He likes her, this woman, though he doesn’t even know who she is and they are only one sentence into their meeting. Not only had she laughed at him when he’d offhandedly blamed himself for their strangeness to one another but that she was pretty, and seemed easier to talk to than many of the women he’d met in Helovia because she was not only an equine but one who seemed just as awkward as he is. It took a lot of the pressure off of him, allowing him to smile bashfully but openly in light of her laughter, her subsequent words broadening the expression on his simple face.

The wind catches both of them in a simple gust, twisting his dark and tangled locks against his muscular neck and haunches as he admires (tactfully, of course) the colorful paint that marks her in various locations. He wonders what it could be for, as it is not an actual part of her coat and surely serves some purpose for that reason, but he cannot for the life of him decide what use a circle and lines and arrows and a weird circle with five lines of various lengths jutting from it had to do with a useful task.

And so he is left with only his wonder, and her words.

”Dragomir, one of… er, the Glazier,” he says, remembering mid-sentence that Aaron no longer lived here and frowning at the realization for the thousandth time. The thought of having to assume the position of leadership that Aaron had quietly taken the role of made his skin crawl.

It was definitely his fault that they didn’t know each other, he thinks, he can’t even formulate ideas properly much less meet girls or anyone for that matter.

The question she poses to him next is even more distressing, for try as he might he can’t remember when she left or the last time he’d seen her; he’s been so distracted with his projects and thoughts that he has paid little attention to who has come and gone during all that time. ”I don’t think I remember when you left,” he admits begrudgingly, a scant smile of apology fleeting on his dark lips and pale blue eyes twinkling in the gesture, ”but Kahlua and Kaj lead, some new arrival is our Seer. Aaron is no longer with us, but one of the Dragonheart’s daughters has come home. All seems well.”

@[Cheveyo]