I wanted to pretend that nothing had changed since last we were together, but of course denying what we all knew was virtually impossible. Lives had been altered, paths had been transformed, and those memories of what used to be were becoming just as distant as the horizon. I knew that much and I assumed both Ghost and Elsa felt the same. It was just happenstance that we had all come together again to face the ramifications left unheeded after the invasion. No one enjoyed withstanding the pain of truth and perhaps that’s why I’d fled Helovia in the first place. Of course, running from the past felt more like an ‘easy out’ than any revival strategy; I guess that’s just the workings behind the curtain when the show comes to an end. I’d always been better at running than facing the music anyway… I assumed it was a trait passed down by my father and later reluctantly embraced by his stubborn daughter. So much for walking in different figurative shoes- I’d completely emulated everything he’d ever done two times over. Everyone had their demons though, including Ghost it seemed.

Though it was hard for me to say for certain, the quiet way in which the raven-colored mare regarded me made me think there was something on her mind. She spoke as though she was reminiscing earlier times, and maybe she was, but reminiscing didn’t always lead to better, faraway days. Sometimes it took the mind to dark corners of the memory where nothing but pain existed in a wasteland of empty ambitions. I’d visited that place too many times to count and found that avoiding the past altogether was far more beneficial and perhaps weak-minded. It pained me to imagine Ghost walking down a similar road, but there was nothing I could do to keep her from doing so. It was best to let sleeping dogs lie… or wander in her case. However, I was stricken with guilt when the Cadaverous admitted to wishing she’d found me earlier. It hurt me to realize that I hadn’t been around to find. “I wish things had happened differently for all of us,” I responded matter-of-factly. My gaze was not hard, but most certainly unwavering. The Hidden Falls had been the tie that held us all together and those ties had been cut when both the Edge and the Basin saw it fit to watch us bleed.

Distractedly, I turned my attention to Fantôme and I watched as Romul bent his crooked snout toward the younger wolf’s shoulder. They were such simple creatures in my opinion. They were meant for pack life and often found ways to work easily within a hierarchy that still remained a mystery to me. Was that what had happened when the Falls was overtaken? Were we the subservient class meant to kneel before the Alphas? A slight grimace graced my lips as I listened to Ghost impart her recent whereabouts, and watched silently as Elsa struggled to put it all together. We all carried our burdens a little differently and somehow where one fell short, the other made up for it. That was what I had missed during my time alone… I missed my family and it appeared that I wasn’t alone. “No amount of trying could have saved us Ghost. We just weren’t prepared and that’s a fact that you shouldn’t have to question. It was never any fault of yours, but our own ability to place in trust in those who shouldn’t have been trusted,” I related almost angrily. No amount of trying could ever bury the rage left behind by the invasion, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise. I knew that my words were still somewhat unfeeling and moreover unhelpful, but how could I comfort someone when I could barely comfort myself?

Moving on to less dense topics felt like a relief from the fire burning within, but that flame was only ignited when Elsa claimed to have taken up residence back in the World’s Edge. I couldn’t blame her, much less be angry with her for taking an opportunity when it was presented, but there was a soft-edged blade against my heart that threatened to spur my skepticism and doubt. Ghost on the other had had gone south to the Dragon’s Throat after a run-in with a beast named Archibald. Though I knew it was brash of me to desire it, I wished revenge on the creature that would lay a hand on the Cadaverous, my former Leader. “The Edge is a beautiful place Elsa… the land itself captivates the soul. Just be careful of its secrets,” I tried calmly, without success. My eyes wandered the soft planes of her face and found her genuine heart there in her loving stare. I hated to imagine any life not built on honesty for the lady of the snow, but was happy enough to know that the land by the sea was likely remastered by hands not stained by deceit. “I too found comfort in the Throat for a time before my leave,” I informed lightly. “However, I guess I’m looking to rejoin the family life. Being alone hasn’t been good for my health,” I joked with a slight wink. Yet, where could I go now that was not a land estranged from my heart?