Dark clouds formed around me, trapping the light as winter's grip reached out to pull me in. I beat my wings harder, knowing I was close to the Sanctuary I had called home in a breathless, temporary whisper. I yearned for the warmth of the sun, the feel of the sand under my hooves. I could nearly taste the salt in the air, wafted from the waves of the ocean that matched my eyes on bright days. It had been far too long since I was in the kingdom of the silver bay mare with her primitive guard. Still, the desire kept the blood pumping from my heart to my hooves, to the tips of my wings, and it brought me back.

I was stronger now. The trauma was gone, my wounds were healed, and I was ready to face Gaucho and Kri with my head held high.

They would not be disappointed in me.

As winter thunder rolled in the clouds around me I descended. The ground came closer and closer, and a familiar flicker entered my vision. It was the heart of Helovia, an ever-burning place just outside of the Dragon's Throat. I had made it, which did surprise me, as the last time I traveled from the tip of Helovia to the Throat, I was on hoof, and I was in and out of consciousness. Once I was near enough to the hard packed earth I tucked in my silvery wings, resting them tight against my ribs. My dark nostrils flared as I took in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the familiar ash and dust. It was warm here with the fire, no snow in sight, though I knew it would be packed tight in the meadow just miles behind me. On trained, cloven hooves I stepped around the heart, its fire throwing hues of orange, red and yellow to dance on my desaturated figure. A familiar sort of comfort would have washed over me, had it not been for the sight of the cave entrance. It was new. Blinking, my ears flicked like rapid satellites on my crown, trying to catch sounds that would threaten me. "What the hell?"

I untucked my wings and let them drape gently at my sides, though the muscles in my shoulders and legs tightened--I was ready to leap into flight at any moment. Snorting, in a most unlady-like manner, I stalked towards the cave entrance. My curiosity trapped me, and the reunion with the Dragon's Throat would have to wait. With a lash of my tail I inspected the cave entrance, beaten down to a well-worn path from many hooves. Was there a fucking mass exodus to this cave? The stone around it was painted heavily with markings of hooves, horns, paws, claws and the like. This underground system must have seen a lot of action. Indignantly I lifted my head and snorted once more. "Hello!" I called out, my voice booming and bouncing off of the stone and heart-fire to echo around me, reverberating a sound no other than I had heard in the weeks of my travel.

[Welcome to any!]