( Backdated, takes place after this thread. Snö and Aury (?) first, then anyone from the herd is welcome. ^^ )

Evening, light breezes.

It had been a pleasant surprise waiting for him in the Threshold - none other than a very familiar snow-powdered semi-chestnut frost-covered filly, albeit slightly larger than the one he'd held in his mind's eye for so long. In his memory, she'd been small; in his mind, he'd wondered how she'd grown, and even tried to picture it a few times, but he had no previous experience of rearing foals and no filly of a similar age to reference against. It wasn't until he saw her in reality that he realized how much time he'd spent thinking about her, and how much time he'd spent trying to not think about Psyche. And it wasn't until he saw her in reality that he realized how much love he'd kept pent up in his heart, with no outlet. It was like relief, having a burden off your shoulders, to see her alive, have her by his side again - know that she was where she wanted to be, and that it was with him. That Aurelius had shown up had been a good distraction, because otherwise he likely would've been overcome with haywire emotions. Snö had soon lost patience with them, and taken off at a run to the Edge. They'd been left with no real option besides following her, and he'd been content with their pace. Snö was a foal still and Aurelius was short, so they'd been evenly matched in pace after a while, and Mauja had stayed with them despite being able to outrun them both.

It wasn't until the Edge came into sight that he nudged her neck in passing, calling out "Race ya!" and disappearing to the thunder of hooves over dry earth. It trembled beneath him as he took off, knowing it was a foul move to leave his kid and herd mate to eat dust, but he had a feeling Snö wouldn't approve of a staged victory. Or she was going to chew him out for winning, because he was larger. Perhaps she'd do both, as in, no matter what he did she'd find something to growl about to him. Tossing his head he let his body work, enjoying the steady rhythm of both legs and heart, the feeling of the wind whispering across his skin as the shadows lengthened, deepened. The sun set in a spectacular display of blood and vibrant orange, before paling out into peach and violet. Soon the darkness from the east would claim the heavens and bring with it its entourage of stars, flocking around the Moon herself. The ground slanted upwards but Mauja powered on, not caring about the sweat that lathered his flanks and chest as his large hooves found footing. It felt good to run, as if he could outrun the misery of the weather, the misery of the world, the misery of everyfuckingthing.. But it would catch up, as it always did, and then he'd be stuck in it again until he grew strong enough to right the wrongs of the world. Having Snö back made it feel lighter, more possible.

He plunged into a world of charred, broken trees, scattered burnt-off limbs and a carpet of ash. There, on the border of his home, the monarch stopped, sides heaving and nostrils wide, gulping in the briny air. Still, there was nothing exhausted about him, just something quietly triumphant and regal - his head was tall, tail lifted slightly, something youthful in his cold-colored gaze. A breeze stirred his mane and tail, tugging at his black feathers, and when foal and herd mate came into view he gave them a rakish grin. "Welcome Snö," he said, eyes taking on a sad cast. "To my ruined home, the Edge." Following the words came a deep, thundering cry, carried off by the winds to echo among the trees; there was new blood, to meet.