It had been a long few months for the dappled stallion. The rains of spring had, quite literally, washed his herd from the face of the earth. He did not know who amongst them lived and who perished under the crushing avalanche of earth. The stallion let out a small huff as he walked, stepping carefully over fallen logs and twisted branches. He did not spend many days searching for his herd for the simple reason of safety. The mountain was unstable and angry. He had to do something.

So he made the decision to follow the river that had once been so integral to his herd’s way of life. He would follow the river until he found something for he had no doubt that this river represented life in some way. And it was time for him to find his.

As he walked, he was careful not to jostle his head around too much. For Calder had picked up passengers during his descent. Two of the otters that had lived in close association with what had once been his family. It seemed that they had lost many of their own as well – swept away by the raging current. The creatures clung to the safety of his antlers, and he carried them without question or thought. He remained close to the riverbank and never allowed himself to stray far enough where he would be out of earshot of the river. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks was comforting to the strange trio of creatures. They walked for countless miles, following the path that the river carved through the landscape. But they soon reached the point where the river began to break apart – feeding into smaller streams.

It was at one of these junctions that Calder bid farewell to his friends, the otters, for they encountered others of their kind on a warm afternoon. The stallion lowered his head to the level of the water and allowed them to slip from his antlers back into the comfort of the stream. He offered them a little bow before continuing on his journey – hoping that they found a new start with their kind as he continued to search for his own.

He was truly alone now.

Soon the stream that he had been so dutifully following for months began to narrow to a mere trickle. Before long, there was nothing but a dry stream bed – parched from the stifling heat of Tallsun. Calder was not a creature built for such temperatures. He spent the heat of the day moving from shadow to shadow and traveled as far as he could at dawn and dusk. Eventually, he made the decision to abandon the dry stream bed and continued west – the direction the river would have followed.

---

It was many miles and many days before life again stirred around him. The trees grew taller, thicker, and healthier. There was some sense of moisture in the air. And somewhere Calder could both hear and smell water. Upon finding the small stream, the stallion did not hesitate before stepping into the cooling waters. The water only reached his knees but seemed to breathe new life into the stallion. After a long drink he raised his head once more, looking out upon this strange land, and wondered what else he had stumbled upon.

Calder

hold back the river so i can stop a minute and be by your side

The water seemed to wash away some of the hardships of the past few months. Even though the current was relatively weak and the water was shallow, it still caused memories of his life on the mountain to brew and swirl in the depths of his mind. Calder didn’t allow his mind to wander too far – the air here was ripe with the scent with other equines and he did not want to miss the opportunity for finding others of his kind. Yet, for the time being, he contented himself with watching as his forelegs disrupted the natural flow of the water before catching motion out of the corner of his eye.

The stallion raised his large, horned head to find that there were, in fact, other equines in this strange land. But he had never seen a creature like her before. Calder was careful to guard his reaction – the last thing he wanted to do was have his surprise misconstrued for something more sister. He certainly meant no offense. His features remain in a neutral mask though he tries to make sense of what he sees. Of course pegasi had visited his herd during their migrations on rare occasions, but never one like her. Never one who looked like she was a descendant of mother winter herself. He had been raised around others exclusively of his kind and before the disaster on the mountainside he had never left his homeland. But Calder was an inherently polite creature and responded as soon as the snow woman set foot into the stream.

“Aye,” the dappled stallion replies with a dip of his head in greeting, “I suppose I have.”

Helovia. The name of this place is unfamiliar to him, but it matters little to him in the end. There is life here. There is a life to be had here.

“I’m Calder,” he offers, in that gravely voice of his. “It is good to finally set eyes on another.” He alludes to the length of his journey, but does not elaborate. Instead, he directs his attentions to the present – to this place…and to this woman who has stumbled upon him.

“Have you always lived in this place?” He asks, acutely aware that he may be prying. He’s very much a stranger in a strange land.

Calder

hold back the river so i can stop a minute and be by your side

Calder can feel the pebbles, silt, and smooth river stones under his hooves as he shifts his weight from one leg to the other. Its almost as if the earth itself seeks to anchor him in this new place even though all around him is moving and changing. As soon as the question directed towards Elsa seems to leave his lips, motion again catches his attention.

