A soft anxiety bloomed in my chest as the darkness of nightfall cast long shadows along the stiff grounds of the Threshold. I feared that Rekshana and I would not reach the Edge in time and, for one, did not want to suffer through the venomous cold of FrostFall when the sun went down… Turning slowly to face her while pausing in my descent from the claiming grounds, I cast her a fervent, pleading look. “Please forgive me dear, but we have quite a long journey ahead and with only a short amount of precious daylight remaining to guide us home, we need to be quick.” With one last apologetic smile, I gathered myself and launched into a gaited trot. My haunches felt sore and stiff from the jarring impact of the uneven ground beneath my hooves, but the muscles eventually settled after about a mile. I tried to keep an even pace so that the mare might be able to keep her wits about her after facing the burdensome task of venturing to Helovia, but I had faith that she would fare well due to her breeding.
She possessed long legs in spite of her height and her slender build was probably more adept for speed and stamina than I. However, I knew that I could run with the best of them if the situation were urgent enough and I felt that returning to the World’s Edge before nightfall classified as such. As the sun began to hide its rounded face beyond the horizon, I glanced to my right to find the soft rays of its parting level along the mare’s painted back. It tinted her auburn splashed hide in oranges and reds and they danced along her skin as she fell into step beside me. We didn’t have much longer before the shattered glass wall of the Edge indicated our arrival and so I slowed, knowing that she was probably just as worn by now as I- if not more.
“Our destination is just ahead now. I suppose we can take this moment to catch our breath and relax.” In truth, my muscles burned protested from the long trek, yet the sensation was natural and soothing. I didn’t miss the way I’d felt in the uncharted world, a world in which my body ached for a new multitude of reasons. Food and water had been hard to come by and the lack of substance had made warding off predators and threats all the more difficult. I didn’t get to stretch my legs as much for fear that I’d suffer from exhaustion and eventually death… But here in Helovia, this awareness felt phenomenal. I missed being able to test my strength and my weaknesses. I wondered if Rekshana would feel the same. Safety in numbers gave one freedom and the ability to indulge and that was one of the sole reasons I was grateful to the life that the Edge and consequently Mirage had given me.
As the glass wall finally came into sight, I cleared my throat in hopes that she would recognize the gesture as one of suggestion. I wanted her to glimpse the failing light peering through the cracks of the crumbling wall and the way the mist waited to greet us just inside. She didn’t know of the Edge’s history and how the wall had come to face such ruin, but it made my home appear timeless and wonderful all the same. “This is the Edge, now your home. Come, you now have a family eager to meet you.” With that, I moved toward the narrow passage that parted the crystalline barrier. My song lifted above the fog, hoping to lull my kin and now Rekshana’s to come and greet our newest sister. |
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