to die by your side,

He spoke again of his sister and I weaved through the glass ever so slightly, nodding along with him. However, when we arrived and I called out for the King, he spoke once more. Turning my scarred face to get a look at the eager stallion, I smiled once again. It was surprising, how much he had made me full of genuine glee when in the last few months I didn’t even think I could have a shot at smiling ever again. I dipped my head to the caramel stag when he thanked me. Then listened along patiently, shifting my weight ever so slightly as he spoke about being experienced with medicine. Though, before I could open my mouth to respond to my friend, a new creature appeared. One I hadn’t seen before, but one that reminded me of a younger, youthful me – of course without the beautiful antlers that sat on her head. She looked rather similar to Tilney, and her familiarity with him as she called out his name began to make me slightly uncomfortable. The ivory mare rushed to him, cream and caramel mixing as she looked like an excited filly reuniting with a friend after a long time apart. Perhaps that’s exactly what this was.

As I watched the seen unfold before me, my smile faded. A blank stare along my glassy eyes as I watched them, nervously. Nervous that Tilney would leave me to run off and speak with this beautiful creature. But then she turned to me, saying that we hadn’t met and I shifted my gaze from her slightly, one ear laying back to my head with a slight awkwardness that I couldn’t seem to get away from now. But she nodded to me and smiled and I took note, but didn’t feel the urge to smile back. “Welcome to the Edge, Arah. I’m Glasgow. I’ve been here for nearly a year now, I think… I’m never really here very often anymore.” I spoke with a soft tone that lacked that excitement I had when I had spoken with Tilney. Not because I didn’t like her. No. I was just afraid to lose the only friend I really had made here. Was that such a bad thing after all?

But then before anyone could say anything else, Tembovu had arrived. My glassy eyes danced to the mammoth as he made his way into the clearing where I stood with Arah and Tilney. His sapphire eyes met mine and I dipped my head in a greeting fit for a king, like I had done with all the other royalty I had met in my prior life lived. Though, I would be lying if my heart didn’t pang with a bit of excitement that he remembered my name. And then when he began to speak with the other two antlered equines beside me, I said silent. Shifting my weight, dancing my ears back and forth to those speaking. Then, that little white filly I had seen at the meeting that offered me a smile was here. I raised my head up, watching her as she moved into the circle and I glanced around for any way to possibly leave. Everyone here – aside from Tembovu with his scarred shoulders – looked so pristine and gentle compared to me. I was lucky now though, seeing as before I could figure out my escape, the child looked at me briefly and I figured it was all over now. I only paused briefly before Tilney spoke to nod to the little filly and offer a small, nearly meaningless and frightened smile. Like a mouse caught in a trap. “He comes from the Basin in search of a new home.” I said gently, head swiveling and eyes casting upon Tilney to be sure that I had remembered the story he told me correctly. “He’s been away for quite some time, though.” and with that, I finished what I had to say. I figured that it would be a better idea for Tilney to introduce himself with the alabaster filly, rather than to have me interject. But I could at least answer my leader.

"Talk."

—is such a

heavenly

way to die.