My thoughts are the cold kind,
I've got storm clouds brewing behind my eyes

Not a day went by without the cold-skinned little filly sending a thought of thanks to Iona for giving her the enchanted bracelet. If she could, she would have thanked the creator of the item too, because it was a life savor in these hot, cloudless days. While incapable of reducing the temperature it granted blessed reprieve from the glaring light of the sun, enveloping its wearer in a bubble of night that extended as far as her eyes could see. Some might find the endless darkness tedious, but not Erthë. Night was her favorite time of day, its shadows her playground and the muted colors were to her so much more intriguing than the brilliance of the day.

Ordinarily she would have waited until the actual night fell before venturing out onto the meadow to graze, but she was hungry and thirsty and not really in the mood for waiting around. Finding fresh grass was not an easy task however. What wasn't brown and wilted had grown tough and chewy from lack of water, the earth was hard and cracked. With each step a cloud of dust rose up, to hover indefinitely in the still air. Only by the river did the grass still grow lush and green, clinging to muddy banks and huddling in the shade beneath scattered groves of trees - too hardy to wilt from a mere season of drought, yet in peril none the less as fires sprung up to lip at root and branch.

Gingerly, wary of getting trapped in the thick, sucking mud Erthë picked her way down the steep banks of the river. The water was brown and thick with sediment, creeping along far below its usual levels. It was water none the less though, and for all that it was lukewarm and tasted heavily of clay it eased the thirst and brought much needed relief to her parched throat. Deep, happy swallows were followed by a crash and unabashed splashing as she pawed the surface with milky cloves, a sigh of relief escaping her when the liquid rushed over her legs and sprayed the back and neck.

Grimy trails stained the pale coat while droplets rolled off the shapely body, dying porcelain in hues of brown and gray. But the filly just waded deeper into the stream - she couldn't care less what she looked like, especially when there was no one around to look at her. Cool was more important than clean right now, and to further emphasize this she worked her magic on the water, so that chunks and pebbles of ice soon bobbed around her in a slush nearly as thick as the mud.

"Oh, that's so much better" she sighed, closing her eyes in a shudder of delight as the ice cooled and soothed her sweaty hide. "Dear Time God, could you consider speeding this season up a bit? People are suffering here..."

Or maybe it was the Sun she should pray to, for a bit of mercy on the poor mortals who had to live under the oppression of his 'love'. Too bad they weren't on a first name and asking favors basis. At any rate, it could not be said enough that Erthë looked forward to the end of Tallsun. Any season was better than this one. Give her a blizzard any time. Please.

Erthë

And my heart will be blacker than your eyes
when I'm through with you