The darkness was suffocating, but it had been that way for days on end. Or so she thought. In all honesty, the shadow-mare had lost track of time without the path of the sun to guide her, and she suspected that many others felt the same. She had adjusted as well as may be, of course, for it had been imperative that she do so. If she could survive, then she could assist her herd. And so she wandered among them, giving tips here and there for how to survive. It had become bitterly cold in the reaches of the northlands, for they did not have the sun to warm their days. Instead, the endless night blanketed them in layer after layer of snow and ice, and eventually the main source of heat in the Aurora Basin was the hot spring. Even the aurora borealis for which they valley was named had been unusually absent, leaving them with only infrequent, eerily glowing trees to light their way.

She had taken to suggesting that they group by the springs. It was a bit colder, of course, to be in the open, what with the frigid wind that passed through the mountains, but the hot springs radiated a bit of heat, and in this particular season, a bit of heat could make all the difference. She herself had tried to find warmth elsewhere, but the caves were all hard icy walls and dampness, and she was afraid that should they group there, they would all catch pneumonia and die. And so they huddled, day in and day out (or so they assumed) before the springs, none of them chancing a dip for fear of freezing when they emerged. Instead, she, along with her harem, tried to enjoy what little warmth the springs gave off before it was whisked away by the mountain chill.

The DarkEmpress found herself caught up in thinking more often than not, for none of them particularly felt like talking. As soon as she opened her mouth, her teeth began to chatter despite the thick layers she had put on since assuming leadership of the Basin. Though the rest of the world also suffered through the blackness, she feared that they in the north bore the worst of it, and it was this more than anything that scared her. They had enemies, too many to ignore, and it would be the perfect time for an invasion. The dark would disguise their approach; the snow would muffle their hoofbeats. She could not seem to shake the feeling that she was being watched, could not escape the notion that at any moment, they might find themselves under attack. The only thing that calmed her was that to get to the Basin, any would-be army would have to pass through the unprotected Steppe. At least here, they had the mountains to break the wind; out there, it was all piles of snow and frigid gusts. Yes, they were safe, for now, though she warned them all against traveling outside the mountains.

She walked now around the grouping of her herd, much closer than she might normally be to conserve warmth. Each time she reached the edge of the spring, she turned to stalk in the other direction. Amber gaze roved restlessly against the darkness, trying to pick out shapes that didn't exist. She was simply a shadow, the darkness of her pelt blending with the shadows, the ivory adornments on her legs invisible save for the scant lighting from the glow-trees. She could almost be someone else entirely, if not for the way she held herself, for despite her anxiety, she still pulled herself up regally, still watched the land with a look of scorn on her face. Let them come, the shadows; or, rather, let them try.

[OOC | Open to any for some Psyche bonding time! Just try to post only if you'll be able to respond fairly quickly ;)]

@[tag]
"Talk talk talk."