As it turned out, Alysanne had four whole things in common with Tembovu the dangerous Elephant King: weaknesses for foals and for family, a devotion to the Edge, and Mauja. After Alysanne had not seen so much as a single spot among the trees in the World’s Edge since the herd meeting in Tallsun, she had started to worry. It wasn’t that she worried exclusively about Mauja, mind you - she worried about the others as well. Tandavi, for example, had been around a little more recently but it had been a couple days since she had seen her new friend. There was constantly a running tally in her mind that Alysanne could not shut off. Members in herds came and went, she knew that, but she hated disappearances without so much as a ‘I’ll see you later’.

Orangemoon began to wane and still there was no sign of Mauja so Alysanne found Tembovu - knowing the two stallions to be friends - to see if she was the only one that had noticed an absence.

It was with a chill that she discovered Tembovu had been searching for him as well.

Perhaps the chill had something to do with the fact that it was a dreary afternoon - misty rain and fog turning the Edge into a grey world - but she doubted it. Her mothering instincts that encouraged her to try to protect everyone she met were twisting around her heart and telling her that she believed something was wrong.

The fact that she thought that about everyone she didn’t see every day was inconsequential. Eventually, those feelings were bound to be correct so she wasn’t about to start ignoring them.

Alysanne was a bundle of nerves as she stood beneath the violet canopy beside her co-ruler, as she released a loud call. “World’s Edge!” This was hardly the first meeting she had ever called - she had held quite a lot with the healers over the years - but it was the first herd meeting and her stomach was uncomfortably fluttering while she waited to see if anyone would even show up.

Would they heed her calls as they did for Tembovu?

She waited patiently for any who arrived, smiling faintly and nodding to all who did but she couldn’t keep the worry out of her green eyes. “Thank you for coming. I am troubled to inform you that our Emissary, Mauja, has been missing since the herd meeting. We all know how dangerous of a place Helovia can be and while faces disappear all the time, Tembovu and I are concerned about his prolonged absence.” Later she might reflect on how naturally it came to speak of herself and the king as a unit under such circumstances. It barely even made her skin crawl to speak in such a manner, so great was her concern over their missing friend. “If anyone has any information on Mauja's whereabouts I implore you to please share it and if not… keep your eyes open for any sightings.”

Her green eyes then shift to Tembovu, falling silent so he might add whatever he wished.

If you could only understand—through my heart and through my veins