More people were showing up. They were coming slowly, but respectfully and diligently. I stayed at the back. I waited for familiar frames to come into view. I waited for something that was a comfort to curl in my brain. A couple more had come not too long after me. But, none were those which I was close to. My poor brain was tumbling around trying to understand how I could not have met so many of these winged creatures.

I shook my head once. I suppose it could have been easy, especially if they had been flying around instead of walking. But, the thought of not knowing them was starting to get sickening. I could feel my stomach tumble as I backed up another couple of steps. One mare asked where her mother was, where Kri was. The name should have rung a bell, but it didn't. After all, I hadn't even met one of the leaders here. I only recognized the voice of the mare who had asked, the one who had come right after Sohalia had given birth at the border.

Midas said that she had taken leave before a couple more appeared and took their place in the semi-circle around him. Yet again, I moved off to the back corner, not wanting to be so close to the wings should the equines suddenly have the desire to take off into the air. Midas' voice calls back out to the crowd again, and so my audits perk forward, carefully listening to what was going on. A welcome. An explanation of this Kri leaving, and what she had left with. A run-over of our ties. The Edge, and the Asylum. I stored the names in my brain for future reference as he explained the Basin was not to be traveled to. I was fine with that. I did not like the cold. I did not like the snow. I liked the water and all it had to offer - all of the memories of home. I dropped my head a little, feeling as he motioned toward a winged mare, calling her Shadow. Promoting her to Sleuth.

Again, no words spilled from my maw, just a simple bob of my head in her direction. I could feel the one-winged mare pull up beside a younger one, perhaps her child, I did not know. And, I could feel a few others shifting, but I did not hear any words. It was silent. I didn't really mind, not too much. But I was still uncomfortable. The wings still bothered me. The fact that any could fall - quite literally - into the meeting at any minute also put me on edge.

Would I ever learn how to understand the vibrations of the wind?