Going north had been a great idea. As aware as he was of the close proximity to the Basin and the dangers the inhabitants could pose to him, the threat of a heatstroke was far more imminent than any unicorn attack. Thus, for once Lace had made a rare journey to the distant icy tundra in search of a milder climate, where the sun didn't beat quiet as harshly.

He might have expected more snow to cover the ground, but even though the glacier to the east was one of the few white areas that remained after the relentless gnawing of the summers heat it was much better than the mind-numbing wall of dry, humid air that clung around the coasts. Much, much better, to the point where he even had the energy to explore the green tundra as he roved along the edges of the frozen wall.

The vast plain was surprisingly full of life. The wildlife inhabiting these arctic regions had their busiest period of life at this time of year and every hill, every burrow and small shrub was alive with activity. Frenetic to the point of seeming hectic he watched birds fly through the sky, lemmings and hares running for their lives with foxes chasing after them in order to feed growing cubs. It was a world the lonely stallion had never taken the time to witness before, and he found himself stunned to silence as his mind opened to something he should have realized long ago; that the horses weren't the only ones living to the fullest in Helovia.

"The arrogance of us must seem endless to the others" he murmured, passing the thought along to the dragon that soared high above ground, she too joining in with the system by hunting to fill the hole in her belly. She had little time for the woes of her bonded, but even though she was in the middle of something she couldn't resist returning a smug thought, a glittering sensation of congratulation and a sense of 'about-bloody-time'.

The silver-maned stallion snorted, too used to the snarky nature of his friend to even bother putting up an act of hurt - he actually agreed with her, but was loath to admit his own stupidity, even to himself.
"Not stupidity" Fajira said mildly, to the surprise of the equine, "only narrow mind and egoistic."

Ouch. That actually did hurt for real. But before he had a chance to retort the dragon closed herself in and Lace found himself standing alone on the grass-clad plain, feeling smaller than he had for a very long time.