Meanwhile deep in the Elderridge Moorlands, an injured and exhausted changeling collapses upon entering the great hall of the unseely fae
The queen comes running to an injured Sharp Claw who seems to be phasing between his changeling and crow forms uncontrollably.
“My beautiful Sharp Claw.! Tell me what has become of you, And where is Jack?” inquires the Unseely Queen with a troubled look upon her brow.
“The ponies… The ponies did this. They set a trap. They are devils…” replies Sharp Claw through labored breathing.
“What of Jack, Sharp Claw? What has become of our highwayman? Asks the Queen once more.
“Damn the fool coney!” chokes Sharp Claw through the pain of his uncontrolled phasing. “The ponies captured him. For certain they would have slaughtered the coney by now. Magic they have. Their lands are fae and gods blessed. Their Queen has the blood of Longridge.”
“What… who are these ponies you are referring to?” asks the Queen with a growing expression of anger and irritation.
Sharp Claw manages to say only one word before he collapses for sheer exhaustion. “Centaurians.”
The Unseely Fae Queen’s eyes begin to go the color of fire, as she boils over with anger.
“THISTLEWICK, NIGHTSHAYDE!”
Two dark fae enter the Queen’s hall with much haste. By the look of them, they are obviously twins. Thistlewick is the broader of the two. He has a true warrior’s build, yet still has regal nobility in his bearing. His twin sister Nightshayde, though bearing the same regal nobility, has a distinctly darker magical aura about her.
“Yes, my Queen, by your summons!” respondes Thistlewick.
“By your command, I come!” adds Nightshayde.
“ASSEMBLE THE COURT TO ME AT ONCE! AND MAKE HASTE!” shouts an infuriated Queen.
“At once your majesty!” the twins reply in unison before bowing and turning and exiting the hall quick as leaves on the wind.
An hour later, the unseely court convenes in the hall of the Queen. Each member looks at each other nervously as they all notice the obvious angry demeanor of their ruler. The Queen sits upon her thorned throne with a harsh steely gaze upon her face adding to the agitation and nervous apprehension of the hall. At last the queen addresses the court giving reason to their summons.
“We have been wronged, my beautiful children. A great asset to our ranks has been taken from us while another lies helpless due to the injuries that he has suffered. These Centaurians… These… ponies! These fiends that are ruled by a descendant of Longridge have taken our highwayman from us. None of you have not lavished in the bounty that Jack has brought to our lands, and now he is DEAD! KILLED BY THE CENTAURIANS! This I say to you now. This slight upon us shall not go unanswered. Go now all of you and prepare. We will march on Centauria. It shall take us nigh on a month to reach that accursed land, and when we arrive, we will instill the darkest of fears upon them before the sun sets upon them forever, TO WAR!”
The hall erupts in thunderous cheers and battle cries at the Queen’s final words.
The unseely fae are going to war.