The journey was long. As their hooves moved north, the temperature dropped until snow was swirling around them. Ulrik's beard had turned black bronze and now white as little flakes caught in the long, tangled fibers. His chest hair kept the stallion warm, keeping his body functioning despite the adjustment. Still, the sun had yet to rise, and he was still powerless. The pair of stallions had walked completely up the map, through the meadow and across the land mass that bridged the icy, northern bay.
Large, deer-like prints followed in his wake as he walked, his cloven hooves combined with his weight and height making an interestingly unique impression in the snow. The full moon reflected off of the powdery white surface, making the bronze-eyed creature squint as he sought the mountains that hid the valley of their home. A sigh moved past his lips along with a white puff of smoke, his breath condensing from warm lungs.
A whimper of discomfort from his pup alerted Ulrik to his companion. He could feel the ache in the growing boy's paws, so the stallion reached over, bending his massive neck down to gather the fluffy thing in his mouth, gently. Then, he reached around and set the pup on his broad back before his swaying gait picked up again in a walk. At the base of the mountain, a pass could be seen that rose at a decent grade with two pillars of rock heralding each side.
"We call this place the Aurora Basin," he said, the deep voice raspy and guttural. "The night has been long, and the sky unnatural. The colors of the sky have been absent for nearly a season now, I believe. Even the power I possess seems to have left me..." Ulrik trailed with another sigh. He turned to his stoic companion briefly and offered a small, mad smile before continuing into the valley.
The mountains sheltered the land, allowing tough, salty winter grasses to grow. A lake that was never frozen took up some space in the valley, and caves provided shelter along the mountain's ridges. The metal, machine wolf that Ulrik had broke a few days ago was now a snowy, lifeless heap near the lake, and he looked at it with no small measure of disappointment. "The lake never freezes, and the grasses are tough. Still, this is home."
"Well, sometimes, for me. I do not actively affiliate myself. Politics undo me, but I am welcome here."
@[Torleik]
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