Where We Belong

Oh, my tongue's the only muscle in my body that works harder than my heart An unfortunate fact about Korri's new herdmates: too few of them owned wings. His were folded loosely at his sides as he trotted along after Rixen's long stride, breath puffing in the early morning chill. The cold found little purchase in Korri's thick winter coat, but he appreciated the exercise. And the ability to spend some time with the others. He had yet to formulate an opinion on the herd as a whole or on either of its leaders. He thought he enjoyed Rixen's company more than Roscorro's, though, for the time being. The quieter and smaller of the two crowns held a sort of reserved dignity about his person. He seemed, for lack of a better word, gentle. Something which intrigued Korri even as he suspected it must be false. Pallid morning sunlight fell over them as dawn broke, pink and gold filtering through Korri's pale flight feathers. Catching fire in the golden threads of his mane and tail. His curious gaze flitted from one sight to the next, taking in the ruins of Halyven and the greenery in the distance. The glow of the horizon on one side and the purple veil of shadows lingering on the other. Their hooves rang a cheerful music on the hard footing beneath them. It was… in a strange way, nice. To be part of something again. Surrounded by allies. But Rixen was drawing away. Korri increased his pace briefly until he had caught up. "This would be much easier if you all had wings," he observed lightly. "I could probably be done patrolling by now if I were on my own." He meant it only as gentle teasing — well, mostly. He also wanted them to know how skilled he was. How much of an asset he could — would — be (if he so decided). He could always take to the sky on his own, but that seemed unfriendly, and anyway he wanted to hear if conversation occurred. He no longer had Auga's hears to help with that sort of thing. But then another thought caught him, and he said, "How are the borders marked? So others know they're on our land?"

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