The cold air rushes past her nostrils, stinging her windpipe and making her short of breath. High above the earth, Nasreen lets out a hoarse cough. She knows that in this season, she should take it easy; it is already strenuous on the lungs to fly where the air is thin, much less in the freezing cold. She is just so glad to be back in the sky, free of the terrible caves that had held her captive for weeks, that she can’t help herself.

Another cough forces her lower though, and Nasreen eases into a glide, dipping beneath the lowest layer of clouds. She has left the Edge for the day, simply for the joy of a journey. As always, Th’orqui lingers at the back of her mind, but for now, she is not actively searching for her lost home—she is simply glad to be alive and free.

Flying lower, her grey eyes scan the landscape. There is not much to see, and frankly, she is not surprised. Who would be out in the bitter cold? The threat of monsters also still lurks, but she pushes the thought from her mind. The snowy meadow below is so pure and pristine—what horrors could possibly hide there? A winding ebony ribbon cuts through the white blanket spread beneath her, breaking up the monotonous scenery. Curious, the mare flaps lower, intending to explore the creek bed.

Once she has landed (or rather, once she has tumbled to the earth), Nasreen approaches the dark water. It is not quite a creek, she realizes now, but a very small river. The edges of the river have frozen, but in the middle, water bubbles sluggishly over the thinnest gossamer layer of ice. The mare tests the ice with a hoof, and it creaks and groans, making her step back hurriedly. She does not fancy a dip in this weather, and the last thing she needs is for her feathers to get wet and freeze over.

So, she moseys along the river bank, turning over the occasional rock and appreciating the scenery. Soon enough, the river does fork and trickle into a creek, and Nasreen follows the little stream willingly enough, letting it take her where it will. She has been alone for so long today, and the silence has been so undisturbed, that it comes as quite a surprise when she rounds a bend and lo and behold, a fellow creature is there! A unicorn, diminutive in stature, yet powerfully built, perches on the ice. His horn is pointed straight down, and her ears tilt forward in curiosity…whatever is he doing? She does not want to interrupt him, but she is eager for a little friendly conversation. So she waits, a little ways off, waiting to see what he will do.

@[Otz]