Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

He had too many questions, and too few answers.

It bothered him enough to send him far east, further east than he usually went even when searching for new blood, and much closer to the Foothills than he preferred. While they could hardly be called enemies, their aroma wasn't the most pleasant mixture to Mauja's racist nostrils. Most of the time he controlled himself enough to live through an encounter with someone of a different species, but an entire mixed herd - it disgusted him, and the Unicorns who lived in such settings deserved to have their horns removed. They were less than worthless, and somehow revolted him much more than a simple pegasus did. Just the mere thought of skirting around their border made him angry, the reality of having their scent in his mind even worse. He was glad for the cover of nightfall as he quickly stepped around their territory, a pale ghost flashing by. He was practically steaming on the inside, a volcano ready to erupt, but it would ruin everything if he had a witness. With that knowledge hammering next to fury in his cold heart he ran, blindly, towards the path that looped around the mountains. He needed the cool clarity of winter, and not the sweltering heat of summer.

Summer, though, was the reason he was there in the first place. Panting, hot breaths rushing in and out of his nostrils, Mauja thundered up the path. Sweat laced his pale body, long tail whipping behind him in the wind. The only thing that could stall an outburst was to move, to run, to work it out of the system that way, and with a fine disregard for his own safety the Edge King pushed on. He was used to rocky ledges, so as long as he saw where he was going, it worked... But soon enough the legendary fog covered the path and Mauja was forced to slow down to a walk. His sides heaved with his rapid breathing, heart still thundering in his chest, but the Foothills were far gone and the salty scent of the sea was lodged in his nostrils. The anger was gone, too, and for now he pushed aside the knowledge that he had to descend as well.

At this much more moderate pace Mauja continued his ascent, hugging the mountainside and feeling his way through the thick fog. He had lived long enough at the Edge to learn the pattern of it as it broke over an edge, and was smart enough to not walk off the mountain and fall into the sea. As the minutes ticked by and became an hour or more, he first grew tired, but then alert again; the air was thinner, it smelled less of salt and more of, well... heaven. It was cool, too, the wind whispering against his cold, sweaty body; it was night, the Moon ruling above this cover of cloud. It was for her that he was here - for guidance, answers, solace. With the heat of the Sun ravaging their lands, they needed a direction in which to go. He doubted he'd be served a perfect solution to their problem, but he hadn't come up here just because of the view - his own home provided an adequate one of the ocean, after all. No, it was to get a sense of feeling, of knowing where to go and what to do. Was it a war of Gods, in which the mortals could just stand by? Or could they strengthen the Moon and her Earth brother with worship?

Could they actually fight one of the Gods, physically?

So many questions and he doubted any would be answered. With a resigned sigh Mauja stepped above the clouds and out onto the flat grassland, and without stopping despite the breathtaking view he moved deeper onto the field. It seemed that, so far, the Sun had left them fairly alone - maybe because he regarded them as, well, his? But tonight they belonged to the Moon, and she sat regally in the sky and shone upon them with her cold silver light. It was for her that he had eyes, and to her he whispered: "Tell me what to do."

( for Aylin! )

Sometimes I feel bad for keeping Tallis up so late during the night, but I feel like the night belongs to me. The feeling of being guided by the moon is more calming and peaceful than that of the sun. The unbearable heat and the way things died because of that heat was enough for me to avoid it at all possible costs. And to follow such a being? Well, that was completely out of the question. Why my brother seemed to worship the sun was completely beyond my comprehension. I could only assume that it had tricked him and thatwas why he followed it's destructive path.

I was slow as I picked my way up the path to the meadow I visited on nights with the moon was full and shown her brightest. Tallis walked in front of me, testing the ground for its stability and searching for ledges that would send me tumbling down the mountain. His body language and trills and chirps were enough to warn me and I would alter my path. We reached the top and stepped into the meadow unscathed and Tallis climbed to my back and sat perched, looking around the meadow for any sign of danger.

A slight digging of his claws into my shoulder told me that we were not alone in the meadow. Upon farther inspection I saw the white being that gazed up at the beautiful moon. I wondered if he praised her as I did or if he were an evil being trying to figure out a way to harm my beautiful namesake. I inched closer and I heard him asking for advice. I had no doubt, now, that he was a follower of the moon.

