Leander had to stifle a lopsided smile when the girl’s striking eyes widened and her young voice squeaked out. Used to conversing with strangers of all kinds, he took her surprise in stride easily. Yet he sobered upon hearing her mention Beqanna, for despite his trust that it would come, the moment still managed to catch him off guard. He glanced away to take in his surroundings once again, brow creased. From the air he hadn’t thought the lay of the land particularly matched his parents’ descriptions, but no matter now.
Quickly, Leander returned his attentions to the youth with the yellow streak in her hair. She really hadn’t seemed to skip a beat. Once the tumbling speech ebbed, however, he let his smile loose. “It’s a pleasure, Xero. My name’s Leander.” The winged stallion had always liked kids. He couldn’t see why he wouldn’t indulge her plucky nature, so he leaned in, the gesture slightly conspiratorial. “Some people call me Lee, though – you can too, if you want.” Then he sat back on a heel and looked about once more, allowing the reality of where he was to sink in.
He had found his parents’ home.
The home that was always meant to be his, too.
With a mixture of both practiced restraint and eager curiosity, he started. “You’ve been a big help, Xero, but I’m wondering whether you would know how I might find the places that are called the Falls or the Dale, or even the Jungle or Chamber?” Leander’s blonde forelock fell into brown eyes as he tipped his head, his expression a friendly one. “It’s possible that I have family in some of those places, and I’d like to see them for myself.”
