Sometimes, usually by his friends or fellow demigods, Mesec got teased for being naive and unobservant but he knew enough to know that certain actions between a mare and a stallion could lead to pregnancy and then foals. It had not happened with Ampere - but in hindsight he was aware that she might have already been pregnant with Gaucho’s twins when they had met up in the Throat.

His mind was quick to move on from them, that family he had no place in. It was still to painful to think of them, of her, and he did not want to lose the tentative grip he had on this form.

Instead he thought of another, more recent instance, and how he did not know if anything had happened as a result of the last time he was here in the Steppe. The potential consequences had not come crashing down on him until later, after he had parted ways with Ki’irha. That night, hiding from the snowstorm under the same shelter of rock, had been all about a bandaid on a festering wound - a temporary relief of the sadness and weight of his self-inflicted isolation.  

Now, in the aftermath, it had caused a whole lot more worry than it had helped to fix because there was so much that he did not know. Had he burdened the starlight mare with something she did not want? Where could he find her to see? He had come here, to the rocky caves and sculptures of the Steppe in the vague hope of seeing her again but there was no guarantee of that. The sheer size of Helovia really didn’t hit home until you were looking for one unicorn in all of those lands.

In a contrast to his last visit here, the Steppe’s skies were quiet - the late morning displayed in a bright, deep blue sky that was only marred by a few wisps of clouds. The wind was bitter but the sun warm, encouraging Mesec to take a moment to stand in a protected spot to enjoy the rays. So weak compared to the ones that he had grown used to in the Throat - but comforting in their similarity all the same.

A long cry from the skies woke him from the daydream where he had been surrounded by warm sand instead of snow and he glanced up to see the shadowy figure of Lucius loop before heading further north to scout in the mountains. No sign yet, but they’d keep looking for a while at least. The near anonymity of his and Ki’irha’s meeting had been welcome then but he felt only frustration with the decision now. It would be easier to check up on her if he knew where to look!

With a sigh, the shadowy figure moved from the sunlight and continued to wander through the rocky formations and wondering just what the chances were that they would find her here again.

I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

As much as he might think it was, Mesec’s nature was not to be alone. He often forgot how in this world of ice and rock he stood out - a living drop of night in the snow-blinded world of the Steppe, especially while the sun shone. He stood out, he was noticeable, and that often meant any solitude was temporary. He thought that he needed it, needed to be caged off and made separate from the entirety of Helovia, but he did not want it. Which was why, despite the fact that he very well should scramble away from the antlered mare he stayed his wandering hooves instead.

His silver eyes were scanning the contents of a cave formed by the rocks when he heard the soft greeting. Immediately there was a rush, of joy and relief because he immediately assumed it was the star-sky mare that he was seeking - but as he turned toward the sound he found something else entirely. Not another creature of the night like himself - one crafted by sunlight and warmth. For although her coat was white similar to the snow that surrounded them, it was still different - contrasted against the icy crystals and truly making her seem warm.

The moment that it took him to respond to her question stretched out just a little too long, the battle within him on whether he should linger or leave.

But the monster felt so far away on this cold, Frostfall morning. Surely he could take a moment?

Lucius sent a rush of encouragement through their bond - thinking that company would be the best for Mesec’s mind - and he circled back from the mountains and began to make his way toward the group.

“Yes, I suppose it can be.” Mesec couldn’t help but smile, a shallow version of his usual bright grin but it was a smile and it had been far too long since it had come so easily to his face. The Steppe could  be a lonely place, she was right about that, but every time he came here he had found someone. And that last meeting with Ki’irha was still fresh enough in his mind - whispers about how they were no longer alone - that there was some humour to be found in another mare speaking similar words. It didn’t seem very likely that this encounter would end in a similar fashion but he was still thankful for the company.

It was startling to find out just how thankful he was. He had been avoiding everyone.

As his silver eyes regarded her gold ones, Mesec felt a tug on his memory. “This might sound odd but... have we met before?” As he spoke, Lucius came upon the group and descended - finding a rocky ledge to perch on where he could keep an eye on the mare and her… well, he wasn’t entirely sure what the thing that was sitting beside her was. “A griffin.” Mesec helpfully supplied, though the zephyr remained skeptical. Still, he trilled a low greeting toward the other companion, turning his head slightly to keep watch.

