It had taken him three days to get close to the Basin, and now that he was here, Reich had begun to grow hesitant where only this morning he had been confident. The trip had been easy enough - a quick march across Thistle Meadow with a temporary stop at the Hidden Falls. He had camped both nights, settling easily back into his nomadic tendencies, sleeping comfortably underneath a sky full of bright stars and revelling in the silence that came only from sleeping alone. He had created little burning fires to sleep beside, dainty little things that burned long and slow through the night, casting his handsome features into an eerie crimson glow as his mind lingered on a vision of azure skin and long lashed pale eyes.

In truth, he wasn't sure what his reception would be: after all, he would probably come off as a little obsessive after trekking from the Throat to the Basin, simply to say hello. It's necessary though, he thought to himself, how else am I to get her off my brain? Every day I don't speak to her, the more intense this need becomes. He'd always been a passionate man, and saw no need or want to hide his emotions - despite the negative effect this had had on relationships in the past. Perhaps his obsession was founded on something entirely meagre, and once he saw her he'd feel fulfilled... but perhaps not.

Reich felt entirely awkward standing at the entrance to the Basin, delaying walking through the narrow pass despite having walked for three days to get there. He was not usually a hesitant man - and indeed even now he knew he would walk through the pass, it was only that his heart was thrumming with a nervous adrenaline that seemed to stay his step. Shaking his handsome head roughly, Reich began to walk down the pass, humming a pleasant, low tune to himself as he gazed at the savage ice walls around him.

Ice, he mused, Of course I want to court a lady that lives in a damn kingdom of ice. He was born of sand, dryness and heat, and adored the scorch of a burning sun upon his deep mahogany skin, or the slide of light upon his ebony curls - even the bounce of sunlight off of his gypsy coins was more natural to him than snow and ice and cold. Rounding the corner he saw, with no small amount of awe, the sentinel that stood guard over the entrance to the basin. It was here that he stopped, peering forward through silver eyes to see if there was anyone that might announce his entrance.

"Hail, Aurora Basin” he murmured in his baritone voice, more to himself than anyone.