Purple Heart declared. “Any objections?” Silence. The faces of the daemon-ponies were either acceptance of Purple Heart’s claim or interest.
Shiny,” the purple earth pony said. “Now, as long as I am Master of this organization, I expect the utmost effort and devotion from you. We have to work together to be a cohesive group of individuals working towards a common goal.”
“What is the goal of our organization?” one of the numerous daemon-ponies called out. Purple Heart considered the question before he answered it.
“Bael is a being of immense power and is not to be trifled with,” he said. “As he is out for my head, we can only defend ourselves against him and fight back. Our primary purpose as of now is to bring about the destruction of Bael and any of his affiliates or allies.” He paused, pondering what to say next. “I want all of you to know this: I will not abide treachery or betrayal. If you try to warn Bael of our goings on, there will be retribution and punishment. You are loyal to either Bael or me. Got it?” In mass harmony, the daemon-ponies nodded their understanding.
“What will we be called?” one of them piped up.
“The Emerald Legion,” Purple Heart said immediately. “You will be known for the mark of the Emerald Eye wreathed in flames of cobalt fire.”
“Hail Purple Heart! Master of the Emerald Legion!” Navee cried.
“Hail the Progenitor!”
“Hail Purple Heart!”
“Hail the Emerald Legion!”
As Purple Heart stepped down from the dais, a small Discord-like voice spoke in his ear, unnoticed by everypony else save the Purple Barbarian.
“Purple Heart has now unlocked the ‘Primarch’ Prestige Class.”
The newly minted Primarch of the Emerald Legion blinked before facehoofing.
“Oh noes.”
* * *
“Anything else you want to drop on me?” Purple Heart sighed, having spent the last quarter hour in the company of the Legion’s quartermaster, a slight pegasus with a dark bronze coat and wings.
“Take this, Sir,” the quartermaster offered, holding out a small leather bound book. “It will allow the transference of orders and reports between you and your captains.”
“Enchanted?” Purple Heart asked, taking the small journal.
“Yes,” the quartermaster confirmed. “One of the earlier candidates brought it with them before perishing upon being exposed to the Seed.” Purple Heart arched an eyebrow as he slid the journal into his pack.
“Ho?” he hummed. “How so? Is there specific criteria to surviving exposure?”
“Unicorns can’t handle the magic,” the bronze pegasus explained. “Only one kind of magic can inhabit a unicorn’s body and what usually happens is the two different magicks fight over the container. Every single unicorn candidate has died as a result of magical incompatibility.”
“Huh,” the Purple Barbarian grunted. “Interesting. That’s why you didn’t capture Tinker Tempest: he was a unicorn. So the candidate either accepts the magical change or dies.”
“Or in your case, you are immune to it,” the quartermaster pointed out.
“True,” Purple Heart agreed. “Welp, thank you. Keep up with the good work, quartermaster.”
“Thank you, Sir,” the bronze pegasus inclined his head to the Master of the Green Legion as the purple earth pony departed the cavern chamber.
“All ready to go?” Navee asked, falling in step beside Purple Heart.
“Eeyup,” he confirmed, trotting through the tunnels. “Let’s go. I’ve given out my first round of orders and arranged several intelligence gathering missions in the north eastern sector of Roania. Do you have anything to report?”
Navee nodded, fluttering behind Purple Heart as the newly made partners left through the Lower Gate. “A patrol came back shortly after your claiming of the title of Master. They said that strange activities have begun popping up around the town of Ade. Ponies are disappearing and animals are becoming sick with a disease that seems to possess their body before killing them.”
Purple Heart arched an eyebrow, coming to a stop to consider the pegasus’ words. “I’m guessing their sickness wasn’t caused by exposure to the Emerald Seed?” he inquired. Navee shook her head, stopping to hover beside the purple earth pony.
“The Emerald Seed doesn’t go out of its way to kill potential candidates,” the cyan pegasus explained. “In the case of ponies, only unicorns die from exposure. In the case of animals, they would just become obedient to the Master.”
“Aha,” Purple Heart grunted, resuming his walk through the tunnel. “So the Boar God knockoff I saw earlier wasn’t caused by the Seed. Interesting...” He fell silent as the duo exited the tunnel system and made their way through the forest towards the main beaten path. “Which way is the village of Mistakwe?” Purple Heart looked over at Navee, his eyes questioning.
“East,” the cyan pegasus replied, pointing to their left. “Why do we need to go to Mistakwe?”
“Before I was taken whilst asleep,” he glared briefly at Navee, who had the decency to blush shamefully, “I was on my way to Mistakwe for two reasons. One was to get this old thing appraised.” He stopped and reached into his pack to pull out a gauntlet. “I can’t wear it and I want to know why.”
