Voices filtered through the trees: a murmur like the wind at first, but low and broken. Valka’s ears pitched forward as she moved. Her toes skimmed short blades of grass as long legs turned deftly, languidly, beneath her. Home at last, and yet… An empty place, thought Valka. The mountains reared high and barren above, thrusting their white faces to the sky, and in their shadow… how many unicorns, exactly? Her father enjoyed solitude, Valka knew. Then was it only she who longed for company? For voices warm but clipped with brusque intelligence? The young mare turned to gaze with quiet eyes in the direction of the noise: a twig snapped here, the rustle of leaves. Unicorns? Wolves? Something else? She promised to step on it if the disturbance proved small.

Smoothly, then, she moved toward the sound – now the even distance of hooves on turf. She recognized that noise; lifted her head and blinked her mismatched eyes. Something pale hovered between the trunks – Snö! Valka recognized the color of rust lingering on the edges of Snö’s pallid hide. Gait lifted to a trot, Valka closed the distance between them rapidly and only when she drew close noticed the other shape: a dark unicorn, like one of the shadows themselves, standing some distance away. The horn rising above the black mare’s brow glinted with barbs like cancerous growths. For a moment Valka hesitated, silent, head up and cool eyes examining the stranger with a look of concern. Another of the Basin herd? At last? And dangerous, if looks meant anything. ”Hail,” Valka said at last, a little breathless. This other mare was small and yet… everyone within this place moved with such poise. Valka felt overlarge and clumsy once again. She drew her feet together and flicked her bicolored tail.

”It is good to see you once more, Snö,” she greeted the mare she knew first. The other lingered still some distance off and Valka wondered what they meant to do, and what was going on. Were they not friends? They did not stand together as Mauja had done. One ear flicking to betray confusion, Valka nodded and glanced at the other. ”Is this also one of our herd?” she wondered aloud. She spoke as if the other mare did not exist, but Valka watched the dark shape closely – marveling. Then, abruptly, her gaze snapped back to Snö, prepared to move if Snö moved, prepared to follow them wherever they were going – if, indeed, they were going anywhere.