Jeez, even the unicorns looked like hoarfrost.

I looked over my shoulder at the stallion that I had summoned with my oh-so-elegant bugle for guidance, if that’s what the hell it was supposed to be. My eyes grazed over him a bit, not at all interested in what he looked like but really assessing what sort of a threat he could be to me. He was large; he wasn’t monstrous. He had horns and a large ass; he didn’t seem all that aggressive to me. In fact, I think I scared the poor bastard, as he was looking at me with a wariness that was different than mine—wariness tinged with a stunned look instead of menacing, like he hadn’t really expected to see me.

*"You!"*

I flicked my tail at him and snorted. “What?” I said back—well, more like bit back. Yeah, whatever, bud. I’d’ve fought him but I was busy doing other shit so….well.

*"Are you in need of aid?"*

“No,” I said stubbornly, which was wrong everywhere and by every way because I didn’t know where I was going and I was freezing to death every second I wasted in this place. But it wasn’t really a lie, either, because I was rejecting the thought of someone accompanying me. I liked the solitude a little too much right then; I guess I liked shouting into the wind and ice, into nothing and letting my own voice echo around me. I shook my head, vigorously, as though trying to knock away the insolent, stupid answer I had given before and getting a fresh start. “Yes,” I said, “I’m looking for someplace called the Aurora Basin. Heard of it?”

From so far away, I couldn’t tell the scratches on his horns were actual things, runes that would’ve meant nothing to me even if I could see them. As far as I could tell, he had just gotten out of a fight himself, or stuck his head somewhere and got the shit scratched out of him. I dunno man, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to be so rude to strangers—that happened before and I’m pretty sure I almost got my soul burned out of me. Thing is, it wasn’t like I was going to change anytime soon, though. One, maybe two lessons at a time was enough, and I wasn’t in any sort of mood to be nice. The dude right here seemed like an older guy—he could get over it.




@[Torleik]



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