It was a new an unexpected pleasure to walk like this, to give and take of conversation and the partaking of a quiet companionship. Companionship. It was a word the priest turned over in his mind, dis assembling and examining the meaning and the finding the sober definition quite lacking compared to the experience of it. He had always been surrounded by others but they had been servants, as he had been, to the whims of the gods. He had toiled with them, lead them, but years of living with his consciousness consumed by the ever-present buzz of far away voices had stopped him from knowing those at his side. He hadn’t cared, hadn’t thought caring necessary in carrying out his tasks but with no task now but to care for his pale priestess the mountain was beginning to understand what had been lost to him for so very long.

Her request made him grimace, and shining singer eyes flicked toward the stip of cloth over her eyes. ’Cursed’ she had said when her had tried to persuade her to let him remove it. It was only logical: if his magic had been rendered ineffectual by their crossing into this land than surely so had the strip of cloth lost its efficacy, still the priestess would not hear of its removal and so he had let the subject alone. “The trees are tall, an old forrest and a strong one…” He acquiesced, though he would much rather have listened to her voice than his own. “…they rise high to leaves that are trading their summer colors for oranges and yellows. The light is beginning to trickle through the canopy and sending shafts into the fog—“ His voice broke off as the sound of footsteps had his head moving around to see another land and approach. He leaned closer to the mare at his side and sent a hasty whisper: “A stranger approaches. Fear not.”

The priest gaze was steady on the patched mare as she spoke; her relaxed tone not quite enough to set him fully at ease. Yes, he had suggested they come here and learn more of the inhabitant of this land but that did not mean he trusted them. Iona’s welcome to the World Edge announced at least that they had found their destination but fifer he could reply she was joined by a stallion of a size with himself who commented on just that. Like the first, the stallions greeting is non-confrontational but the blue man’s stoic expression remained unchanged. He gave no nod, no smile, and no flowery greeting being so unaccustomed to the need for social niceties but spoke plain and to the purpose. “My height is no accomplishment of mine, only what was passed to me through blood.”

Tembovu’s offer of medical assistance to his companion went unanswered by the indigo brute, she might need him for eyes but she was capable of speaking for herself. All the same, he sidestepped, moving his bulk closer to the priestess as a matter of protection and reassurance. “We are among those who were brought to this land at the salt flats. There was a stallion there, white and spotted, who announced the World’s Edge would welcome those in search of a place to stay." Without knowing who the white stallion had been or really even who Iona and Temovu where in the context of this society, the priest had not assurance that this pledge would be honored. The Helovians had killed their gods after all, why should they accept them so willingly? "We’ve been exploring pieces of your Helovia, but our efforts have been aimless without much knowledge of the land. We seek rest, and I would like to learn more of the people here.”

Please give me time to decipher the signs

Please forgive me for time that I've wasted