There was something so incredibly peaceful about the steppe at dusk. It was a flat and simple place, buried beneath a thick blanket of white that was now stained a glowing amber by the setting sun. The bright blue of the sky had begun to fade, mingling with the darkness of the universe beyond and painting the heavens a solemn navy. There was still some warmth from the light that peered above the mountain tops, but it was pale and weak. Murdock was not cold, though; not with Chernobyl pressed against his side, her dark body embraced beneath the curve of his wing.

He looked down at her as she spoke, drawing his gaze away from the gilded cliffs to her features, painted in gold by the sunset. How he had missed her. How he missed their long talks beneath a rising moon and their childish games beneath the watchful eyes of the stars. He would do anything to keep her here now, well within his reach and safe from harm. However, she was free from the grasp of the Basin at last, free from their judgment and binding laws and now nothing could prevent him from seeking her out whenever his duties would allow him to.

He leaned into her touch as she reached out to him, shifting his wing across her snow-dusted back. He didn’t like the sound of these “scuffles” she had had, but he knew she could take care of herself. After all, when one wore a crown such as hers, it would be unwise to cross them. He certainly still recalled his own apprehension when first they had met, when she had stood above him as he lay in the snow. In the first moments of their encounter, he did not imagine she could become anything more than an enemy…How wrong he was.

A broad smile returned to his face at the mention of her starting an outcast group and he tilted his chin down to meet her gaze. “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” he nudged the feathers tangled in her mane, their faintly glowing tips matching the many that covered his wings. Murdock himself had never been a leader; he was not organized nor focused enough to create or maintain any sort of structure. However, he had been a part of many small groups, and in his experience they were often better than a herd. The smaller the group, the closer the bonds formed between the members and it was really very much like a family. The Edge was family to him, but he knew few of the members personally.

He turned away as her next question was presented to him, his gaze seeking the glowing crown of the sun. Truthfully, he didn’t really do much yet. He was a Protector, a simple warrior among their ranks. He was content with any duties he received, but part of him was more ambitious than that. He had been a Captain in his homeland, after all, and a General of the Foothills. To be a mere defender certainly had its benefits, but he could do better than that, could he not? Thor had encouraged him to, as well, and he had thought often on his friend’s words. Perhaps someday he could present an impressive title to her, but for now he was a simple soldier.

“I collect flowers, actually,” he replied brightly, tilting his head sideways and glancing down at her with a smile. “It’s a very important job, you see…I’m the only one they’ve trusted with such a task.” Truthfully, he might actually enjoy such a responsibility, if not for the fact that it would be slightly embarrassing. The job would be very seasonal as well, what with most of the greenery dying off in the colder months. He retracted himself from his thoughts, a soft laugh escaping from his lips. “I am a Protector of the Edge. I spend my days patrolling the border and guarding our lands. And what about you? Have you still retained your scholarly habits or has something else caught your fancy?”

"talk talk talk"