The stillness of the Basin was fairly unsettling as the matron made her way across the snowy dips of the flat plains. She held no vices towards her homestead, though the cold and the quiet were often disconcerting. She wondered what part of the phrase “home sweet home” actually applied to the winter wasteland in which she now lived. Maybe there was nothing but the familiar hints of hatred that held them all together, or maybe she was the only one displeased with her circumstances. Whatever the case, she remained… Whether it was because she felt obliged or because she was finally acclimated to the frigid nights she spent in unrest was to be debated, but here she was still trudging through her distaste.

It was true, she felt lost on this path of life but what else could she do? She was tempted to ignore the problem altogether but then thought better of it. She pondered the strange affections she held for Murdock and the way that his eyes lit up when they fixed themselves on her own. Or maybe she was just a fool; maybe she> was the one who brightened at the sight of the Explorer. Everything was new when she was with him and while it made her feel weak, it also made her feel alive.

When Chernobyl stumbled upon the makeshift prison, she couldn’t help from peering inside; curiosity always seemed to get the best of her and for once… she was glad it had. Inside, the darkness seemed to fall over them both as Chernobyl stepped into the shadows. Her sides heaved with hesitation and though her heels clicked on the stony floor, she was completely and utterly silent. As her dark eyes adjusted to the dimness inside the hollow, she sighed. However, it wasn’t so much out of relief as much as shock. It was a soft rasping that carried through the crevice in which the star-dusted mare lay imprisoned. Chernobyl didn’t know her name or where she had come from, but suddenly her heart was wrenching from her chest.

She didn’t want to believe that Murdock had allowed her to feel… but there was something inside her heart that made her want to reach out and comfort the broken captive. She was unkempt and yet still wildly beautiful, so clearly out of place hidden away in the shadows of the Basin. Chernobyl had never seen such a creature for she looked to be made of magic and everything that the matron wished herself to be. But alas, as she gazed at the Pegasus she was suddenly aware of their vast differences. Tears wet the starry maiden’s cheek and it surprised Chernobyl to see the darkened trails of her pain. She had never seen sadness, but now that she had, she was certain that she would never forget it.

While the matron was unaware of Cassiopeia’s being the Throat’s oracle, she was vaguely aware of the power she possessed. For a moment she imagined what she must have looked like in all her freedom and it inspired the dark matron to move closer. She watched as the tears fell one by one before she was finally strong enough to find her voice in spite of the wall that separated them not only by species but in heart as well. “Steal yourself my dear… there are creatures far worse than I in this dark place and I would not have them thrive off of your weakness.” Her voice was a bear whisper as she peered between the metal bars that held her twilight sister and though it was a mysterious tie that led her to remain, something about her emotions made her cringe. She feared what would become of the other and what lay in her future, but as she tried to avoid the obvious truth, she decided that she could not witness another moment of the maiden’s suffering.

Quietly, Chernobyl turned back to the mouth of the hollow and wandered into the cold. At first she had planned to depart and never return but her heart sang out to the starry girl. She paused as if debating the decision even though she already knew she would return. However, this time she planned to revisit her with intent.

Lifting a jagged heel from the frozen ground below, she struck the snow-covered grasses beneath until they finally revealed themselves. When she had finished the task efficiently, she dipped her face to the brittle victual and snatched at the long threads of browned nourishment and then carried it back along the path from whence she came. As she clattered once more into the darkness of the hollow she pushed her narrow face against the cold bars of the dungeon and dropped the grasses within. After doing so, she turned away from the Pegasus in order to study the impending night. Dusk had fallen over them in deep purples and oranges and while it was distracting for a time, Chernobyl knew that she would have to face her actions for what they were.

She was not as careless as she had formerly thought. No, she could feel… even if she’d never wanted to.