Well, a few days ago I hardly expected to be coming here again. Not voluntarily and certainly not with any intention of leaving Helovia. But after my unfortunate run in with Leif, and the reminder of how frightened I had been when I first came here (how frightened I still was, really), I realized that I had it in my power to actually help others not be frightened. I could offer them a home, offer them safety.

I didn’t care about recruiting really, didn’t care about boistering the numbers of the Basin. The jobs and such that everyone performed within the herd still baffled me slightly. I was more concerned about helping the individuals than I was about that strange herd - but I had to admit that recruiting more members should, theoretically, make it more safe.

Besides, I clearly needed more practice talking to others. I had yet to have a conversation within these woods that didn’t involve a volley of curses and shouts.

It was later than I expected by the time I arrived and I certainly had no intention of wandering about in the darkness on my own. I found, to some degree of annoyance, that I missed the warming presence of Calder. Not that I was chilly - far from it, even at night this summer seemed to ooze with heat - but he was comforting to be around. I should have asked him to come with me - maybe next time.

I was scouting about for a safe spot to catch a little bit of sleep as I waited for the night to pass when a call sounded through the trees nearby. An equine call this time - I doubted I would have the fortune of finding two white elks in this wood.

“Hello?!” I called back, abandoning thoughts of sleep and (though my heart was hammering out of fear) move towards the sounds until I spot a mare. The apprehension did not fade from my body but I try to make my voice at least sound warm and friendly. Thankfully, in the dim light of the moon, my emotions which played so openly on my face would not be quite so obvious. “I wasn’t sure if anyone else would be wandering this late.” As I flick my red-brown tail behind me, I’m reminded of my first entrance - when the cloth tied into it had snagged and I had drawn the attention of quite a few onlookers as I struggled to get loose.

“I’m Elspeth, are you…” I hesitated then, trying to remember how I had been greeted and how the more polite stallions had greeted Leif. An awkward pause, unfortunately, but I tried my best to quickly move on. “... new to Helovia?”

That seemed to be a safe answer, right?