Upon Ghost’s arrival along the opposite shore, she jested about my return as a spy. I smiled lightly at the idea, but briefly considered what I’d look like as some mopey healer or some oracle for the gods. Clearly I wasn’t fit for either and the image only confirmed what I already knew- she was right. “Maybe, but I think a couple of good lessons might benefit me. Or perhaps a trial assignment, what do you think?” I questioned with a knowing smirk. Herd life could be a lazy one if you’re surrounded by warriors who can so often defend their own treasures and loved ones. At least I could give the Cadaverous a good reason to keep me and the other spies in line. However, she surprised me when she tossed a chunk of metal toward me, expecting me to be prepared enough to catch it. I stumbled a bit, but ultimately prevailed… Point is: she kept me on my toes.

Yet, it was strange to hold the key Ghost had proffered between my lips. It not only signified her trust in me as friend and confidant, but as sister to the Throat as well. However, I’d never quite experienced its magic on my own and I was more than eager to test the desert’s defenses against intruders (and myself). I hadn’t been born with wings and in a lot of ways I was glad for it, because my father had been less than blessed by the Gods. I could remember all too well the feeble sprouts he carried upon his shoulders that last time I’d had heart enough to admire them. They were the one feature he’d been burdened with that made him appear weak in the face of newcomers. Of course, I hadn’t been fooled by his hearty, masculine demeanor… I knew him to be impulsive and dumb, childish even. I was glad the dope had disappeared from my life; I’d become stronger for it.

With a small grunt directed at Romul, I stepped forward toward the channel and watched quietly as the waters began drift away below me. It didn’t happen all at once like I’d desired, but instead very slowly- I was flying. My stomach felt as though it had dropped away from my body and my legs flailed a bit, but I was most certainly flying. Cautiously I glanced around, while straining my neck to do so, to see if Ghost had followed. Of course, I was too nervous and the flight was much too short for me to catch any signs of the raven sleuth until we’d made it to the other side. I was glad to feel the sand beneath my hooves once more, though perhaps only after forgetting what it was like to stand, and I bent to inhale the dusty scent of the land I again called home. Romul appeared quite startled as well, as if I hadn’t warned him what was coming, but of course creatures as simple as he were too often taken by the magic and wonder of a land so vastly filled with mystery.

However, when I’d questioned if things had changed, the Cadaverous seemed off-put by my wondering. At first I was worried that I’d been completely adrift and certainly wrong in my assumptions, but tales of rift monsters and outlandish creatures dwelling beneath the earth qualified as different to me. There had been war and disease and death if I wasn’t reaching too far… Everything was indeed different. “How does one know if those places are neutralized? And the new lands… are they a gift or a curse?” I glanced down at the vial of liquid Ghost wore about her neck and stared for a while. It appeared to be the blood of some creature, though it looked a little odd in my opinion. “What it’s there and where did it come from?” I pressed, while watching the red fluid bend and sway against the movement of her breathing. As if she hadn’t just told a story of blood and loss, Ghost moved on to the unimportant pieces of my missing life. I tried not to shake her attempts to pry and instead embraced her as the friend she was and sighed. “I left after the invasion and Midas’ death. It was too much for me to bear… I thought that taking up residence in the Throat would cure the pain of such defeat, but ultimately it only reminded me of what the Falls could no longer have. It was a moment of weakness and one that I’m not proud of, but I’m hoping that my return will heal any ills my friends and family might’ve endured.”