“What happened when you try to put it on?” Navee asked curiously.
“It...rejected my hoof and shot through a tree or thirty,” the purple barbarian explained. At Navee’s unimpressed look, he sighed. “The trees were thirty paces away. It was a shockwave that sent them crashing down.” At that, the cyan pegasus’ eyes widened.
“Oh,” she mumbled. “Powerful.”
“Indeed,” Purple Heart commented. “Hopefully, an appraiser or blacksmith in Mistakwe will tell me what’s wrong with it.”
“And the other reason?” Navee prompted.
“I’m under orders from the new Queen of Gallopilli to find out why her couriers haven’t been returning from Mistakwe,” Purple Heart said. “I honestly have no idea why they aren’t responding. I just hope it isn’t too troublesome. Knowing my luck, Discord will make it highly aggravating to deal with, just for carp and giggles.” Navee snickered at the purple earth pony’s irritated tone.
“We’re actually pretty close to Mistakwe,” Navee mentioned. “Just about ten minutes of walking from the Lower Gate.”
“Shiny,” Purple Heart hummed. “I thought this would take longer. It’s great that we’ll be there so soon.”
Navee smirked.
“If you like,” she purred evilly, “we could take the long way.” The cyan pegasus tried to stifle her laughter upon seeing Purple Heart’s deadpan look when he turned his head to regard her.
“No thank you,” he said flatly, his voice dull. “We have much to do. Haste is required.”
“Keep your mane on then,” Navee retorted, still smirking. “We’ll get there in time.
When Purple Heart and Navee crested a hill some odd minutes later, the first thing they saw of the village of Mistakwe was a large earthen wall towering high above them. The two ponies blinked at the massive construct, slightly put off at its existence.
“Either they are under attack from some devilishly terrifying creature,” Purple Heart mused as they walked and flapped towards the wall, “or somepony is very paranoid.”
“Which would you prefer?” Navee asked.
“Devilishly terrifying creature of elephantine proportions,” the purple barbarian replied. “That’d be easier to deal with.”
“Wouldn’t one big one be more devastating?”
“I’m a member of the school of thought that believes in fighting one big enemy that you can see instead of a lot of small ones you can’t,” Purple Heart responded. “Sure, I’ll probably die from becoming 'Fine Paste a la Purple Heart', but at least I won’t be torn apart by a bunch of army ants.”
“Ah,” Navee grunted. “That makes sense.”
“I’m glad it does,” Purple Heart sighed, stopping at the edge of the moat surrounding the wall. The head of a pony peaked up from behind that wall’s crenelations, eyes wide with paranoia and fear.
“W-who goes there?!” a weak voice squeaked. “Friend or foe?!”
“What does being a foe entail?” Purple Heart called up.
“Are you one of them?”
The purple earth pony and cyan pegasus blinked in confusion.
“Them?” Navee echoed. “Who is them?”
“The r-r-rabbits!” the watchpony stuttered.
...What the duck? Is he serious?
“Um...” Navee humed. “No? We’re just travellers. We don’t know what you mean by rabbits. My friend here is looking for a blacksmith.”
“S-stay there!” the quivering watchpony ordered weakly before disappearing below the crenellations.
“What was that all about?” Navee wondered.
“The ton of devilishly terrifying enemies too small to keep track of,” Purple Heart grumbled. “I have an inkling of an idea why the rabbits aren’t too pleased with this city and it’s not because they got fed up with Rabbit Season.” Navee cocked her head to one side, frowning.
“I thought it was Duck Season,” she mused..
Purple Heart’s face went blank again as he stared at the cyan pegasus.
“Don’t you even start,” he said, voice once again flat.
Navee was saved from responding by the creaking of the wooden gate as it swung down to form a bridge across the moat. A score of wary ponies walked out onto the drawbridge, half of them casting panicked looks around the area as if waiting for something awful to happen. One of them, a stalwart, male pegasus with a mane tail the color of wheat, stepped closer to Navee and Purple Heart. Twin swords hung from his flank, ringing whenever it knocked against his steel rig. His coffee brown flank was stamped with a cutie mark of crossed broadswords upon a pair of wings.
“I am Air Win, captain of the Gallopilli Scout Force,” the pegasus greeted. “Who are you strangers who come to the village of Mistakwe?” Steel grey eyes narrowed at the ponies before him. Purple Heart swallowed, wetting his tongue before speaking.
“My name is Purple Heart and this is my companion, Navee,” he introduced himself. “I’m here for two reasons, the first being on orders from the new Queen of Gallopilli.” He paused as the ponies all stared at him. Good, he thought. That got their attention.
“What does the Queen wish of us?” the pegasus inquired.
