He had never expected to find Paradise a blissful place. Often he had acknowledged its beauty but lamented its lack of feeling like his home. Since the war had wound down and Lilika had unexpectedly appeared on the shore, his feelings had begun to change. The temperate island of Luthien still called his name, but he was in no hurry to head there in the midst of winter with a pregnant Veles and worn down Lily. They would stay here at minimum until spring to reap the benefits of Atlantis’s lush greenery, and then perhaps he would discuss with Rougaru his desire to seek a home elsewhere. Gnome hoped it would cause no hard feelings if or when he did so; he had begun to come around to Rougaru after events of late.

Despite the fact that he tried not to be nosy about the chocolate stallion’s business, he had not been ignorant of the recent fights in which he’d participated. They seemed to revolve around the other lead mare – the one Gnome hadn’t met. Ultimately, the result was that a large group of equines with rather thick winter coats had wound up here for the time being. While he had not interrupted their meeting with Zjeena on the beach, he had heard the murmurs of what had happened to the Fjord. It angered him to think that any stallion would disrespect a mare they claimed to love. In this, it seemed he and Rougaru were in agreement.

Gnome had tried not to both any of the newcomers thus far; surely they had enough to be processing at the moment. Their worlds had been turned upside down, almost literally. From the windblown and frigid winter in Tinuvel they had come to the heat of Atlantis. He had not grown a winter coat at all this year, so to him the warmth was much more mild. To these former Bay residents who all had thick, fluffy winter coats, it was probably akin to an inferno. This struggle likely paled in comparison to the betrayal some must feel at learning that Liland – who was their lover, father, or guardian – was not what he had seemed.

The blanketed dun stallion was grazing with Lily and Veles on the beach when a rustle of the leaves caught his attention. Glancing up, he sighted one of the new arrivals emerging from the jungle. The damp twists in her thick pelt indicated that she was quite sweaty, and he felt a pang of sympathy. She quickly found a resting spot beneath an overhanging branch. He looked back at his companions for a moment while he debated whether he should go speak with the painted pony. They seemed to be occupied, and he would not be out of their sight, so he turned back and strode across the loose warm sand toward the stranger.

As he neared, he noticed that her eyes were closed. Because of this, he stopped his approach sooner than he might have otherwise. She looked so peaceful that he hated to disturb her, but here he was. It would be better if he announced himself now rather than waiting until she opened her eyes to find him staring at her. A soft whicker of greeting escaped his throat before he said, “Hello, I’m Gnome.” He paused for a few moments to allow for her to respond before continuing. “The heat takes awhile to get used to. When I first got here, I found that wading out just far enough for the water to cover my legs was helpful.” Gnome hoped that she wouldn’t be cross with him; he was simply trying to be welcoming.

Gnome