and I discovered that my castles stand
upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
He has spent most of the summer dozing; it is a habit that is hard to break. The humidity of the temperate climate reminds him too much of another land, and it is better to sleep than to think of that.
Sometimes though, he walks the borders, the lone guard patrolling the kingdom. He never expects to find anyone, and those occasions when he does are few and far between. His shadow is as long as the trees by the time he hears something, and he falls still, only his dark ears flicking to catch the source of the noise.
Texas had heard hooves, and so when the other horse calls out, the bay stallion has already turned around and begun to head toward her. He picks his way through the thin forest with practiced ease, his bay coat hard to see against the bark of the trees and the leaves and debris that litter the ground. The mare that had called out is easier to see, and Texas whickers a quiet greeting before they are close enough to speak. When they are, he settles between her and the rest of the kingdom, looking her over curiously. She doesn’t smell of another kingdom, but rather of another land. Not a diplomat then, he thinks; what could have brought her here? He is the only recruiter in the kingdom and he would surely remember her.
“Hello,” he says, nodding his head in some semblance of a polite greeting. His eyes linger slightly too long, but his smile is charming and his eyes mischievous, which is always enough to excuse him. “Welcome to the Falls. I’m Texas; What brings you here?”
texas