My mother would have scolded me for doing it, but I walked toward the stallion, curious of if he would get an answer from the moon. I stopped a few feet back and looked up, watched, waited for some kind of sign but there was none that I could see. Finally I looked at the stallion, admiring his speckled coat.

"What do you want from the moon?" I asked, my eyes going from the stallion to the moon. Again I waited for a sign and when there was nothing I frowned. "Perhaps she wants you to figure out whatever it is on your own." I hope I did not sound rude, I was only stating what I thought the lack of response meant. "I am Aylin and this is Tallis." I motioned to the dragon still perched on my back. "My mother named me for the moon." A fact that I was very proud of.

Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

She was silent. He berated his romantic notion of god-blessed intervention, but couldn't bring himself to lower his hopeful gaze. Had it truly come to this, that even proud Mauja grasped at straws when faced with the drying, dying world? That even proud Mauja stood and stared at the moon as if he could solve everything by power of will and intent? Surely not. He sighed, and suppressed a shiver. He had since long stopped steaming, and now he was simply cold in the night's embrace, but he was loathe to give even the slightest complaint about it. He preferred being cold over the current state of Helovia, and would pick wading hairless through an ice lake over his current life all the time... If offered the choice. The King sighed again, giving his raised head the tiniest of shakes. She was just a Moon tonight - beautiful and distant.

That's when a new scent struck him, and the tall stallion's head swung down to watch the one who intruded upon his moment of peace. He was surprised to see a small filly, maybe just a few months old, brazenly staring at him from where she stood. The moon offered more then enough light for him to see the main outline of her features - dark coat, pale mane and tail, a horn upon her head. But what caught his attention was the dragon sitting on her back, and the surprise was visible on his face. What the? A hybrid? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Part of him acknowledged it as an asset, part of him thought about the act that had brought her into being... Mauja was torn between disgust and fascination as the filly approached. She was bold, he had to give her that, or maybe he was just losing his touch and didn't seem quite so imposing and cold anymore. Maybe the Sun had melted his armor. He grinned weakly at that.

He wasn't surprised when she spoke in the slightly jumbled, half-rushed manner of a child - though her words were hardly rushed at all, it was more the way they tumbled out, questions and statements as if she simply spoke whatever popped up in her head. An admirable quality, but something an adult King cannot indulge in. He danced a far more deadly and intricate dance than some other rulers did, and he was always watching his steps. Still, a horned child deserved warmth, and Mauja gave her a fatherly smile despite the fact that he was the FrostHeart. "Guidance, Aylin, guidance," he told her gently, bringing his large head down to fondly bump his muzzle against hers. Hot air blew onto her face, a sign of friendship and kinship, a traditional greeting among horses. Behind him, his silken tail flickered, and he wondered who she was - why she was alone. She carried no herd scent.

"I am Mauja," he added after a small pause, looking up at the sky again. Stars. Moon. Darkness, cool. Everything he loved, everything the Sun hated and thought to ruin. "I was hoping she would be kind tonight, and help me. I'm.. displeased with the Sun's rampage, little moon child." From the corner of his eye he watched the dragon. He ached to ask about it, but it would come later. He couldn't barrage her with a thousand questions, or maybe she would run off, or forget to answer some vital one... Inwardly, he laughed at himself - treating a simple conversation with a filly as if it was a diplomatic venture! "I've come to the conclusion that this foolish war of his will bring us great pain, maybe even death. That we will have to be strong, and follow our own passions and trust our hearts - but can we oppose him? How would we begin? What are we capable of doing, in a war with Gods?" His voice was soft, his smile gentle as he peered at her again. "Forgive a man his rambles, but I don't intend to suffer through this anymore, at least not without fighting. It's just so vast a task that I have no idea where to start."

Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

It was a long time since Mauja had been guided - he was a stallion grown, since long free from the tangles of his past. He had grown in power and renown, and eventually ended up as King in the Edge. As a ruler, you could not be seen needing guidance. No shadow lurked behind you and guided your hooves and your mind with warm, gentle care. No divine decree told you which paths to wander or how to live. As a ruler, you were the guide - you told your people how to live, which paths to wander, and when needed, you helped them in their troubled times. Life as a King was far lonelier than he had expected, but he liked it - most of the time. It was only at times like this, when he felt helpless and lost, that it was frustrating to not have anyone to turn to. There was only the moon, but tonight she was silent. She was always there, though, and sometimes during the day. He could always watch her, ask her, bemoan her, but he did not expect a response. Only tonight had he been foolish enough to hope for clarity.

And when his people turned to him for answers, and he had nothing to tell them, what would happen then? To not have answers for himself was one thing, to not have answers for those he was sworn to protect and guide... It tasted of failure, and Mauja didn't care for it. And how could he possibly think about it, and not touch the subject of being a failure? He wished to not feel it, for this wasn't over yet, it hardly even begun - he could not give up before it had even started, despite the fact that it was a mammoth undertaking. Curiously he tilted his head, one 'brow arching up, and fixed his nearest eye on Aylin. Her brother loved the sun? Hardness settled in his heart, an icy weight, and slowly Mauja blew out a cool breath through his pink-tinged nostrils. He had a mild worry, though, the dragon on her back testament of it. "Is your brother a unicorn?" he asked, cautious, before following it up with another question. "Who taught him to love the Sun?" If he was a unicorn, perhaps he could be converted - and if not... Somehow, it felt hideous to think such things in the presence of a young girl, so he allowed the thought to hang unfinished within the confines of his skull.

"Could we even survive?"

Of course, Mauja wanted to say, but truth to be told, he wasn't sure. Gods were powerful, the Sun's treatment of their world an obvious indication of that. Mortals were simply mortal, nothing but fleeting shadows in the river of time. If they were lucky, they left something for the world to remember them by, but most simply sunk into oblivion after leaving life. He shivered in the cool darkness. "Maybe," he said, slowly, as if still contemplating it. "If we are lucky." Winter's eyes closed, and Mauja lifted his head into the moonlight. "If we are many, united in our faith. But I think our safest course of action would be in strengthening the Moon, and her brother Earth - let the Gods fight, but let us back them, and wage war upon Sun's followers here in Helovia. It'd be bloody too, but probably safer than trying to take on a God himself. I don't know what would happen if we vanquished him, truly. Would the sun disappear in the days, leaving us to slowly freeze to death? No, I think it is best if his brother and sister talk sense to him." And keep a close eye upon him in the future. This is unpleasant.

But then Mauja smiled wryly, fond remembrance touching his pale features. She had come in all her splendid glory, stepping down from the sky and onto the very Edge of the world, his home - speaking words to him and the mare Mirage, playful yet serious... granting them gifts. "I have," he told her, voice quiet with reverence. "She came to my home the Edge to assess her mortal allies. She was beautiful, mere words cannot ever hope to describe her..." His pale eyes peered down at her again, touching the dragon upon her back. Thoughtfully he waved his muzzle in its direction, not wanting to offend it by sticking the point of his horn in its face. Dragons breathed hot fire, and it melted snow - besides, thinking back on his meeting with the Moon brought back memories of the golden Akaith. Mauja's curiosity refused to be ignored for much longer. "Is it yours?" And the damnedest thing is, I don't know whether I want you to say yes or no.

For whatever reason Mauja asked me if my brother was a unicorn. Before I could answer he followed up with another question. Who taught my brother to love the sun. The way he asked had me hesitating in answering him. It was something in his tone. He was too cautious about asking so I stood silently as I contemplated answering him. "No." I answered Mauja slowly. My gaze rose to meet his because I wanted to watch him as I answered. "My brother is an equine like our mother. Our father is a unicorn like me." To me the pairing was not unnatural. Love was love and it was what my parents had for one another as well as my brother and I. "I don't know who taught him to love the sun. No one taught me to love the moon. I guess it's just natural. We both love our namesake." Maybe he would understand, maybe he wouldn't. It made perfect sense in my mind.