Another strange creature steps from the shelter of the trees – this one a creature dressed in bones. She was more similar to Calder in terms of looks, but the skull certainly set her apart. He wondered if it was a personal choice or if there was an entire herd of skull-adorned unicorns in this place. Perhaps the whole land was just a mish-mash of outsiders. Clearly he had much to learn about this place called Helovia. Assumptions were not going to get him far in this land. It was clear that what he knew and what he was familiar with was not going to translate here. He was on his own. Whatever culture was significant to him would be his responsibility to reinvent in this place, but he simply couldn’t assume that anything from his past would be at all important here. As she drew to a halt, Calder dipped his head in greeting to the unicorn mare.

“It is good to meet you as well, Waprevah.” At her mention of the north, he turns his gaze (instinctually) towards he north, which is unfortunately obscured by the tall trees. He wonders if they, too, have mountains like his homeland here.

His blue eyes then flick back to Elsa as she goes on to describe the circumstances that brought her to this place as well as her home here in this land. He remains quiet as she speaks, but the side of his mouth quirks up into a crooked smile at her wink. He commits the highlights of what she describes to memory. Hidden Falls. Mason. Crafter. God of Earth. A place. A title. A role. A deity. Yes, Calder. You have so much to learn. Calder’s people were one that put great value in the Earth. Perhaps living near to the Deity would be a good change for the dappled stallion.

“I used to live on a mountain with others of my kind, but our home was compromised a rough winter and spring floods. I came seeking a new place. A safer place.” Though his reply is in response to Elsa, he makes sure that his words and his gaze is directed to both the snowy pegasus as well as the unicorn mare cased in bone. He turns back to Elsa before continuing. “I appreciate you telling me of your home and the offer to join you. Regardless of where I decide to reside I will certainly take you up on your offer to talk in the future.” The appreciation is evident in the gravely voice. For someone who has nothing, the opportunity to have a home and a future is quite overwhelming. However, Calder is wary of this place and wants to ensure he has some idea of what this world is like before committing to anything. Perhaps it is self-preservation. Perhaps it is something more akin to fear or uncertainty. The normally impulsive minded stallion finds rationality is screaming in the back of his head for caution.

“What about you, Waprevah? What is your Aurora Basin like?” he asks, turning to the mare with questions in his eyes.

Calder

hold back the river so i can stop a minute and be by your side

He struggled, somewhat, to create images based on their descriptions. He had very little in terms of reference material when it came to imagining what these new places could possibly look like. For the vast majority of his life, Calder’s life had been constant – only changing as expected with the seasons.

Everything had changed over the last year.

It was unheard of for any of his kind to leave the security of their ancient mountain homeland. He had little doubt that even after the mudslide what remained of his herd was struggling to rebuild on earth-scarred mountain. He assumed that they all presumed him dead by now, just as he had no idea who amongst his herd had lived and who had died.

His immediate thought that day had been to flee, not to stay. And that impulse – that instinct…that’s what made him so different from the others. But in the end, it may just be his salvation.

Waprevah goes on to describe her home, just as Elsa had, and Calder gives her his full attention as she does. Mountains. Safety. Never freezes. God of Time. He is intrigued by the last two points. Would this place be protected from a disaster like the one that extinguished his former life? He also finds himself intrigued by this deity who controls time. His people had been one in tune to the earth and the water. It was all he had ever known. But there seemed so many possibilities here.

But what was he to do in the face of these possibilities? Should he commit himself to the lands that brought him closer to the earth? Or should he seek the comfort in the mountains where an unfamiliar God reigned? He felt the decision had split him between mind and heart. His mind pulled him towards the earth while his heart called for the mountains.

His gaze flickers between the two – and he knows that they must sense his indecision. This choice is not one best made on impulse.

“I think my heart lies in the mountains. I’d like to see this Aurora Basin.” He directs his statement towards the unicorn mare, offering her a small smile, before returning his attention to the ice-mare.

“I hope to run into you soon, Elsa. And thank you, again, for your offer.” He dips his head again in a gesture of genuine appreciation. He had been lucky to been well met in this strange land, and considers himself to be very lucky.

Calder

hold back the river so i can stop a minute and be by your side