“She wants to know why you haven’t responded to her messengers,” Purple Heart explained, pulled a missive from his pack to give to the captain. Lucky for him, he’d been the one carrying it when his two comrades ‘departed’ on their own little side side quests.
“That is easily answered,” Air Win said. “I have been requisitioning ponies to help construct the fortifications to protect the village of Mistakwe.”
“From rabbits?” Navee chimed. The coffee brown pegasus nodded.
“It started a month ago when the Long Hare Tribe returned to the forests surrounding Mistakwe,” Air Win explained. “They suddenly started attacking anypony outside the village as well as any travellers. Before long, more rabbit tribes had joined them and they all have kept us bottled up in the village, starving us out. Why? We don’t know. Anytime we’d see one, we would try to communicate. That didn’t last long.”
“Huh...” Purple Heart grunted, brow furrowed. He then muttered under his breath, “Sie sind das essen und wir sind die rabbits.”
“Pardon?” Air Win asked in confusion.
“Hm? Oh, nothing,” Purple Heart replied. “Just thinking. Is the return of the tribes an annual thing?”
Air Win shook his head. “The tribes return every decade. Something about this spot of forest keeps drawing them back.”
“Well, that makes sense,” Navee snorted. The two colts looked at her in confusion.
“What?” they said.
“Seriously?” she snorted. “Does anypony read history these days?” She rolled her eyes and groaned as the group of ponies shook their heads in the negative.
“Care to enlighten us please?” Purple Heart implored. Navee sighed, but nodded in acquiescence.
“Every decade,” the cyan pegasus began, “the Rabbit Tribes return here after spreading out across the continent, propagating, learning, doing whatever they do. They always come back here so that the Tribe Heads can convene the Bunnglen.”
“The Bunnglen?”
“It’s something like a debate between the Tribe Heads,” Navee explained. “They discuss what happened in the past decade to their Tribes since the last Bunnglen, they talk about knowledge learned, the size of their Tribes, and other stuff.” She looked at Air Win, her gaze hard. “They always assemble in a hidden glen. It’s sacred ground for them. So, logic dictates that-” Air Win blanched.
“-that somepony built on or defiled that sacred ground,” Purple Heart mused. “Huh. Makes sense.” He looked at Air Win. “How about this: I help stop the Hare Tribes from attacking Mistakwe and in return, you respond to the Queen’s questions and get me an appointment with your local blacksmith and magic aficionado. Deal?” Air Win didn’t even consider the terms. He had stopped listening after Purple Heart had said he’d stop the accursed leporidae. The coffee brown pegasus stepped forward and held out his hoof.
“Deal.”
“Shiny,” Purple Heart grinned, clopping his hoof against Air Win’s. “Tell me about the recent developments around Mistakwe.”
* * *
“Anything of import?” Purple Heart asked as Navee landed beside him on the ramparts of the wall surrounding Mistakwe. The cyan pegasus had been flying around above the forest looking for a somewhat secluded clearing with a stream bisecting it. That was where the Bunnglen always assembled. Or would have, had it not been either torched by the fires of industry or built upon.
“I saw five points of interest that have been ‘taken over’ by development or building from Mistakwe,” Navee said. “All of them have or had a creek bisecting them. Two clearings are now mills, one is a barracks, two more are farms, and the last is barren, presumably the place where the Scout Force does their drills.”
“Blast,” the purple earth pony cursed, stomping a hoof against the stones of the ramparts in frustration. “I guess the only way we’ll be able to find out which clearing is used for the Bunnglen is for us to go to the Hares directly.”
“That is what I feared,” Air Win sighed as he and two of his lieutenants flew up to hover beside the two companions. “I am not versed in diplomacy. Since I didn’t want to risk sending ponies away for fear of losing bodies for fortifying, I am resigned to waiting for the Queen to send an Ambassador with an honor guard.”
“Welp, we can’t wait,” Purple Heart retorted. “Assemble a small group of ponies you trust that won’t antagonize these Hares.”
One of Air Win’s lieutenants, a red pegasus with a flamboyant iron grey mane and tail, scoffed. “They’re rabbits. What can a pack of long ears do to us?”
Purple Heart’s glare made the brash lieutenant wince and draw in on himself.
“Hares,” Purple Heart stressed the word as if it were a title, “are not to be underestimated. They seem to be furious with you and your village for obvious reasons: you’ve trespassed on ground sacred to them. Be grateful they haven’t called upon a badger to lead them.”
The red lieutenant opened his mouth to snarl back but was cowed by Air Win’s added glare.
“Wren, return to the barracks,” the Scout Force Captain ordered, his tone hard and unyielding. Wren was seething inside, but obeyed his superior. The four ponies watched the hot-blooded pegasus fly back to the barracks. With a sigh, Air Win turned back to Purple Heart.
