He had pinned his ears and snorted at the elephant calf— a call had come through the mists of the Edge, summoning a leader to the borders. But Mbwene was preoccupied, she had discovered the glass dragon that laid amid the glass Tembovu had stockpiled— and she was intently exploring the large, glass sculpture with her trunk. It was so smooth, yet sharply tingled her trunk whenever she ran to certain areas (the nether regions, to be precise), as if the sculpture was warning her off from the more delicate parts of its anatomy.

Regardless, the Elephant King was loathe to leave her alone to answer the call— he recently had passed musks and droppings that resembled those of large cats of Dorobo’s plains. They weren’t exactly the same, but they were similar enough that he wasn’t willing to leave a morsel of his soul alone as an easy meal for the predators that wandered the Edge’s trees this Frostfall. Waiting a few, long, moments for his companion to satiate her curiosity (impatience rolling off of him in palpable waves), he finally gently grabbed once of her ears and tugged her away from the dragon statue. Such a motion was met with ear-splitting trumpets of indignity.

Ears pinned and ignoring the minute fury that boiled through the bond, towed the calf towards the source the summoning, squinted eyes finding the roaned woman from the Rift, Dacianna, among the mists. Her glimmering, gold ornamentations gave her away first. As he approached, another became clearer— blood-red wings and a shockingly white face. One he did not recognize; so this must be the reason for the call. And a third form, delicate, graceful, and pale gold materialized from the Edge’s fog. Raeden— he knew by the slender build and the bright deer alongside her.

Mbwene immediately left the side of her bonded, heading away from Tembovu with decidedly angry steps, forsaking him for the beautifully colored deer alongside the light colored woman. An elephant’s snort left her trunk as she flicked her tail at the King, further displaying her ire.

Tembovu, shaking his head in amusement at the antics of the calf, turned his attention toward those present. “Apologies for my late appearance, Mbwene,” his thick horn motioned towards the elephant who was waving her trunk at Tin, “Was investigating our glass dragon. Raeden,” his dancing cobalt eyes stroke the body of the gold woman, “It is good to see you again. And Dacianna,” his attention shifts to the Riftian, a grin on his mouth belying the enjoyment at seeing her within the Edge, “I am glad to see you’ve brought a newcomer to the Edge?” His cobalt eyes then landed on the stallion in question, words asking for his name while eyes studying the well-built stallion for a few beats before once again parting his thick lips and sending out his deep rumble, “Welcome to the Edge. I am Tembovu, King here. Is there a trade you carry with you here? Or wish to begin? We’ve healers, warriors, sleuths, and priests. Or you may blend into the populus, if you wish. Though, truth be told, we're in need of warriors of men with strong builds, such as yourself.” He grinned easily, then, implying more that his compliment was genuine than the true need for warriors.

Tembovu

you thought you could outrun the world