The melodic drum of his approach was inviting as I hadn’t been much of a social butterfly as of late. The telltale crunch of hoof upon stone was enough to turn my head and I nodded solemnly at the shadowy stallion. I hadn’t seen him before in the Edge which led me to believe that he was new to our troops. I was thrilled to imagine that our numbers were increasing one by one, though I only hoped that his loyalties were of good intent. However, it seemed that he meant well enough, as my skin hadn’t bristled at the sight of him. Perhaps it was the way he stood before me now, shoulders sloped downward, relaxed and at ease as if he hadn’t a care in the world. After all, we were family now… right?

He was certainly older than I and I could tell it from the way his joints quivered beneath his weight. They had seen years far beyond my own and his eyes held a certain wisdom about them that seemed to stand unwavering as they peered back at me. I felt at ease in his presence and I was more than willing to allow him the pleasure of my company, or whatever pleasure could be wrought from my existence intertwining with his. The thought made my toes curl. It made me think of webs and the effort involved to weave them. I longed to weave a web between Tamira and myself, tying us together until time finally laid the blade between us. However, matters of the heart were something that I could contemplate later- The Edge was in need of my attentions now. We had a lot of ground to cover if we wanted to rise again from the ashes that the Basin had thrown upon our fire.

“You’re no bother at all. In fact, it’s about time I shed my shell for a while- Welcome to the Edge brother.” A slight smile touches my lips, turning them upward and brightening my expression after days of reclusion. After all this time, it felt strange and strained upon my face, if even slightly uncomfortable, and after its fleeting appearance, I was eager to store it away once more.

I hadn’t wanted to appear crude before this newcomer, but it seemed that the war between the Edge and the Basin had taken a toll on my mind and made my nights increasingly restless. Perhaps this Destrier would be able to change that. In fact, I wanted more residents like him- loyal to our cause and our family. After all, we needed it. Mirage had done a magnificent job in giving the Quian a home and now it was our turn to repay her for all her sacrifices.

“I’m Thor, Apprentice Nurse. I do hope you’ve come to stay.”

---

Walk walk walk.
Talk talk talk.
Think think think.