“This is all, I believe,” he said, a smile touching his lips. Nodding, Purple Heart descended from the ramparts, the three pegasi following him. The main gate to the village opened, allowing the quartet to depart before shutting heavily.
“Once more unto the breach,” Purple Heart muttered as they entered the forest. “So, how do we find where the Tribes are camping?”
“Luckily for us, Mistakwe didn’t expand far enough to encroach on the Long Ear Tribe’s territory,” Navee commented. “We should be encountering some of their runners soon.”
“Patrols?”
Navee nodded in confirmation.
“Are there any formal greetings the Hares use?” Air Win asked.
Navee shook her head. “The Hares are blunt about their dealings. They don’t stand on ceremony and frown at pomp and circumstance. That’s probably why Roania has never successfully made a treaty with them, apart from the one they signed when Roania was realized as a sovereign nation.”
“Let me guess,” Purple Heart wondered. “It allows the Hare Tribes to convene their Bunnglen every ten years in the same spot?”
“Got it in one,” Navee congratulated. “All the posturing and back room schemes the nobles of Roania love so much are downright rude in the eyes of the Hares.”
“Unwanted trespassing is rude too,” a gruff voice sneered from the underbrush. The four ponies came to a sudden halt, wary of their surroundings now.
“I think we’ve found one of their runners,” Purple Heart mused softly.
“No kidding,” Air Win hissed.
“We wish to meet your leader,” Navee declared, stepping forward. The brush rustled and a dozen hares stepped into the open. The tallest, a buck with a pelt colored burgundy red, came up to Purple Heart’s chest, sans ears. The four ponies assumed it was he who had first spoke.
“Why should we bring you into the presence of our Tribe Head?” the burgundy one asked in the same gruff voice.
Navee cast a swift look to the three stallions behind her, urging them to remain silent. She nodded when they backed off before returning to look at the buck. “We request an audience so that we may come to an agreement regarding the Bunnglen.”
The burgundy hare’s eyes narrowed, his nose twitching. Before he could respond, a spry grey hare hopped forward.
“So, ye want to meet the Top One, eh? Wot, wot?” the hare asked, its voice obviously male. “Well, follow along chaps! Don’t want to keep the Top waiting, wot, wot!” The grey hare turned to depart, but stopped when the burgundy leader snapped at him.
“Baz, I’m in command here!” he snarled. “The ponies aren’t welcome!”
“Too true, Fordsfoot, ol’ bean!” Baz replied cheerily. “But this sweet belle asked politely and with respect! I can count how many ponies we’ve come across like that with my right foot! Wot, wot!”
“Um, excuse me?” Navee intervened. “May we please see your Tribe Head? This conflict isn’t doing either party any favors.”
“Quite right you are, dear lass,” Baz agreed. “Follow along, ponies. To the Temporary Hovel we go!” The four ponies looked at each other silently before following a bounding Baz deeper into the forest. Fordsfoor and the rest of the Runners trailed behind, wary of any actions that might occur from the ponies.
* * *
“Sah Crumshaw!” Baz belted out upon entering a modest clearing full of aged, yet well build hares seated at a crescent table of hardwood, “Cap’n Baz of the Long Hare Tribe, reportin’ to you, sah with ponies interested in a parlay!” The seated hares all blinked at the entering captain and his escorted companions. One of the hares stood, pepper grey mustache twitching, as he straightened his navy jacket before lifting a monocle to his right eye.
“So I noticed, Cap’n Baz,” the elder hare drawled. “What do these ponies want?” He spat the word ‘ponies’ as if it was a derogatory term he relished using. While Navee stepped forward to speak to the aged hare, Purple Heart’s mind was whirling.
The only explanation for walking, talking, fighting hares, he mused to himself, is Discord’s magic. That has to be the reason. Yeesh. I’d hate to see what a badger lord would be like. Knowing our luck though, Discord just might oblige. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his name being called.
“Huh?” he grunted eloquently. Navee sighed.
“Sah Crumshaw has just told us why he and the other Hare Tribes are sieging Mistakwe,” she told the purple earth pony.
“Ho?” Purple Heart hummed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Air Win’s face blanching, obviously from realization.
“From the Captain’s expression,” Purple Heart thought out loud, “the Bunnglen doesn’t take place in any of the surrounding clearings, does it?”
Sah Crumshaw shook his head, ears flopping from side to side. “Nay,” the elder hare responded. “It takes place where the settlement stands.”
“Mistakwe was built on the clearing where the Bunnglen is held,” Navee said.
Purple Heart sighed. “Bollocks,” he groaned. “This just got a whole lot more complicated.”