Murdock waited patiently, hardly noticing the time slip by as the sun rose for all the curious things around him with which he could entertain himself. He studied the lopsided spruce, the mist as it dispersed under the sun’s rosy gaze, the clouds that had begun to stretch overhead as they were tugged by the wind like cotton. This was such a beautiful place; he could hardly imagine how he had not come to find it sooner. Alone in the cool, shaded forest, he felt truly relaxed as he had not for many months. Finally, he had found somewhere he could be safe.

The distant echo of soft music pulled him from the depths of his mind and he turned his attention to the other side of the wall. The tune was clear and cheerful, unlike any sort of thing he had heard before or had imagined it possible to create. Emerging from the mist, he could see a painted mare break from the shadows, dense vapor spinning and twirling in her wake as she stepped through the hole in the glass to join him. He regarded her silently, his jaw hanging open perhaps the smallest bit as the Queen approached him with a warm smile.

She was as ordinary as any other creature in this land, but what struck him so was the array of trinkets she carried with her. Hanging from her mouth was a delicate glass basket, woven carefully and taking on the same rosy hue as the wall behind him. Lying within the basket and emitting the sweet tune along with which she had been humming, was a small tarnished box. He watched it for a moment, speechless in the silence that followed her greeting, until he found his manners once more.

He dipped his head politely to her, assuming that she must be a member of the Edge. “Good morning,” he replied softly, lifting his gaze to her welcoming smile and pale blue eyes. He was taken aback once more as he caught sight of the small scorpion perched upon her crown, its body moving as if it were alive though it was entirely made of metal. For a moment, he considered alerting her to the presence of the creature. Perhaps she had not noticed it there and would appreciate being informed of the insect on her brow. However, more likely than not, her slender ears had picked up its rhythmic whirring and clicking.

He lowered his gaze to meet hers, a broad smile returning to his face as he decided he quite liked this curious mare and her strange collection. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Murdock,” he dipped his chin, rosy light spilling across the curve of his neck as he lowered his head. She spoke once more and he listened with interest as she mentioned an island. He was unaware of this island she spoke of, but that was of little interest to him now. Fortunately, she was a member of the Edge, and most likely she could help him join their ranks.

He was unsure of how to request a position in the herd; it was not a question he had ever had to ask before. However, he decided to do away with his worries as wording had never been his strong point anyways. “I would like to join the Edge, if you would have me. This is a beautiful home you have here and I would like to contribute my abilities to your family,” he paused briefly, taking a deep breath and tasting the salt on the air. “I have been trained to fight my whole life and I hope I could be useful to you.” He smiled again at her, the music playing softly in the background as birds conversed in the gilded trees.

"talk talk talk"