He had been trailing the young mare for some time now. Not because he was following her, but because they seemed to be going the same direction... better to have a stranger in front of him instead of behind, even if it meant going slower than he'd like. But he couldn't let her wander to her death in good conscience, even if she might be an enemy, so he catches up to her with a lope, stopping a few lengths away once he has her attention.
"There's a sandwyrm ahead."
The beast of topic is far enough away to not be an immediate threat, and it had recently eaten-- not that it wouldn't turn down the opportunity to further gorge itself. He noticed it in his usual mental scan for strangers (ahead or behind) and other threats. Such magic was near effortless unless he had been routinely doing it throughout the course of a day-- and he's been doing it for two days now, ever since (unhappily) leaving Isra. It leaves him without the energy to dip into the girl's mind and skim through her thoughts, which in this case is honestly for the best. He has enough anguish of his own.
(Autumn is unfolding in him-- angry yellow moons and chill winds and leaves that turn from yellow to orange to brown. The landscape changes too-- angry yellow moons and chill winds and leaves that turn from yellow to orange to brown. And so in at least one way there is a balance. Elsewhere there is a fruit, the dark purple of a black eye, that ripens and ripens and ripens)
Eik does not recognize the girl, although he should. Maybe he would if he took a harder look, but that would require setting aside his thoughts... And his thoughts are not of the mind to be set down. All he really has the energy to see is two sharp horns and troubled eyes. Likely not a threat, but you can't let your guard down these days. Even when sleeplessness blurs the edge of your vision.
"Best turn back, girl. Wiser to leave Solterra than enter right now." He looks at her with haunted eyes a moment longer, hesitating (for what?). Eventually he nods in farewell and turns, setting off on a path that should lead him in a southern arc around the sandwyrm that lies in wait to the east.
"There's a sandwyrm ahead."
The beast of topic is far enough away to not be an immediate threat, and it had recently eaten-- not that it wouldn't turn down the opportunity to further gorge itself. He noticed it in his usual mental scan for strangers (ahead or behind) and other threats. Such magic was near effortless unless he had been routinely doing it throughout the course of a day-- and he's been doing it for two days now, ever since (unhappily) leaving Isra. It leaves him without the energy to dip into the girl's mind and skim through her thoughts, which in this case is honestly for the best. He has enough anguish of his own.
(Autumn is unfolding in him-- angry yellow moons and chill winds and leaves that turn from yellow to orange to brown. The landscape changes too-- angry yellow moons and chill winds and leaves that turn from yellow to orange to brown. And so in at least one way there is a balance. Elsewhere there is a fruit, the dark purple of a black eye, that ripens and ripens and ripens)
Eik does not recognize the girl, although he should. Maybe he would if he took a harder look, but that would require setting aside his thoughts... And his thoughts are not of the mind to be set down. All he really has the energy to see is two sharp horns and troubled eyes. Likely not a threat, but you can't let your guard down these days. Even when sleeplessness blurs the edge of your vision.
"Best turn back, girl. Wiser to leave Solterra than enter right now." He looks at her with haunted eyes a moment longer, hesitating (for what?). Eventually he nods in farewell and turns, setting off on a path that should lead him in a southern arc around the sandwyrm that lies in wait to the east.
@
Time makes fools of us all
