Iona hated this weather, almost as much as she hated the damn mist.  The water beaded on her large black wings and rolled off the tips of her flight feathers.  Rain and mist clung to her tangled mane and tail, sending a chill through her.  She didn’t have the benefit of a large layer of body fat for warmth, so she pulled her wings closer to her sides in a futile effort to keep her body heat from escaping.  She couldn’t help but think that winter this year was going to be a real bitch if this was any indication.  Then again, Iona wasn’t known for her radiant optimism.

The painted mare had been up to her usual tricks the night previous.  Iona wasn’t one for jewelry and baubles, though she had quite a penchant from removing them from persons unaware. It was all too easy when she had seen the bracelet sitting there on the ground, unprotected.  Now that she had the thing, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it.  So, for the time being, she stashed it away beneath a wing.  It wasn’t worth trying to fly in this weather.  She could, but she’d be drenched before she could breech the low clouds.

She made her way back towards the interior of the Edge on foot, frowning somewhat as the earth underfoot steadily turned to slick mud.  Iona skipped over the glass and made her way through the forest.  It was early yet, still quiet.  Even though she’d been up for the better part of the night, fatigue had yet to set in.  She’d been doing better at keeping busy, lately.  It kept her mind from traveling back in time – back to the past.  She knew she couldn’t go back now.  She had to look ahead.  Wasting time worrying about a past she was powerless to change wasn’t going to get her very far at the end of the day.  The future here, however, was finally starting to looking promising.

And speaking of promising.  ” Erthë!” Iona called, spotting the little bundle of white poking through the trees.  She was surprised to see the girl so early, but not surprised at all to see her investigating  something.  ”Are you looking for something?” the painted pegasus asked as she drew nearer to the girl, wondering what she was up to.

”How’s the flying been going? she added, wondering if the filly had managed to get those wings of hers figured out.

Iona couldn’t help but smile at the girl.  There was something about the curiosity and the innocence of the girl that put her at ease, even after a sleepless night. “You don’t have call me miss, just call me Iona.  I think we’re beyond formalities now, don’t you think?” Iona offered, with a wink.  The mare was distracted, somewhat, by the hazy creatures that appeared from the mist.  While all things beautiful seemed to surround Erthe, a snake comprised of the same eerie mist slithered between her front hooves, causing her to involuntarily stomp on the thing.  She offered Erthe a sheepish smile before continuing.
 
“Ah, well, even if it clears up I think we’re both grounded until the mist blows through. But I’m sure we can find some other trouble to get into until then,” she adds, conspiratorially. “But no worries, we’ll get you up there soon enough,” the painted mare offered, encouragingly, gesturing to the obscured skies above.  Iona had little doubt that it would happen soon enough and once you got the hang of it, flying was as easy as breathing.
 
However, Iona doesn’t let her thoughts of the sky get away from her because, unsurprisingly, Erthe is curious about what she’s been up to. “I’m always out and about at odd hours – occupational hazard of being a spy, I suppose.  That and I never can seem to sleep through the night.  Too restless.  Too much to do or to see,” the painted mare says with a shrug of her great wings.  She didn’t mention the nightmares that continued to plague her in her adult life.  The borderline paranoia that kept her overly-alert in the evening and darkness hours that made it all but impossible to sleep.  Such was her own burden to bear – she would not put that on the shoulders of another.  Especially not Erthe.  The child had enough on her own shoulders and Iona would do all she could to ease that burden – not add to it.
 
“Speaking of.  I found something last night you might be interested in.”  Iona still was uncertain to of what to do with the bracelet that had fallen into her possession, but she knew it was not something that was well suited to her.  But maybe…
 
Iona craned her neck around whilst carefully lifting one of her wings, plucking the treasure from between the feathers there. She held it out to Erthe, gesturing for the girl to take it. “I’m not really one for jewelry. It seems far more suited to you.” 

“It’s enchanted!” she exclaimed as soon as Erthe managed to thread the bracelet over a delicate, ivory leg.  A smile bloomed across her dark face at the girl’s reaction.  “Well that’s really quite something!”  Iona had thought she had found just another forgotten knickknack on the ground, but it was clear this was something more.  There was some sort of enchantment on the thing, and what an enchantment it was.  It was almost as if time reversed and the sun sank beneath the mists, returning the moon to all her glory.  

Seeing the action of the bracelet cemented Iona’s decision to give the thing to Erthe.  Iona had no allegiance to any particular God either hear in Helovia or elsewhere.  She had learned that lesson early on.  After finding herself embroiled in a religious war for much of her life, she had somewhat lost her taste for Gods.  Not her respect for them, not by any means, but lost the ability to choose a particular side.  Now she was more apt to favor balance than to favor one particular deity over another.  However she was well aware that this was far beyond what was considered normal here in Helovia.  One such example was standing right before her.  She knew that the child was fond of the Moon Goddess, such was evident at Tembovu and Elsa’s crowning.  Iona sincerely hoped that one day that dedication would be repaid and the Goddess would honor the child in some way.  

Iona was many things, but she was not so naïve as to expect such things.  However she was more than willing to give where she was able.  Beneath her cold exterior was a warm heart. “I’d say it’s perfect for one as devoted to the Moon as you, don’t you think?” Iona nudges the girl, now bathed in the gentle light of the moon, playfully.  

“It’s yours to keep, Snowdrop.”

She offered another gentle smile to the girl.  It was almost refreshing for the mare to drop her guard – to shed all semblance of defensiveness and bring down her walls almost entirely.  It was amazing how children were able to do such a thing.  It made her long for her own children, though they were children no more.  The weariness of the past night, paired with the thought of her own twins, seemed to double her fatigue. 

“Maybe the fog will burn off in a few hours and we can try the finer points of flying then, how does that sound?  Until then, I think I need to rest a little.  Been a busy night,” she added, with a wink.