With everything said and done, I felt a little more at ease in the company of the flighty maid. I was entirely unused to her antics and while she seemed like a pleasant creature, her disposition was enough to throw me. Her eyes were wild, though beautiful and her legs seemed ever-ready, tense and unforgiving as if at any moment she might flee. I was tempted to ask of her afflictions, but I did not want to assume anything of her, lest offend her with my curiosity. I closed my eyes against the slight breeze and flexed my under-sized wings against my spine. At times like this, I felt somewhat conflicted about my appearance. She had no idea who I was or what I did and had every right to judge my flaws should she see it fit. But I was hopeful that her opinion of me had not been hindered due to my utter lack of control over my deformity.

As I turned back to the small mare, I noticed her shoulder had come together in a queer anxious display of fright. Something about her insecurities made me want to comfort her and so I stepped closer, offering her my shadow to hide her away from her own fears. I nudged her now, eager to reassure her that here, she was safe. “You are in Helovia my dear and I’m quite certain you have nothing to fear…” My words seemed to fade on my tongue as the thought trailed off and into the open air like some forgotten notion. Again, her eyes seemed to betray her, despite her strained efforts to conceal her anxiety. I smile despite myself, certain that her distress is unwarranted- at least right now, here in the Threshold.

However, it didn’t come as a shock to me when she started edging away, trying to rid herself of whatever fantasies that came with her past. She was conversational as ever, perpetually jubilant despite her constant need to look over her shoulder. “I haven’t been given the chance to heal anyone as of yet, though the kind of healing I seek to endure is not so much of the physical nature and more so of the mental one.” I was proud that I had come so far from being so aimless to deciding on a path that I felt right for me. I was hesitant to say more due to her restless descent from the Threshold, but I figured it was as a good a time as any to inform her of the Edge- my home.

“Yes, The Edge is my home. Mirage the Dragonheart is our WeyrLeader, and I must say that I have felt welcomed since the first day she invited me to join her ranks. There are many herd lands throughout Helovia, such as Dragon’s Throat, The Windtossed Foothills, and Aurora Basin- if you feel you’ve a darkness to which you must cater.” I pause now, clearly disgusted by the thought of allowing Bernadette to live amongst those wolves. But, Helovia was a place of choice and I wasn’t going to deny her of such. “However, if you’re looking for a place in which you may call home… I would gladly show you around The Edge if you so desired. I think you would make a perfect addition to our small family.”

I can feel the smile tugging at my lips now as I change our course, hesitantly maneuvering her towards The Edge. If she felt that she would feel more at home elsewhere, I would gladly show her the way, but I wanted more than anything for her to feel safe without our borders. After all, we had come a long way from the bottom and all that was left was our uprising.