The conversation then shifted to the battle that would be waged with the sun and the prospects of winning it. "We are many." I agreed with Mauja. "But we are mortal." Did he really understand the magnitude of a war with one of the gods? I sure hoped he did, being an adult. Of course he could always be one of those foolish ones who thought that numbers would bring the sun god down. Thankfully, he spared himself from being labled an idiot by saying that it would be best to let the Moon and Earth Gods talk some sense into him. "The sun should not be vanquished." I decided aloud. "We need the sun to survive just as we need the moon and the earth. We just need them to be harmonious once again. That way life can be restored to normal and the planet can begin to heal itself." I wondered if he'll understand what I'm trying to get at or if it will just seem like the babbling of a child.

My eyes grew wide as Mauja revealed that he had seen the moon goddess herself. "I wish to see her." I admitted. "I don't feel like I would be worth her time to come here." Again there was another drastic shift in our conversation and Mauja asked about Tallis. The little dragon's head tilted to the side and he puffed himself up. I smiled in amusement at him then shook my head. "He is my mother's." I answered. "He is simply my caretaker when I wish to go off on my own. He never lets anything bad happen to me."

Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

[ caution: randomly giant post. o.o' ]

The moon was the only witness to the encounter, and likely the only witness to the faint doubt in his heart - had he given himself away, somehow? He had no desire to prance in circles around Aylin, no desire to twist his words for a fantasy that wasn't real, but being a leader, he was always cautious in how much of his true heart he revealed. Had she somehow sensed his dislike of the other species, was that why she seemed to hesitate, why she fixed his pale eyes with her green ones, assessing, judging, his reaction? "No." What was he to make of that, what was he to say? The implication was vile, the whole thing something his entire soul rebelled against, but could he show it? He could never show it, but it was a disappointment all the same. To be honest, it made him want to scream. But to his credit, the only thing that slid past his guard was a slight hardening of his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. Mauja, tactfully, turned to look out across the fog, giving her only half a face to watch.

"I see," he murmured, deciding to drop the subject of bloodlines. Clearly she had no quarrel with the other species, but she was young still - it wasn't too late for her to see the true path of her kind. Half-blood she might be, but she was not responsible for her parents' crimes, and obviously the pure blood was strong in her. Mauja would not hold her heritage against her, for after all, she had not been around to prevent it from happening, had she? The translucent King loathed it when offspring were blamed for their parents mistakes - the offspring had nothing to do with such things, especially if they weren't even born at the time! "I think you were given the kinder of faiths." Because, let's face it - the Moon wasn't busy setting the world on fire. Idly he wondered if her brother would defend the Sun's actions, or if he would realize the errors he had committed. No matter. He was of the weaker blood, taking after his mother; if encountered, there was no need to attempt a conversion. The world was harsh and Mauja abused that fact ruthlessly. One less equine sunfollower wasn't a flea in his fur, rather it was a flea out of his fur. Aylin would suffer, but if Mauja could avoid being implicated...

Are you really plotting her brother's murder when standing not even three feet from her?

To be perfectly, bluntly honest, he was - and, he was amazed and surprised in equal amounts at how cold he could be when he wished it. Had he even been innocent, pure, affectionate? Likely. Was he still affectionate? You could say that. Did he have a heart of ice, or, as his legend name claimed, frost? Definitely. Mauja the Ice Heart might've fit him better, but that was not the name he had been given.

"The sun should not be vanquished," she was saying, and he agreed. Without any Gods to measure herself against, the Moon's true beauty would be diminished, but as she pointed out, the sun was quite vital to their survival. Mauja nodded his thoughtful agreement, once more soft like snow, without a trace of the hard ice his eyes had shown at the mention of equine blood. "We need long nights and much rain to heal," he murmured, much rain to wash the blood away. "But also sun, so we can grow again. Few things thrive in absolute darkness, not even creatures of the moon." He gave her a wry little smile. And if there was no harsh sunlight to scorch your skin and blind your eyes, how would you appreciate the soothing night-breeze and the soft, gentle glow of the moon? If there was no chaos, how would you know harmony? He veered off, deciding not to toe into the philosophies of racism. He didn't really need the other species to remind him of his greatness, but perhaps others did.

