The thing with the World's Edge was that you were never quite as alone as you thought. The coiling mist and the ever present gloom beneath wide spanning canopies concealed so many things, hid from view both the wonderful and the macabre, turning both into a surprise to stumble upon when you least expected it. After a while one got used to it; the thick, damp moss that swallowed up every sound of stepping feet, the mist that amplified and re-directed light and the massive trees who distorted every uttered word and sent them back in hollow, eerie whispers. Ever present was the sot murmur of running water, of rushing waves, of sighing wind and rustling leaves, and with time these sounds grew as familiar as the beat of ones own heart, like breath ghosting over unseen lips - as though the very forest was alive, a sentient thing that surrounded them all.

But until sufficient amounts of time had been spent within the Lady's earthly embrace, the forest on the edge of the world could indeed seem both confined and gloomy, a dull place where nothing ever happened. It demanded a certain level of attention to detail to see and comprehend the slow changes that took place, an eye for the small things that, unless one developed it, easily could leave a person restless and claustrophobic.

Lately, Erthë had been forced to spend a great amount of time within these glass-walled borders, which meant she'd had no choice but to adapt to the rhythms of the place. Even for a young girl she lacked in patience, and it had been a painful transition to make; from rootless vagabond into permanent resident, from a near hermit existence into someone surrounded by others on a constant basis. To make matters worse, the leg she had injured earlier in the summer showed no signs of getting better. It hurt constantly, a dull and gnawing pain that grated on her sanity, such that she felt compelled to consume pain-killing plants just to endure. Those in turn had their own effects, good and bad, and together it all left her in a very peculiar state indeed. A bright and carefree personality was slowly tempered into something less exuberant, more thoughtful and prone to great and sudden mood swings. From the old enthusiasm she would plummet into deep depression, sink into long periods of whiny irritation - only to perform a heel face turn and shower anyone in the vicinity with affectionate hugs and kisses, expressing her undying love and loyalty.

All of it was deeply exhausting and in an attempt to find some sense balance the young filly withdrew from the company of others, took to long, slow walks along the borders or grazing in the scattered glens where the trees had parted enough for green-tinted light to reach the ground, trickling like golden droplets from leaf to leaf. This particular day she felt unusually peaceful as she slowly drifted across one such clearing, grazing her way through the long, lush grass while listening to the twittering birds in the canopy above. Even though the day was clouded and gray it was much brighter here than anywhere else in the forest, and though she loved the darkness and the night the young hybrid also thrived in this pale, listless light that made her white coat shimmer and gleam.

It was instinct that made her lift the gaze from the grass, a simple hunch that she might not be entirely as alone as she would have guessed. Blinking slowly the long, pearly lashes brushed against porcelain cheeks as green-tinted eyes drifted over the line of trees, already prepared to give up when movement caught her attention. Someone was walking there beyond the trees, a tall and pale someone. Her heart skipped a beat and before she'd even made a conscious decision to move Erthë found herself limping towards them with a smile spreading across rosy lips.

Once she got closer however, milky feathers ruffled in mild disappointment. It hadn't been her father after all. The color was right, the gender and the height too, but Vadim had a much sturdier built and moved with far more elegance than this person, who stumbled even as she watched and seemed to drift without any particular goal. Shaking out her short, curly mane, she was just about to turn and go back to her clearing when the stallion heaved a great sigh. There was something so lost and exasperated about that her heart immediately responded, gentle concern coloring the youthful voice as she spoke up.

"What is the matter? That was a deep sigh."

Erthë remained quite some distance from the stranger with dainty ears turned curiously towards him, wings neatly folded against the sides. Unobtrusive she hovered in place, as ready to listen as she was to turn back to mind her own business.

Erthë

the      night      is      calling      my      name