Elsa,

Feel lucky for what you have, when you have it. Happily ever after doesn’t mean happy forever.

The feeling that welled inside of her as the precious white nose reached out to her was indescribable. Her touch was cold, but oddly warm. It felt like a missing piece of her had been replaced, and now she could function again. Elsa reached her nose down after, gently lipping at the girls forelock should she not run from the stench. For being a mother, she never had the time to take care of her children like this. She missed out on what being a mom was really like, and now that she got a tiny taste, her body was craving it. Who knew a child cold as ice could make her feel so warm. She even extended her wing, attempting to shroud Erthe beneath it. ”Do not apologize for being rude. Questioning what you think is wrong is sometimes the best quality one can have. Protect yourself from those who lie and cheat. For all you knew I could’ve been some evil monster. So continue doing you, and I’ll always be here to hand out a wing or two if you need it.” She smiled warmly before folding her wing against her side.

Though the matters at hand could not go ignored. There had been turmoil while she was gone, and she was not here to stop it. Even though Tembovu tried his best to alleviate her guilt, it still permeated throughout her system. But her attention remained fully on him, taking in every word and storing it away as a reminder that she must be here to help next time. It didn’t matter if personal problems were at hand, because the good of the whole was more important than the love of one.

Elsa couldn’t help herself as he landed on the final word. ’Died..’ It echoed through her head, and for a second she believed she had dreamt the word. Maybe she had become delusional, but there was no add on. The man had fallen silent, and the word was left heavily swaying in her chest. She swallowed painfully, her mind walking a thin line between composure, sadness and anger. Dare she asked that question? ”Who… did any from the Edge perish?” Her mouth felt dry as if it had been stuffed with cotton and she took a hesitant step backwards. ”I appreciate your kind words Tembovu but I must insist you tell me if one here has perished. I was trained to do this, and there is no denying the fact that I abandoned my post. At the time that I left, the Edge was scarcely a herd, and as far as I knew, there weren’t many other soldiers.” In fact, she only knew of one. She had heard the name, but never even met the other warrior that was with her. A small exhalation finally released the tension that she built up as she turned back to the white filly. ”And you, when we are done here you better haul your bum to get fixed. Can’t have aspiring bad-asses injured in their childhood.” It was a lighthearted joke in an attempt to alleviate the gravity of the conversation. It held truth, because Elsa did believe that one day this young child would blossom into a master of her trade whether it be a warrior or crafter or anything in between.