With a change in rank came a change in responsibility. Essetia had never earned anything in her life- everything had been given to her. But this was something that the young mare sought to change; the Hidden Falls had given her a new start, a new chapter to write. So she intended to put pen to paper and begin the story of a lifetime.

From the borders of the Falls, Essetia and Romul escaped under the guise of early morning darkness. They required no company to efficiently guide their wandering eye to the Threshold once more as success had bred greed in their hearts. It was an inexorable thing that festered and grew despite their best efforts to keep it at bay… but youth and inexperience made the monster and its habits hard to refute.

Birdsong had finally come to blanket the land in spring-like warmth but the gentle breeze was still chilled and brushed over their skin in an icy embrace. If not for the mare’s incessant need to roam, she would have waited out the cold beneath the deep overhang that hat sheltered her through most of FrostFall deep in the Falls. But Essetia possessed a vagabond heart that desired freedom and change and adventure… all of which were not easily accessible in Helovia.

So the sweet mare invented new ways to acquire her venomous taste for exploration and discovery through other means.

When the looming trees of the claiming grounds came into view before them, both Essetia and Romul paused to slow and contemplate a plan of action. They had recently brought a young colt named Kipling from those very woods and did stand to wonder if their luck would uphold. However, the mare and her wolf were intelligent creatures and therefore agreed that settling was not an option. They would fight for their placement in the Falls, even if it had never been formally announced.

Slowly, with Romul weaving his way ahead of her, Essetia ambled past the tree line and into the depths of the wood. At times she would hear Romul’s directional cues, whether it were a yip or a whine that indicated fresh scents abound, the mare would inevitably follow. The pair was like a well-oiled machine, too perfected to be called anything else. Their bond had strengthened over years of solitude and now a silent pact existed between one and the other that protected their hearts from betrayal.

When a particularly high-pitched yelp surfaced from the morning haze, Essetia was quick to trace her companion through the narrow trees until his pallid form became apparent. However, he was not alone. Before him, a silver-coated mare with restless, blue eyes stood lit by dawn’s pastel rays. Her coat appeared velvet to the touch and somehow gleamed in what could only be perceived as heavy perspiration or water. Romul, now distracted by Essetia’s arrival, hummed blissfully at his companion whilst giving away their eminent approach.

“Hello and welcome to Helovia,” the bay murmured upon moving closer. Her voice was soft and light, perhaps in an attempt to soothe the curious mare and her wide, troubled eyes. “I’m Essetia and this is Romul… I don’t suppose you’ve come seeking shelter?” A placid smiled found its way to her thin lips as Romul came to rest sullenly at his companion’s shoulder. They would either walk away with success once more or with a new way to nurse the growth of their own, suffocating greed.

Essetia