Stranger in a strange land..(Akkadian, Any)

[magnus]

— find what you love and let it kill you —

Whatever Magnus had been expected, it had not been this. His gold-flecked eyes widened as he watched the altercation between the siblings, his gaze flickering briefly to Josie when Jord spat at her. He quietly mouthed an apology, uncertain about whatever had transpired between the group and unwilling to stick his neck further into it, but sure that the gentle mare from the Tundra had done nothing to deserve that.

He remained quiet as the siblings snarled at one another, even when the mare reached out to rip at the black guardian. He knew better than most that Akkadian was fully capable of taking care of himself and that if he didn’t fight back it wasn’t because he was incapable but because of his own moral high ground. Magnus couldn’t blame him for that; he too would have stayed his tongue. He had suffered worse abuse.

When the mare peeled back toward him, exhausted and spent, he treated the situation gingerly. The hurt radiated from Jord, along with pain and confusion; he knew better than to judge her on this one altercation alone, despite the turbulence and violence that had exploded so suddenly. “If you would like to leave, we can do that,” he said quietly, weighing his words carefully. He glanced up to look toward the other pair, confusion clearly etched on his features before he looked down once more to the mare at his side.

“Well, I suppose that we should be on our way.” He took a step back, nodding toward the others, wishing that whatever had just happened had gone in a different direction. “I hope you both stay safe.” After all, who knew what else Beqanna had in store for them? “If you need help or shelter, find me.” Because he was going to move heaven and earth to make sure he had access to a quiet place to offer sanctuary.

magnus