Warmth seemed to fill the space around them as they came together on the snow, the sun bathing the steppe in fiery gold as it sunk toward the horizon. Despite the season and the ice and rime that surrounded them, Murdock did not take note of the chill that settled in his bones and turned his breath to a cloud of vapor. Everything else seemed to melt away; the bitter wind, the proximity of the Basin, the approach of darkness were all but forgotten as she breathed softly against his cheek, heat blossoming in his chest and setting his nerves alight.

He laughed softly as she spoke, leaning toward her to tousle her forelock with his lips, taking care to avoid the weapon she wore as a crown. “You needn’t worry,” he murmured softly, lowering his chin to look into her dark eyes. “No matter where you wander, I will always find you.” They were both restless creatures, curiosity guiding their feet to new lands and new adventures and that was exactly the reason he had promised to take her exploring. Like him, she had a thirst for travel and though they often travelled apart, their hearts would always guide them back together again.

As of late, however, Murdock had felt bound to the Edge. He had finally found a safe haven, a place to call home that he was satisfied with. His devotion and loyalty to his new herd knew no limits, as did his love for Chernobyl, but he had been reluctant to leave the lands until he had become completely settled. Finally, as the sun had reached its peak in the sky that day, he had slipped across their borders and returned to the snow and the mountains that he loved.

He leaned into her warmth as she pressed the length of her body against his, his gaze tracing the gilded edges of clouds that had settled just above the mountain tops. “I have been well,” he replied thoughtfully, recalling all that had transpired since her return. He had found happiness once more, finally, and a place to call home. However, there had been strange occurrences in the Edge and though he had not yet experienced such an event himself, it worried him. However, he decided he would not concern her with such news.

“Yes, I have joined the Edge now. I was tired of being alone. Their lands are much like my birthplace…I finally feel at home again,” he turned his head to look down at her, leaning into her touch as she pressed her muzzle into the hollow behind his cheekbone. He closed his eyes, lifting a wing to drape it across her snow-dusted back. “And what of your adventures? Tell me what you have been up to.” He still did not know where she had disappeared to for the many months he had missed her, but she would tell him when the time was right. For now, he preferred to leave the past behind them and focus on the moment, enjoying the fact that here and now, they were together.

"talk talk talk"