Lone Star Mountain engine no.9

He stilled when Mulherin looked at him, trying to assess the other yearling’s expression. He looked almost… disappointed. Cambria shifted his weight, watching as that expression morphed into one of polite curiosity. If he wasn’t who Mulherin expected, he at least wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to creep on you, he said, then amended, actually, I guess I did. I did deliberately follow you here. His lips twitched as he took a step toward Mulherin. You can tell me if you’d rather not be bothered. It won’t hurt my feelings. I was just… Cambria paused, taking a breath as he searched for the right words. You looked agitated, so I wanted to make sure you were alright.

It was the most he’d spoken in a while, perhaps in his life. He was a little surprised by his own verbosity, which manifested in a slightly owlish look on his pale features.