It did not take very long for this strange land to take notice of its newest occupant.

Within the span of a heartbeat, Howl heard the approaching rhythm of strange hooves. Before the newcomer could come any closer, he quickly rubbed his horn against his knee, hoping to remove the layer of grit which had accumulated during the last vagrant weeks. At home, there were many hot springs and cold springs and salt baths to ensure one's cleanliness, but lately, the grey stallion had been slacking a little in the hygiene department. When he glanced up, he was startled to be staring into eyes very much like his own. The little mare that bore them was covered in the darkest coat he had ever seen, and she bore strange horns on her face and down her back, all the same shimmering golden colour. Howl bent his head a little in order to better regard her; although she was certainly more different than any unicorn he had ever seen, he felt comforted in the fact that they shared the same eyes. "Hello," he replied, astonished to discover they (apparently) spoke the same tongue. She drew even closer, and gave a flexible bow. The grey stallion felt obliged to return the courtesy, but his shoulders hurt terribly, so instead he inclined his head respectfully.
With chatty fluidity, the dark stranger introduced herself, the land they both stood in, and complimented his horn—Howl was quite impressed with the ease in which she did this. "Thank you," he said gratefully, making a note to associate a strange name to a strange face, "my name is Howl." His tail flicked with curiosity, causing his tail-cuff to rattle against his skin; he hadn't expected to encounter an inhabited land, never mind one called Helovia.

Hundreds of questions unraveled at his tongue, but before he could articulate any of them, the grey stallion heard another feminine voice. He turned his head to encounter a mare with the very same coat colour as himself, but she was completely devoid of any horns, or any other feature which would mark her as a unicorn. Behind her in a creek was a fox-like creature with the most tails he had ever seen on a single beast. For a moment, Howl was visibly surprised by this unusual hornless lady and her many-tailed friend, but managed to wrangle his expression into a politer one. "Why, yes, as a matter of fact," he replied rather belatedly, glancing at Ovi before taking a tentative step towards her, "I've been travelling for many weeks, and was hoping to find a peaceful place for a brief respite." Perhaps they had ideas? The two mares did not seem like wanderers to him—they were both clean and in good condition.

No sooner than the grey mare had let herself be known, another newcomer approached (at the point they seemed to him like flies swarming over fresh meat, but he relished the attention nonetheless); a youthful-faced stallion with a tree engraved on his shoulder. He bore a handsome rack of antlers, on which was perched a dainty lantern-light which reminded Howl a little of home. When the newest stranger introduced himself, Howl bowed his head once more, glad that the inhabitants of this queer place were of a welcoming sort. He wondered what a Moon Doctor was (it sounded impressive), or where the World's Edge lay (it sounded dangerous), and resolved to find out soon. "I'm Howl," he said, watching Tilney inquisitively, "my path lays back many miles, but I hope to end it here. My body is fine, but my mind is in need of a rest." At this point, his golden eyes moved to each of the strangers—Ovi, the grey mare, and Tilney, wondering which doors each could open, or which they could shut. "Would any of you happen to have a home you could share with a weary wanderer?"