Lightdrop slid out from his hiding spot, followed by Twilightdawn. Moments later the pair was joined by the other members of the patrol. It had been several hours since they had witnessed the sudden end of Bluestone, but they all were still looking distraught to one degree or another.

Ravenstrike had left shortly after he had done the deed, but no one had wanted to risk coming out until there was at least some certainty that they would be difficult to spot. And now that it was dark and there had been no sign of the black stallion since he had left, it was time to reemerged, and figure out their next steps.

But no one seemed to want to say anything at first. Bluestone had been Oakblaze's right wing steed, and now that both of them were gone the little patrol had no clear leader. After an almost agonizing silence, Orchidfeather spoke up, "We need to keep going." she said, "This only affirms what I've been saying all along; Anok is no longer safe."

"Oh shut it." snapped Twilightdawn.

"Well I don't hear you saying anything." shot back Orchidfeather.

This was then followed by another long silence, but it was again broken, this time by Copperstrorm, "I wanna stay. Here. In Anok. I wanna fight." the chestnut's eyes were burning with a new fire.

"What?" said Orchidfeather, clearly confused.

"I agree." said Cliffstone, he slammed a hoof against the ground "We can't let Ravenstrike get away with this. We owe it to Oakblaze. And Bluestone. And the whole of Stone Herd."

Orchidfeather pinned her ears, "Have you lost your minds? You'll end up just like the pegasi you're trying to avenge. Dead. Leaving is the only way."

"They aren't dead yet." nickered Copperstorm, aggressively, "You saw them yourself, Stone Herd is still alive and breathing."

"If you can call that living." snorted Orchidfeather. The palomino mare looked thoroughly agitated.

"Lightdrop said there's a way to save them!" Copperstrom whorled to face the buckskin yearling, "Isn't that right?

"Y-yes." stammered Lightdrop, then suddenly felt a wave of courage. He stepped closer to the quarreling steeds, and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look bigger. "All we have to do is find the stone that takes away Ravenstrike's abilities."

"See? Easy pizy!" said Copperstorm, "Who's in favor of staying?" Everyone other than Orchidfeather chimed in with a chorus of agreement.

"Hold on! You can't do that!" protested the purple winged mare.

"We just did." said Cliffstone, looking triumphant, then as if to add insult to injury, he added. "Also, I motion to make Lightdrop our leader."

"Wait, hold on," interjected Lightdrop, a taken aback by the groups new found enthusiasm, "I shouldn't be the leader, I don't have any experience!"

Twilightdawn snorted, "You may not have experience, but you've grown up your whole life watching Oakblaze -- one of the most experienced leader in Stone Herd. You're probably the most qualified of all of us." said the mare, pointedly, "Besides, you're the only one who knows anything about this stone we're looking for. I will second the motion."

"Looks like we've appointed a new leader." agreed Copperstorm, nodding towards Lightdrop.

The other's confident in him reassured Lightdrop. "I guess I can try my best." he said, trying not to look to nervous.

"Great!" said Cliffstone, tossing his mane and casting a side long glance at Orchidfeather.

"Land horses." spat the mare, clearly not happy about the decision to elect the youngest member of the group to lead them.

"So what now?" asked Copperstorm.

"I-I don't know." admitted Lightdrop, desperately looking around the clearing for anything that would give him an answer to the question. Suddenly, a single gray feather floating in the wind caught his attention, and Lightdrop knew what to do.

"It's to dark to move on right now," the yearling reasoned allowed, "And besides, it seems wrong to leave this place without doing something for Bluestone. I think that we should at least build a memorial or something."

The others nodded in agreement -- which marked the first time no one had put up a fight about doing something since they had left Stone Herd's grazing lands. Solemnly, they all began to gather stones and clumps of mud from the surrounding area and piling them up a little ways from the clearing. They chose this location because, as Copperstorm reasoned, if they built the memorial in the place where Bluestone had been struck down, there was a chance that Ravenstrike would find it, then any hope they had of defeating the stallion would be gone.

Slowly, little by little, a small tower was formed. It resembled the tower known as Bumblewind's memorial that was located in Crabwing's bay which was erected as a remembrance of when Nightwing the Destroyer was defeated by Starwing the Healer. That had been in ancient times, however now, that story gave encouragement to the remnant of Stone Herd.

Once the tower had reached about knee height from the ground, Lightdrop called for his team to halt their work. Then carefully, the yearling placed Bluestone's last remining feather atop the memorial, and put a stone bluish in color over it to secure it in place. "Fly straight and find your rest." he said.

"Fly straight and find your rest." repeated the others.

After this, everyone fell silent, and just looked at the small memorial. The mood in the air was one of pure determination as an unsaid oath was shared between the steeds -- Bluestone will not die in vein. Even Orchidfeather seemed to have a change of heart as the fierce fire of revenge began to burn in her eyes.

Soon they would began their quest to undo the wrong.

Lightdrop- buckskin yearling colt, black mane and tail, white stripe, bright yellow wings

Twilightdawn- chestnut mare, chestnut mane and tail, one hind white sock, thin blaze, pink wings streaked with brown

Bluestone- blue roan stallion, black mane and tail, small circular star, gray and black wings

Ravenstrike- black stallion, black mane and tail, one hind white sock, star and snip, blue eyes, black wings

Orchidfeather- light palomino mare, white mane and tail large star, bright purple wings

Copperstorm- chestnut stallion, chestnut mane and tail, three white socks, navy wings

Cliffstone- brown stallion, brown mane and tail, gray wings