If I’d had any questions as to whether or not this stallion was friend or foe before, I no longer felt it to be an option. As the inky boy stepped up beside me I knew his heart. I could see it there upon his sleeve and he wore it well which made me all the more appreciative of his company. A friend or trusted confidante was hard to come by these days as it appeared and his eagerness made me feel more at ease. For a moment I stared out toward the sea as she cooed and gurgled at me plaintively. Time my dear, I’ll be with you in time. I smiled coyly at the one thing that had come to embody my love and devotion for the Edge before tilting a curious ear toward Murdock as he spoke. However, his words fell upon deaf ears because I refused to believe him in spite of his need to quell my curiosity with vagueness and a silent protest to recall whatever past ailed him. But I would not try to push a boulder, lest I hurt my back; so instead I let the young stallion think that I’d given up on my interest in him.

But of course, the pressure of conversation was pressed back into my waiting fingers and though I’d been in the mood to listen, I also felt the need to indulge this boy. After all, did I not have a story to tell? No matter how much I attempted to bury it or hide it, the story of who I was and who I’d been was always resting just beneath the surface. Taking a deep breath of the cold winter air, I looked over my shoulder at the colorless landscape. FrostFall had robbed it of so much and yet beauty remained. In some ways I felt the same. Hurt and sorrow had taken so much from me too, but I still thrived, still flourished in a life that was my own. “You are a sly one Murdock. Don’t think I’ll forget that you owe me your stories, but for the time being I can share a few of my own.” I smiled deviously at the dark stallion before briefly fixing my gaze upon his faintly glowing appendages.


“I do assure you that my accomplishments are few, but I was once a prideful young stud not unlike yourself. I came from a life full of unknowing before stumbling upon a great land that changed my outlook. With the help of a trusted friend and unlikely ruler, I established myself in many ways. I found confidence and an eagerness for learning- mind you, I was not so much a bright lad- but most importantly, I found strength in myself that I’d been lacking.” I laughed softly at the thought. I believed that I knew so back then, that I was some great blessing to earth and yet here I was a single face among many, each of them just as special as the next. How could I ever thank this land and its inhabitants for making me a better man?

“I was a nurse once, if you could ever believe it. I wanted to heal and mend wounds and wouldn’t you know it, I acquired a power to do so. I loved once too, though I can’t say it ended well… Let me tell you something though- such a feeling cannot be forgotten.” I looked to the stallion hoping to find recognition there. “I created a family, produced a beautiful daughter and then faced the biggest decision of my life.” I paused for a moment to breathe and look out across the ocean again, listening to her pleas and calls as they ruptured against the cliff. “This was all mine at one time Murdock”, I said gesturing back toward the World’s Edge with a nimble toss of my head. “It is a wonder that you aren’t calling me King right now, but I gave up this precious land for ignorance and shame. I ruled alongside Mirage the Dragonheart and look at us now, both suffering from self-imposed exile at some point or another.”

Chuckling cynically, I looked back to the other man with a fierce grin. “I could have been something great my friend, something great…” My thoughts seemed to travel now, lingering in the past for a moment before plucking up the present again. “My story isn’t so much about pride as much as learning to be prideful. This land, though no longer mine to rule will always be mine in heart and soul. Kaj and Kahlua are great for this land, peaceful rulers that they are… So don’t mistake my regret for resentment. I’m just beginning to put my life back together and learning to live with pride is something that one must do when recovering from loss or failure.”

Turning now to face him completely, I smiled softly. I did not seek pity here, I wanted to see recognition. I wanted to find a friend that knew me for more than the silly pretenses I used now to get me by. Many would choose to forget me as a Leader and that was more than enough for me, but I wanted one to remember me even if it was not a true memory- just a thought. “Tell me Murdock, surely now you have a prideful story. Humor me, I’m getting older by the minute. I’ve bored too many to tears and I’d like to listen for once. It could be war, it could be love, it could be loss- I don’t care.” Benignly, I turned back toward the sea, still relishing her tender calls to my heart. One day, I’d rest beside her and until then I would cherish the life I lived.

Thor