Many came, a few sending him questioning voices or looks: Erthe, Alune. Though, instead of answering her question, his great skull dipped quietly in recognition of her words but a simple smile told her an answer would come later. More appeared: Mesec with his children; Alysanne with a purposeful distance set between them; Maude with her cheerful gaze (for which he was surpassingly thankful when about to face their daunting Goddess); Lyanna with her quiet, but calm and sincere presence; Ros with more spark than usual in her electrified face; Kiada, his daughter, with her feeding companion (the King still dipped his head to gently ruffle her forelock, despite the blood).

And then the Goddess appeared, answering the many questions for him. His great skull dipped in deference, though his navy eyes never once left the Moon’s feminine, beautifully cunning face. Though her body gleamed with starlight, the King managed to limit his apprentice look to a mere glance across her lavender curves before returning to the silver gaze has his head slowly rose.

But he was not to revel long in the Goddess’s beauty or craft, for her words quickly cut to him in a growl of near-disapproval as she questioned his motives in his hesitation to destroy the bramble thicket. Before the King could formulate any response to the Goddess, Elsa was there and coldly challenging their patron. His ears tilted backwards, gaze sharping darting to the fallen abdicated Queen. A soft snort of disapproval pushed out of his lips—not because he did not want those in his herd to hold their tongues (on the contrary, he wanted them to speak their minds). But it was that Elsa, who had relinquished her throne, should speak out against a quest that was already completed, that rankled him.

But his annoyance shifted quickly to paternal amusement as Zubari’s thoughts flowed out of his mouth. “That is alright, son,” his deep rumble was quiet, a slight lopsided grin cast across his lips as he answered Zubi’s apology, “Our Goddess is a lovely sight.”

And then his attention turned to the ‘lovely sight’ in question, lips parting once more to answer her questions, “I have learned of both the strengths and weaknesses of your glass, Goddess. And the pain that its sharp edge can inflict on others. Some of us have learned of, and other reminded of, the hard labor required to earn our wants while digging trenches. The thicket—” his deep rumble paused, navy eyes for once probing the Moon’s silver, searching for answers rather than defensively watching for whatever the goddess's next move might be.

“I cannot claim to know why you chose to withhold all the information about the Thicket from us,” only once did a shadow cross his face as he spoke, a slight anger at the possibility of him unknowingly endangering herd members, before he continued, “But it showed the value for life so many of our members have, an advantage to any herd. But also showed how far we will go—I will go— to protect the Edge.” His low voice ended on an ominous note as he fell silent, awaiting the Goddess’s approval or disfavor.