I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

Mesec watched for the play of emotions on her face as he tried to place it in his memories. She was beautiful like the snow that surrounded them - which both she and her griffin seemed to be crafted from - and it was a little embarrassing to think that the pair had not made a lasting impression on him. His suspicions that it must have been while they were young were confirmed with her opening statement - that they had lived in the Basin together. His smile faltered at that - not because he suddenly recalled who she was but because his stay there as a colt had been… difficult.

But she went on to explain that she had been disrespectful and though no further bells chimed in his mind to remind him of what exactly had been said, Mesec knew it did not really matter. She genuinely seemed to regret what had happened - an emotion he was all too familiar with lately. It consumed him day and night without fail but if he could do nothing to ease his own weight then he could at least ease hers.

Lucius idly pointed out through their bond that Mesec could do something, he just wasn’t - apart from the near-starvation and forced exhaustion. But if this pale unicorn and her companion could distract Mesec from his pain for a little while, it would make today easier to get through and then they would just need to worry about tomorrow.

As far as distractions from the present went, this trip far into the past was effective.  

“I don’t think it’d be very fair of me to blame you for something you said when you were young, something you have so fervently apologized for.” He recalled her face but not her name or the words that she had spoken - but if they had lived in the Basin together then a lot had happened since then. A lot of terrible memories covering up what sounded like an unpleasant first meeting. His tone reflected the soft smile that grew on his face, encouraging her to raise her gaze again. “So let’s start fresh, okay? I’m Mesec and this is Lucius.” He motioned to the zephyr perched on the rock near him who was beginning to relax now that Mesec’s apprehension was fading. Lucius unfolded his four dark wings - blinking in the Frostfall sun with the iridescent teal and purple that lined the inner feathers - and flapped them in a playful gesture toward the griffin. “What are your names?”

I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

He was glad that she accepted his offer to start over again, his slow smile growing more as she chuckled lightly and it caused him to further relax. It was so easy for him to be on-edge around others, to worry about whether something would trigger his shifting and he would become dangerous, lethal, to be around. But with these easy smiles, a fresh start to what had apparently been a rocky beginning for their acquaintanceship, surely meant the monster was far away.

“The pleasure is mine, Arah.” And just like that, it seemed they could leave behind the past and move on.

His companion felt the delight as well, thrilled as Wynter took off and joined him on the rocks. Griffins, he quickly decided, were odd creatures but Lucius felt the tension in Mesec ease and it encouraged him to relax as well. It was rare that he got to play with a creature as large as him and he returned the nip with enthusiasm, making a delighted noise in the back of his throat as he used his four mighty wings to lift off from the rocks - encouraging Wynter to follow, to join the chase.

The feathers of Mesec’s wings stirred with the breeze, chilling the skin it exposed with the disturbance, and he was thankful for the suggestion to walk as they talked. “Walking sounds like a lovely idea, Arah.” He moved from his cave as he spoke, temporarily abandoning the memories contained within it. Besides, clearly Ki’irha was not hiding within the shadows there and travelling the Steppe with company was a much preferred plan to being on his own.

As he fell in line with Arah, he replied to the question she had posed about why he came to such a lonely place. “I actually came up here looking for someone I met during a snowstorm not too long ago.” The exact circumstances of why Mesec was looking for that someone didn’t seem like information he should share with a near-stranger like Arah. She didn’t need to know that he needed to find the star-mare to see if she was pregnant, to find out if he would be a father thanks to a one-night-stand. So when he elaborated, it was without the most private details. “I wanted to make sure she was alright after our last meeting but it would seem she doesn’t frequent this chilly place.” A quick glance around at their surroundings and he chuckled a low, quick laugh before adding “Not that I can blame her for that.” Although he had run across someone almost every time he had come here, there certainly weren’t crowds of Helovians mingling in the open spaces of the Steppe where the wind reigned over all.

With the stirring of another breeze, Mesec squeezed his sides with his large wings - protecting them (and wishing he could offer similar protection to Arah) as he turned his head to the snow-white doe. “And what of you, Arah? What do you seek in this barren place?”

I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.