A cold chill ran down my spine due to the shifting wintry gales upon my back and I could nearly taste the apprehension radiating between the both of us now. The painted woman looked at me with the very same uncertainty that I felt when looking right back. It was strange moment that passed slowly between us before I shook the sensation from my thoughts- and quite literally so. When the thick chords of my forelock finally settled back into place, I glanced sideways at the mare as she offered me her name. She didn’t say much else and from what I knew of her, I didn’t expect much either. She didn’t share where she had come from or what she hoped to find here which, while frustrating, was a complete relief. I had expected her to be similar to the rest of the new recruits I’d finagled away from the Threshold, but she was quieter… serene even. “I guess I could start with the inevitable. I come to offer you refuge in my homeland, the Edge. However, I assume you’ll need to know the basics of Helovia before making any decisions.”

I looked at her fully now, my eyes glassy from the icy climate. It was a harsh day to be standing amidst the weather but, I had chosen another route instead of cowering within the Edge as formerly planned. I was glad that this poor mare wouldn’t have to face yet another day just waiting... That felt like a crime itself considering the heavy cold that made the air still and eerily silent. It had been robbed of life just as Helovia had been. There were no summer tunes wafting over the treetops from careless birds in flight. There were no gurgling streams winding their way through the dense forests to some destination unknown. Life had been rendered lifeless by the coming of FrostFall and while the cold season was a beautiful thing to witness, other benefits failed to appear even on the brightest of days.

“There are four herds residing here in Helovia, the World’s Edge being one of them. We are a family built on peace and equality. Out sister herd, the Dragon’s Throat, is very similar concerning ideals, but they yield more warriors due to their school. They train Equines, Unicorns, and Pegasi alike in various regions of daily life. The Hidden Falls is still very unknown to myself because I have just returned to Helovia from a long leave… I do believe that they are as fruitful as any other herd if I stand correct.” I paused to take a long, shaky breath before continuing in muted tones. “The Aurora Basin is a land ruled by Unicorns meant for Unicorns alone. I wouldn’t wander there unless you’re looking for trouble… However, if none of those appeals to you then you are free to do as you like in the Wilds.”

I cast a weary glance to the sun that now appeared to have settled high in the sky, silently reminding myself that I would need to start the trek back to the Edge and soon. I did not want to be caught in the bone-chilling temperatures of nightfall when it chose to blanket the land in darkness. I glanced quickly to the painted mare. She was an apprehensive thing, but I hoped that she would be able to make a decision this big in a matter of moments because I had no intentions of risking my own safety in the harsh weather for her to decline my attentions. “I of course, as I’ve mentioned before, would value your company back to the Edge where you might find comfort and warmth from the night. Our King and Queen are fair and righteous leaders and I do believe that you would find our amenities to your utmost liking- plus, I’ll be there.” I winked at her dramatically before letting a precarious laugh fall from my lips in a heated wave.


If she needed a friend, I would be one. We all needed someone to lean on every now and again, didn’t we?

Thor