Nightfall came early that night, as the whistling wind finally abated. The falling snow seemed almost loud in the eerie stillness that followed, and Erthë realized that she kept holding her breath as she slowly walked through the white-dusted forest. Not a sound could be heard save for her own breath and the soft creak as her cloves packed the snow under each step, the cold blood that rushed through her veins and the gentle beat of her own heart. No birds called in the gathering dark. The few that had remained for the winter had hidden away from the storm, one of many that had ravaged the coast these past few days. All animals were gone too; only when the sun finally peaked through the clouds again or hunger drove them out of their dens and hiding places would the forest at the edge of the world come alive again.

For now, she seemed to be the only one there. It was a peculiar feeling, eerie and wonderful and bittersweet all at the same time. She was used to being on her own, accustomed to the great stillness of the earth and the deafening silences created when no voices called out to fill it. But this lull was not one she usually expected to find in this particular forest. Her home was one of life and action, a thriving community of individuals where someone always moved about and someone always was within hailing distance. Now... it felt deserted. Abandoned, as if all the horses had gone south with the migrating birds, blown away by the raging winter winds.

As she roved the darkening woodlands Erthë tried to imagine what it would be like, living in the Edge all by herself. No kings or queens to rely on and go to for answers, no warriors to protect the border or healers to patch you up if you scrubbed a knee or got a runny nose... There would be no foals running about on spindly legs, all laughter and sunshine even in the midst of pouring rain, no gatherings of mares on the cliff-side meadow to spread the latest gossip and call cheery greetings as she passed, all while keeping a watchful eye on the romping youngsters, always too close to the edge for comfort. It was a lonely vision, but somehow the girl imagined that even if no one else remained, the moon would still shine brightly upon the forest, as it always did when she thought of it.

Wading through a snowdrift, she noticed that several trees had fallen. Victims of the icy onslaught, their evergreen branches lay scattered across the ground with roots sprawling high in the air, already cloaked in white. She tried to be careful as she picked her way across the debris, but despite her efforts she still sucked in breath with a startled yelp as the ground gave way before her feet, bringing her front crashing down into the icy waters of a creek, still running deep and swift beneath the snow. The jolt as her forelegs smacked into the rocky riverbed made her wince; biting back the pain the pale girl looked up and breathed in deeply, wishing the pain would just... wash away with the water.

But why should it. She had not done anything to earn such blessings, and miracles were never free.

She breathed out, a long, slow sigh that did nothing to cloud the cold air. It was no matter. The world was cold and beautiful again; why ever should she ask for more?

ERTHË

I think of love but let it pass
It       feels       like         fire    
but it won't last