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There was a fabled place in the Horsemen Sanctuary, also known as the Sanctuary of the Lost Clans, where it is said fabled creatures of Halloween resided. In the most fabled place of all resided what was both called the guide of the Four Clans, and the Head Priestess to those who knew her by name. A wise and noble soul, she alone made all the decisions for her clan, to have them continue to prosper, function, and negotiate with the rest of Halloween Town.

She alone, now stood next to the pyre, holding two baskets in her arms. One had the contents she was currently scattering into the flames - flames which seemed they might burn upon contact but simply did nothing. The greatest secret of the pyre itself was its ability to create portals into other places in the world, other dimensions, it is even said.

And so Medea was, in theory, refuelling her fire, feeding it strange herbs and blossoms collected from various parts of Halloween. In her other arm, the other unopened basket began to wiggle a bit, and then squirm a little more.

"Shush," the Head Priestess suggested, tapping the wiggling basket lightly, "Not now. I have beautiful sweaters for you later."

The basket responded by barking and then making wet snuffing noises.

The flames in the pyre had turned a smoky deep violet, mixed with strange magenta hues. It was a combination that was rather rare, and often symbolized an auspicious event. Medea leaned even closer to inspect the odd tones of the flames. Could this be-

-"Head Priestess!" The tent burst open to reveal a Famine horsemen carrying two tied up War horsemen in a barrel. "We have a situation with-"

-Unfortunately, for someone who apparently knew everything, Medea was sure a little slow on the uptake as she jumped nearly a foot in the air, and dropped her basket. Into the pyre. There was a strange, pathetic squeal as the contents of the basket was sucked right into the pyre, which if anyone was you know, paying attention, would remember that it acted as a portal.

There was a pause.

"Oh *****."

At the word of an emergency, Tseng was there as quickly as he could be. Being a future hero, he had to be ready for all sorts of important tasks that the Clans needed to have done.

"I am here Honorable one!" he announced as he skidded on in. He had no idea what the problem was, but it mattered little.

He was ready and willing to do whatever it took to grant more glory for the horsemen!

Kiwi could not recall the last time he had seen the priestess standing before a purple flame. It was a bit odd, and even more suspicious. After all, purple was a color that also symbolized royalty, and if royal colors were being summoned, something important, and perhaps even a bit promiscuous was being summoned as well.

His fears were confirmed at the yelp. He approached the head priestess, rubbing his temple with a hand all the while hoping this would not end up like the Mr Fluffy Incident. "How may I be of assistance??"

That was when he noticed two of his fellow Famine brethren gathered around a barrel. And two all-too familiar faces, looking quite unhappy at their predicament. Kiwi glanced up to the two soldiers, and waved them aside with a purposeful flick his wrist, bangles rattling. "I've got this," he grinned, giving the barrel good thrust, so that it tumbled onto it's side, spilling out both Senga and Jay. Kiwi offered them both a hand and a wide smile. "Nice of you two to drop in."

She just had to have it.

Senga scowled as he was barrel rolled into Medea's encampment, less mortified by his predicament and more irritated at Jay for getting him into it. Struggling had proven to be futile early on; both of them had wedged themselves into small space, and now any jostling of limbs only made it even worse. The tips of his feathers stuck out from the barrel in a tawny flurry of color, and Senga jerked whenever the Famine clansmen rolled them over a particularly bumpy rock.

Still, whenever he got the chance, Senga jabbed one of his limbs into Jay's side in revenge. This was all her fault after all.

And then Kiwi took over, and everything got ten times worse.

"You've got wha - " Senga yelled when he was unceremoniously knocked out of the barrel, especially when the jabberjay landed on top of him with a thud. "Thank you, Kiwi. Your help is ever appreciated." He groaned from his spot on the ground, limbs splayed in all different directions. Unfortunately, his tone suggested that he was anything but.

Wriggling beneath Jay, Senga scowled. "You just had to have it." He accused in a long, drawling tone. Rocking his body back and forth until he gained enough momentum to swing Jay off of him and into the ground, the Executioner popped to his feet with a flutter of indignant wing flaps. And then, in a sudden flash of vengeance, Senga nudged the barrel over and gave it a sharp kick, just enough so that it tipped back upwards and its opening landed -- right on Jay's head.

She'd wanted it, after all.

