Frost was beginning to dust over Anthe, a kiss of fine crystals growing along the edges of her feathers and shimmering against the void of her hair. She sighed, the action visible in the arctic air. Step by painful step, the young mare picked her way between the bare trees, occasionally casting a glance skyward only to be met with the promise of more snow from heavy-bellied clouds. The forest was eerily quiet, every living thing having had the sense to seek shelter in the warmth and sleep the cold away (every living thing except her, the eternally underprepared). She stopped frequently, every joint in her body having gone numb and stiff from overuse and improper care. The tree nearest her side helped to hold her up and Anthe only pulled her wings tighter around her body, peering out carefully into the bitter white world.

As it happened, it became apparent that Anthe was not the only creature who lacked the sense to seek out solace somewhere warmer. He landed near her and she turned, shouldering off of the tree to stand stiffly braced in front of him. The look of him was brilliant and Anthe could feel her curiosity stretch from its slumber in her mind as she ran her gaze over every inch of him. He was large and sightly (though, in respect to delicate stature, most things were considered ‘large’ on the size scale). He also might have been handsome, but Anthe had never been particularly attracted by one’s looks, so she couldn’t have been completely certain. He spoke and she stood there, blinking at him dumbly as she tried to catch up. “Helovia.” Well that solved one mystery, although Anthe supposed that knowing the name of where she’d landed didn’t really make much of a difference until she’d thoroughly learned about it.

Bringing her icy eyes up to meet his fiery ones, she let her name slip simply from her lips. “I’m Anthe.” …Of a nameless, faceless place far far away from here. Her inner voice was slightly cynical and she couldn’t help but laugh once, to herself. That was a story she was not yet ready to tell and should Hector ask her (which she hoped he didn’t), she would casually deflect his curiosity like she’d done so many times in the past. Slowly she inched closer to the larger stallion, her leaden feet dragging across the frosty ground as bright interest sparkled in her eyes. “You said you’re from a place called…The Dragon’s Throat? That sounds like a land worth exploring if I’ve ever heard one, could you tell me about it?” She paused, casting her gaze across the somber, frost-covered forest under the sullen, gray sky. “I do hope it’s warmer than it is here.” She paused then, nose wrinkled at the cloud of steam her words had caused to form in front of her face. Exhaustion still dragged on every muscle in Anthe’s body, but bright curiosity had flooded her veins, tiding over the weariness and holding it off yet again.