Common

His words had hit their mark, and as the tension dissolved from Mercy's frame, so too did his own. His ears pricked with interest to hear that she was newly washed-up on the islands; this explained why she was unfamiliar with the Common's reputation. His hazel eyes gave her the once-over again quickly, knowing from personal experience how large a task it was swimming here from the continent, but she did not appear any worse for the wear from her ordeal.

"So I get to be your tour guide?" he replied with a grin and put on a stilted, faux-serious tone as if he had been hired to do just that. "Well, Mercy, you find yourself on the Lost Islands. This particular area is called the Common, a section of the largest island known as the Crossing." He gestured with his muzzle at their autumnal surroundings.

Then his voice grew more serious for real, and he levelled his gaze with Mercy's as though he was sharing a secret.

"To be honest… this is my first time here. I have an idea of what happens, but I don't know how much to believe. All I know is that, well, horses disappear. You looked so pretty and peaceful sleeping here, though, I felt like I could forget all that for a minute. I hope you don't begrudge me making sure you were okay."