She felt a profound sense of relief at the very concept of having a place to call home once again. The decision was not one made lightly, but Najya was confident in her choice. She felt as if a great weight had been lifted from slender shoulders after the decision had been made. She could truly move into this new chapter of her life and was doing so without reservations.

The little mare allowed her gaze to wander as they walked. She did her best to commit the more worn paths to memory. This place was unlike any she had seen. Everything was unfamiliar from the plant life to the small creatures that lived here. He was kind enough to slow his pace somewhat, allowing her to walk at his side without breaking into a faster gait. She allowed herself a moment to survey her companion. She had failed to notice the scarring on his shoulders, but did nothing to draw attention to the fact that she had noticed. He carried a red gem around his neck, looking so much like a larger, more vibrant version than those that Shahan had once worn as ornaments.

When Thor spoke, Najya completely understood why he would ask such a question. “I would be lying to you if I told you it did not play a role in my decision, Thor. But it was not my only reason,” she began, knowing that this was only really scratching at the surface of her decision. She breathed out a little sigh and offered him a small smile before continuing.

“It would have been as easy as breathing to choose to go back to the desert,” she breathed. There was a note of sadness in her voice, but it was not because she longed for the desert. Longed for the past, perhaps, but didn’t feel the undeniable pull to return to the sand and the heat. “I spent my entire life living on the edge of a desert – one we often referred to as the spine of the dragon. Our people believed that the dunes were the very scales running down the dragon’s back, pushing up through the earth. It is all I have ever known. But I did not come so far simply to rebuild my old life in a new place. I promised to make a new life for myself,” she offered. Najya did not provide the details of what had happened to make her flee the desert, but the sentiment was certainly there. She carried both precious and terrible memories of her past life.

“I am not one who simply makes decisions because they are easy or expected. Quite the opposite, really. I seem to have been defined by making decisions that go against the grain, so to speak. It has served me well thus far,” she added, lightening the mood somewhat. Her impulsiveness and willingness to go where people were unwilling to go or try what people were unwilling to try had, quite literally, saved her life.

She tossed her head slightly, causing the golden disks to rattle and clink together. Najya had caught Thor’s gaze upon the ornament a few times, and offered him the best explanation she could, without getting into the details of the story. “It was a gift,” she said, simply, “From the individual who ensured I’d make it here safe.” She gently shifted the disks around on her head by raising and lowering her nose. The little mare had become quite attached to the ornament, more because of what it represented than anything.

The journey passed quickly, and soon the sea mist began to creep in from the shore. Najya could smell the salt from the sea hanging in the air – a foreign scent to her, but one that was unmistakable nonetheless. They must be close.

And then the world unfolded before her, wrapped in a hazy blanket, and it nearly stole the breath from her lungs.

“Oh…” she murmured – a little sound of awe escaping her lips. For so long she had created the image in her mind of what this place must look like, but reality far exceeded even her wildest daydreams. “It’s beautiful.” And for the first time in a long time, Najya found herself stunned into silence.