It felt like insects were chewing into her skin. Each fresh tear pulsing with every beat of her heart. Her eyes fluttered open and closed as she tried to center her mind to rise above the agony she felt. Her dark eyes stared at the first thing she could focus on. A small tuff of grass that was somehow holding onto life in this cold and barren cliff of rock. This simple tiny green source of sustenance and life, clinging on without soil or nutrients but still it was there. Being of a humble heart she connected with this. All she could focus on was this green grass waving in the bursts of the cold bone chilling wind. It gave her hope.

She could barely notice the stallion as he approached until he was standing above her. She realized how out of it that her senses and her hearing were when she didn’t pick up on his hooves clicking on the stone. She looked up at him slowly. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Everything sounded like she was beneath an ocean, sounded like a bomb had just gone off and all she could hear was the ringing. Just the fact of him being here created a second surge of hormones coursing through her body. She couldn’t even hear his first words but she caught his second sentence of tunes that he prescribed her way. She can’t see very well but she looked right at him, right where she could see in the faint lines of his face, right into his eyes. She stared at him for what seemed forever in her mind. Is this an illusion? Are you real? All she wanted to do was nod yes and tell him that she is fine but as the words sunk in she closed her eyes hard, her face wrinkling as to hold back the tears, and she swung her head right and left to silently and tell him no.

She then began to repeat his name in her head, Astarot, Astarot, Astarot. She would never forget this if this was real at all. Her eyes opened again as he began to speak and move all at once. He moved to her good side and laid down beside her. She didn’t know what to think and at this moment she wasn’t thinking very much. Touch is also something very important and cherished to those who cannot see very well. The instant he drew close to her all she wanted was to curl up next to him. She even tried to use her legs to scoot closer to him. This task was quickly given up. The shock of what had just happened was still setting in.

Astrid was about to accept the offer of the stallion when one of the most interesting and stunning horses she had ever seen came up the trail towards her. She was distinctly blue. Astrid could only think she really must be dreaming. She even smelled like the ocean.

Hello both of you. I…I…I’v seen to have gotten myself in a predicament.

She gave the best effort of a smile as she could to the female before she looked over to the male. His offer was still fresh in her mind and as mesmerizing as the blue mare is all she wanted to do was barrow some of the warmth from Astarot. She opened her good wing wide and over the male’s body trying to signal to him that she would not mind his presence at all. She remembered the words both of them had spoken and instead of responding to each of them individually she decided to save time and combine her answer. She looked first to the azure mare before returning her gaze to the crème stallion and back to the mare as she spoke the words.

I don’t know, I don’t have a home…but Astarot said there is a herd nearby…with healers! Maybe we can go there and someone will know what to do! I mean if you don’t mind helping me…Do you know where this herd is?

Her words were slow and unsteady at first but by the end her tone of voice rose and peaked as she spoke. She finally began to feel the cold. The presence of them was enough for the adrenaline to drop in her body and she experienced her first shiver from cold. She turned back to Astarot and reached out her muzzle towards him. She was trying to stay strong but deep down all she wanted was to be comforted.



"Talk."