From high above, a gryphon cried.

Her figure was nearly invisible to the naked eye, a spiraling bird of prey with too long a tail far above equine crown. She adored the cold winter air, sending me flashes of her own adrenaline as she challenged the lack of oxygen and arctic winds, her thick frostfall coat the only defense she bore against the elements. I confess, it terrified me to no end, the way she would lift and dive as though gravity and death were mere playthings to her small yet regal mind. I took some tiny comfort in the fact that were her wings to give out, her fall would at least be softened by snow- small, meaningless comfort, coupled with weary resignation at the knowledge that I was doomed to never rescue my Kali from her reckless ways, abandoned to the ground as she took in the brilliance of the sky above, a shadow to her youthful splendor.

Such melodramatic thoughts I had been entertaining of late, ever since I withdrew back into my chasm of solitude. I could only handle an overload of fools and damsels for so long; and in the end, isn't that all there is in the world, knightly knaves and fluttering femmes? My hooves pressed into crunchy snow, golden contrast against their old blackened state. It is still so strange to me, the dusting of dusky, gold stars that climbs my legs and adorns my underside, the shimmering milky way that encroaches on my flanks. I suppose it sort of matches the crescent already on my rump, but damn it that isn't just what I wanted in life, another marking to make me stand out from the crowd. The hooves change their pace now, kicking snow rather than crushing it, a childish pout that permeates my entire body and brings my spirits down.

Perhaps I am indulging the melodrama. Just a little.

The urgent tug of Kali against my mind forces me to withdraw from my own broodings; she sends me excited thoughts of others, strangers, shiny. I cringe - Let's leave them alone, but she is adamant in her curiosity, and will not be stopped by the strength of my ideas. I can see the small party in the distance now, partially blurred by the fluttering snow and misty frost - in the haze I make out three, perhaps four, with some black and white stallion the center of their gathering. Kali cries again, her descent coming swift; through dark eyes I watch her land amongst them, cursing under my breath and begging her to be careful. She does not yet understand that she is a predator, and equines here will not always welcome her. But she is ignoring me, the little brat, and I pick up a loping canter, irritated at being drawn out of my solitude.

I focus on our bond, keeping tabs on my little gryphon even as I near the group. Kali's blue eyes had already scrutinized the collection from the air; from her perch on the ground she chirps a greeting to the snowy owl, an avian sound to what she believes must be some lost cousin on her raptor side (the poor little chick is not). It is as her attention shifts to the speaking unicorn that I finally catch the group, slowing down to a walk before striding into their midst. There were four, all unknown but Mauja the FrostKing, who I prayed had been too occupied with burning of his home when last we met to recognize me now. A pegasus, mildly familiar, seemed to be the only the only thing keeping a little grey equine from bolting away; poor girl, she looked positively terrified by the brusque unicorn. Who, while perhaps not the most striking stranger physically, at least seemed to have some grasp on what was going on, while the others floundered through pleasantries.

His words about the snow brought a faint smile to my face, a glint of mischief that had not touched my eye for what felt like weeks. "Static, or perhaps the more volatile then you'd like to think." Kali comes to wrap around my legs apologetically as I speak, purring deeply and clenching her wings to her sides for warmth. The snow buries her to her knees, and she finds it delightful, trying desperately to get a good bite out of the stuff. My words hang in the air like a cloud, an abrupt segue into a conversation not designed for me, a spectre suddenly apparated into their reverent circle; and I gaze languidly at the black unicorn with the electric horn, wondering how he will take my challenge, and finding myself actually excited for the answer.