Magnus did not flinch at her name and did not pick up on the tension when she hurriedly followed it with a nickname. Instead, he just gave a charming, crooked smile, one corner rising higher in one corner. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Spice.” It was amazing how quickly things came back to you—the patterns, the rhythms of recruiting feeling like a muscle stretched. It felt good to do honest work again, good to be back in the field and good to know that despite all the changes, some things remained the same.
As the other stallion approached, Magnus swung his head to the side to greet him. “Kiano,” he repeated, “how nice of you to join us. My name is Magnus.” It was genuine. Magnus had never minded when the field encounters became large groups; on the contrary, it seemed like a vital sign of life in Beqanna that there were so many people interested in growing, or joining, homes. It would be a sad state of affairs if there was no one else out recruiting. Not to mention, Magnus hardly wanted to have her choose Tephra simply because there were no other options available. It had to be about finding the right home.
Still, despite his enjoyment in the situation, it was difficult to miss the tension that crackled in the air when Celeana acknowledges him. At her request for space, he looked puzzled for a second before wiping it from his face, expression becoming neutrally friendly. “Of course, my apologies.” He took a careful step back, doing his best to free up more room around her without being so far away that he would have to yell to be heard. He listened as Celeana talked about her land, and he felt a quick sting in his chest.
That must be where the jungle had gone. That must be their new home.
He had not yet fully accepted the loss of the Amazons and his childhood home; it was perhaps even more painful than the loss of the Gates and all that had meant to Joelle. For a second, a frown fluttered around his scarred mouth before he pushed the thoughts to the side. He would deal with them later. Instead, he focused his attention on the group at hand, ears perking amongst the tangled forelock.
“Are you looking for a home, Spice? What kind of home calls to you?”
magnus
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