The spring sun was warm upon my back, which seemed to brighten my otherwise weary mood. The days seemed to pass by slowly and in such a way that I found myself becoming restless and bored which was perhaps how I had ended up in the Threshold, which was somehow becoming a hobby of mine. Birdsong was certainly a fitting time of the year for the claiming grounds and around me the wild flowers were beginning to bloom in bright, earthy colors. It was hard to avoid crushing them under such a wide step and it was almost saddening to watch as sprigs of new grass were torn from their fresh beds to gather up and around my toes. However, the luminescent sunshine that billowed in through the tree limbs was distracting enough to make me forget the inevitable destruction of the Earth God’s new budding attire.

Though, I abandoned all former thought of seasonal bliss upon catching bits and pieces of distant conversation. It was only in my nature to interrupt, being that the Edge was still growing in vast division and I had only wanted to assist in our development. However, whether or not that was the case today, I wasn’t sure as I stumbled upon a curious mare, dappled in grey. She spoke softly to herself, though I knew not of what. Her tender conversation was probably not meant for my ears, but it was hard to ignore in the silence of the Threshold. She is a fragile looking creature, barely tall enough to touch my shoulder, but then again, size was never a defining factor. Her curious eyes seemed to dance about, never landing on one thing in particular which made me think of a humming bird. Everywhere she went, she seemed confused and disoriented, muttering lightly to herself as if such conversation were normal.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I thought you could use a little company?” A small smile seemed to tug at the corners of my lips, freezing there until I had approached slowly from the tree line. The ground was soft beneath my feet, giving way under my weight as the new spring soil opened under the warming sun. I looked at the mare now, deep brown eyes extending gracious and wholehearted welcome. But I was weary of her, though I couldn’t say why. Perhaps it was the way in which she spoke, so tense and questioning as if she were indeed speaking to another. But it was not so, and I didn’t press her for answers. Instead, I merely waited, gazing at her in such a way that she would not feel uncomfortable in my company. After all, maybe she would one day call The Edge her home, just as I had so many months ago.

Her shock was quite comical as she leaped from her skin at my entrance. She was like a small child, nervous and jittery, her eyes wandering and catching on everything but the situation at hand. I couldn’t condemn her for it though, as this was a land of freedom, was it not? She was a beautiful thing as it were, vibrant ivory coat gleaming in the spring sun like a lily floating on the edge of a slow-moving stream. Like it, maybe she was lost, never really certain about who she was or who she was to become. After all, had I not been in her shoes only a short time ago, searching for the meaning of life and where exactly I belonged?

However, there was something different about her, something soft an inviting… girlish. I only hoped that perhaps she would one day be able to call some place home- even if it wasn’t with me in The Edge. And when she looked up at me, innocent eyes wide and questioning, I couldn’t help but smile down at her. She reminded me of Tamira and how quiet she was upon first meeting her, at least until Myriad had jumped ruthlessly into the picture. I nodded to her coloring ears and chuckled to myself before asking quietly, “Ah, Bernadette, what exactly are you looking for here in the Threshold?”

I was hesitant to acknowledge her nervous rambling and instead opted to tune it out… it could have been seen as rude, but what was I to say? I see you’re a mare, sorry, I thought you were a stallion just a few moments ago. I certainly couldn’t allow myself to appear ignorant in the name of The Edge when recruits were few and far between.

But as the meeting continued on, things seemed to her stranger by the second.

I had formerly thought that the mare was somewhat sane in the beginning of out meeting, but as things progressed, it seemed to get tense- weird. I wasn’t sure what the girl was looking at during her next bout of rambling, better known as insanity, but it was as if she were waiting for someone, always looking behind her as if they would poke their head through the shadows just to say “hey.” And as I stood contemplating her altogether uncanny actions, she jumped. It wasn’t like before though, it was much worse. She crashed into my chest and backed away once more as if nothing happened. This time I couldn’t help the shocked expression that overcame me. I looked around, searching and hoping that I would find something, anything, that would explain her explosion.

But of course, nothing was there. How… ironic.

“Yes.. Uh, company. Are you sure you’re really up for some?” I couldn’t help but rush ahead, trying to amend the awkward succession of babbling that the mare seemed to take to under pressure. Or perhaps, she was just… that…odd. “I’m Thor by the way- World’s Edge Nurse.”

With everything said and done, I felt a little more at ease in the company of the flighty maid. I was entirely unused to her antics and while she seemed like a pleasant creature, her disposition was enough to throw me. Her eyes were wild, though beautiful and her legs seemed ever-ready, tense and unforgiving as if at any moment she might flee. I was tempted to ask of her afflictions, but I did not want to assume anything of her, lest offend her with my curiosity. I closed my eyes against the slight breeze and flexed my under-sized wings against my spine. At times like this, I felt somewhat conflicted about my appearance. She had no idea who I was or what I did and had every right to judge my flaws should she see it fit. But I was hopeful that her opinion of me had not been hindered due to my utter lack of control over my deformity.

As I turned back to the small mare, I noticed her shoulder had come together in a queer anxious display of fright. Something about her insecurities made me want to comfort her and so I stepped closer, offering her my shadow to hide her away from her own fears. I nudged her now, eager to reassure her that here, she was safe. “You are in Helovia my dear and I’m quite certain you have nothing to fear…” My words seemed to fade on my tongue as the thought trailed off and into the open air like some forgotten notion. Again, her eyes seemed to betray her, despite her strained efforts to conceal her anxiety. I smile despite myself, certain that her distress is unwarranted- at least right now, here in the Threshold.

However, it didn’t come as a shock to me when she started edging away, trying to rid herself of whatever fantasies that came with her past. She was conversational as ever, perpetually jubilant despite her constant need to look over her shoulder. “I haven’t been given the chance to heal anyone as of yet, though the kind of healing I seek to endure is not so much of the physical nature and more so of the mental one.” I was proud that I had come so far from being so aimless to deciding on a path that I felt right for me. I was hesitant to say more due to her restless descent from the Threshold, but I figured it was as a good a time as any to inform her of the Edge- my home.

“Yes, The Edge is my home. Mirage the Dragonheart is our WeyrLeader, and I must say that I have felt welcomed since the first day she invited me to join her ranks. There are many herd lands throughout Helovia, such as Dragon’s Throat, The Windtossed Foothills, and Aurora Basin- if you feel you’ve a darkness to which you must cater.” I pause now, clearly disgusted by the thought of allowing Bernadette to live amongst those wolves. But, Helovia was a place of choice and I wasn’t going to deny her of such. “However, if you’re looking for a place in which you may call home… I would gladly show you around The Edge if you so desired. I think you would make a perfect addition to our small family.”

I can feel the smile tugging at my lips now as I change our course, hesitantly maneuvering her towards The Edge. If she felt that she would feel more at home elsewhere, I would gladly show her the way, but I wanted more than anything for her to feel safe without our borders. After all, we had come a long way from the bottom and all that was left was our uprising.