Jay didn’t want to talk about how she had ended up stuck in a barrel in Senga. She really didn’t.

Okay. No. She actually did. Sea green eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at the wolf horseman. He just had to get in her way. They just had to think the same thing. Just had to happen meet up at the same spot during that game of hide and seek just as Ying came waltzing by. What were the chances of that? Her wings would’ve fluffed out at Kiwi’s arrival, but her current predicament of being stuck in a barrel made that slightly difficult.

“Shut up,” she hissed under her breath as she angrily knocked the back of her head against Senga’s. “Maybe you shouldn’t have jumped into that barrel just as I was—“ She let out an indignant squawk when she tumbled out of the barrel. Jay groaned, but happily stretched out her wings. Freedom at last! She contently lay sprawled on top of Senga as she hummed. “So what about it? I thought I was the brat in this trio,” she remarked dryly before finally getting to her feet.

As she glanced at Iyari and waved, she never saw the barrel coming. She let out an even louder squawk when wood crashed against her skull. Irate twittering echoed inside the container as she took it off and roughly tossed it at Senga. “I thought you were supposed to be more mature than me, doofus.”

Then she finally looked at Shikoba. No words came out of her mouth, but her expression conveyed enough, Yeah what?

Iyari felt the slap of her palm against her own forehead with a low groan at the sight of the two squabbling horseman in the barrel. It couldn't have been two unknown to her, no, it had be them. There were no words for it and she couldn't even bring herself to say anything aside from shaking her head slowly, letting her hand slide down over her face.

I don't even... The thought trailed off as she avoided gazing at the two to send a small smile in the way of Shikoba. "Yes, it has been." She said, a little louder than probably should have but trying to ignore the squabbling of the other two, kind of sidestepping closer to the Executioner in hopes she hadn't really been quite noticed yet. "Too long, I think?" Her smile was a somewhat pained one as her eyes noticed them again...

...And a looming object flying at them. It was an unamused scowl and she stepped back with a glare to her younger brother.

This should be a show. She thought with another sigh.

Bastion did not realize that the urgent message had been sent to all the other clans, as well. He stood from his crouch, feeling suddenly out of place with the multitude of loud, social, friendly horsemen that cantered about. He'd been a hermit for too long, he wagered. He'd grown detached from his kind. And now, standing in the presence of so many and yet somehow managing to still feel alone, he paid the price.

It wasn't shyness or ineptitude that kept him from joining in the antics of the other horsemen. It was his fault he knew none of them. He'd done this to himself. He deserved this moment of unwanted solitude.

He shuffled one foot underneath him, and waited impatiently to hear news of why they'd been called together. And he tried, as hard as he could, to not look like a wallflower.

Shaheen didn't actually know that there was anything of importance going on. She had just followed a commotion, attracted to it like a bear to honey. When she arrived, however, she had hung back, just a silent observer in what was becoming a large group of horsemen from all of the various clans. It made her uneasy, for some reason, being around so many in one place. It made her skin crawl, and she began rubbing her arms from beneath her cloak, fingers trailing over the grey fissures etched into her skin that she had hidden away. She knew that it was silly, that almost every single face in the crowd was a familiar one, most of them even good friends of the chieftains....

So, she took a deep breath, and joined them, weaving through the crowd, avoiding the chaos concerning Jay and Senga lodged in a bucket, and came to stand near Lifen and Kiwi, eyes flickering towards the pair and a small smile curling up her lips as she pushed her hood back and let it rest on her shoulders.

"Hello." She said, simply, glad to see the other two even if every fiber of her being was telling her to get out of this place now, to find somewhere that she could be alone, away from all of these people, this danger. She ignored it, however, just as she ignored the whispers slithering through her mind. She turned to watch the miniature events unfolding after a fleeting and mildly suspicious look towards Medea, wondering at how not that long ago she would have likely thrown herself into the fray, though now, with dark circles under her eyes, she likely appeared too worn out and tired to even consider it.

Didn't stop her from snickering from behind a raised hand when the barrel was sent toppling towards Shikoba. It was karma, he probably deserved it. Still, Senga was acting a fool, and the temptation was too great.

A grey tainted hand slipped into a pocket in her cloak, and the war chieftain pulled out a small rock, which she sent whizzing through the air towards the smaller executioner, Senga.

If he looked towards her afterwards, she would give him the most blankly innocent face she could muster.