He laughed, not unkindly, and leaned over in an attempt to ruffle her forelock with his muzzle - without impaling himself on her horn. "Ah, little moon child, she is not one to see only the prominent figures in the world, not one to listen only to the ones that shout the loudest. You have a keen mind, and a strong faith - young you may be, but not stupid. I think that, in time, she will come to you, and then you will see her beauty for yourself. She is.." He paused, frowned, sought for words. How to describe her? "She is like everything of the darkness, from even the sinister to the purely beautiful - not evil in any way, but she is wild. Breathtakingly beautiful, with eyes like the moon itself, a spiraled horn and great wings on which she soars through the night sky..." Mauja's dreamy voice silenced, his eyes lost among the stars. Her wings were the one thing about her appearance of which he disapproved, but he could hardly tell her to get rid of them, could he? Even with them, she was beautiful; but oh so unattainable. She was a goddess, a feral spirit, one that it was only appropriate to love from afar.

Mauja was strong in his devotion.

And the dragon wasn't hers. It was a relief of sorts, but if she was a half-blood... could she bond to one too? Or did the unicorn blood in her fully eradicate the equine one? Those things breathed fire and he didn't like it, but he'd heard that those born in winter sometimes breathed frost, supercooled water which froze upon impact - those things could be useful, but... the means of acquiring them... He gazed down at her, thoughtfully, and at the proud Tallis on her back. The dragon was a creature as much as any of them, and he held them no ill will, just their choice of bondmates. It was a moral question for another day, though, and he gave the dragon a small smile. "I'm glad he does. Does your family live anyplace in particular?"

His gaze harderned when I mentioned that my brother was not a unicorn like myself, but an equine like my mother. Had I not been paying attention and looking for some sort of shift in his demeanor I would have never noticed it. I didn't like what I saw, but I decided to ignore it for the time being and dwell on it later when I was back with my mother and father. Rather than continue on speaking of my family, Mauja went back to faith once more. "Maybe." I agreed. In the heat of the day it was easy to think that I had my faith in a kinder god, but everyone held their own opinions. "To us, the Moon might be kinder but we might assume that because we love her. Those that follow the Sun or the Earth might think they follow a kinder faith. Gods are kind to those who follow them, aren't they?"

I was surprised that Mauja agreed with my opinion on vanquishing the Sun. I had been of the assumption that he would disagree with me and say that the Sun was evil and should be ripped from the sky. Where would that leave us, though? In complete darkness. It would throw the entire world into chaos. The sun's followers would start another war when their god was destroyed. All around it was no good. It would be an endless cycle of war and death until some sort of balance was achieved and maintained. I wondered how many would agree with that sentiment and decided that not many would. When one thought of winning a war they often thought of killing, destroying the opposition.

In my silence, Mauja began to talk about the Moon Goddess again, trying to describe her beauty to me. Despite his best attempts I couldn't even begin to picture her. She was winged and horned, wild and beautiful. No picture came to mind which made me frown and look from Mauja to the moon. "I'll see her myself one day." I said. "And then I'll be able to see all the beauty you describe." Until then I would never have a clear picture of her.

A few moments of silence passed before Mauja asked of my home. I shook my head. "We don't call any herd home yet." I said. "But I think my mother wants to go tot he Foothills." She often spoke of a forest in a place called Isilme. I could tell how much she missed the forest that had been her home and I wondered why she'd left Isilme, but she never would tell the story. Maybe one day I'd go see it for myself, but until then I was content living in Helovia as a wanderer.

Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

She allowed the subject to drop, and he was thankful - he didn't know how to act about it around her, and so in a sense he let his body lie to her, telling her stories of soft snow and warm lights, speaking nothing of the cruel ice that awaited beneath, treacherous like glacier cracks. But, she challenged his statement of faiths, and for the love of everything he couldn't figure out why. Never in his six and a half years had he heard of the Moon harming anyone, and certainly not on such a large scale. Nor about the Earth, for that matter, but he let her speak before giving his head a small shake. He could not agree with her sentiments, for drying up an entire realm and setting wildfires far outmatched any minor mischief the Gods had been up to before this drought. "No," he said in a quiet voice, watching the sea of clouds. "The Moon and Earth does not dry up the land, does not set wildfires, does not shriek about dominating the mortal realm. Good Gods should bear kindness towards anyone, but perhaps not extend boons to them." He gave a harsh half-laugh. "But even they are corrupt, I guess. No matter how much you dream of a pure land, it's unlikely to come to pass." He didn't want to live in a delusional world where he constantly deceived himself, but somewhere deep in his frosty heart was the yearning of such a place. A war-less place in which his kind could thrive.

Mauja's racism was largely founded in his love for his own kind, but over the years negative encounters with the other species had forged the second side of the same coin - he had come to dislike them and look down upon them, realizing his own blood to be superior, and at the same time he had learned to smile and hide the truth he knew, smile as if he was not better than them at all. A few he had even come to appreciate as individuals, irrationally wishing they had horns instead of dragons or wings, but when it came down to it, they were lesser, and had forgotten their place. The Edge's King did not mind the hornless as long as they stayed out of his path and didn't interfere with his business or his kind. Unfortunately, they did, and being a cold realist he knew that he was trapped; removing them completely would annihilate the risk of an uprising, but it might also cause the unicorns to forget what they are, and turn upon him, seeking his throne. Only the future would tell which path he was to walk down, the one of complete extermination, or the more balanced one. He didn't know himself which he would prefer.

He nodded and smiled softly at her, taking his blue eyes off the sky and onto her small form, her brilliant green gaze burning in the dark. Of course, his description of the Moon had been a jumbled attempt to retell the story of someone celestial, and it likely fallen flat on its face. If he sat down and thought about it maybe he could turn her into poetry, but mere, plain words? It was nearly like insulting her, and Mauja decided not to attempt it again. "I'm sure she'll come visit you one day," he said gently, not caring if it was an empty promise. If the Moon didn't fall from the sky or Aylin change her faith, likely the patron Goddess of the Edge would descend to see her. Also, if the filly realized the future that lay in following Mauja home, the chance of meeting her was increased. After all, the Moon called the Edge her own lands, but... Aylin had a family. He listened, watching Tallis with curious eyes; her mother thought much of the Foothills. Well, Mauja didn't. The Foothills, in his opinion, sucked. Their smell was enough to make him irritated. Inviting Aylin would be hard, since she'd probably want to stay to her own blood, and if there was one thing Mauja would not allow into his herd, it was an equine mare with an equine colt. Not only would they irk him with their presence, but Ulrik would skin him.

"But where do you want to go?" he asked, voice soft but eyes bright.

One of my ears tilted back when Mauja disagreed with me. He said his own peace, but I still stood by what I said. Yes, the sun may have been drying out the land but he was doing it because he was angry, wasn't he? Even though I hated to admit it I felt that the same thing could happen if the moon or the earth were angered. The Earth God could split the ground below us and send us tumbling into an abyss. The Moon Goddess could send winds so fierce we would be blown across the land. The Gods may have been Gods but they felt emotions, especially anger, like any of the rest of us did. "What makes you so so sure the moon or the earth couldn't be angered to the point the sun is?" I finally asked the stallion. "They could punish us just as severely as the sun is." I continued to look at him, waiting for his answer. In the end I only held his gaze for a few moments before I looked away again and sighed.

After admitting that my mother wanted to go to the Foothills, I wasn't expecting Mauja to ask where I wanted to go. Did it really matter where I wanted to live? I was still young and I needed my mother and father to keep me safe. I needed the company of my brother even if he did love the sun. Still, I thought about it then looked at Mauja again. "I am happy wherever I can look up and see the Moon." I didn't have to be in her patron land, I suppose. So long as I could see her I would be content and happy.


ooc:// this took forever D:

Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

What, indeed, but blind faith? Blind faith, and the - irrational, unfounded - conviction that Earth and Moon were more level-headed, less prone to fits of anger and mass destruction. But even though the filly's words made sense, even though she herself was stubborn in her belief (arguing with an old stallion, that in itself was remarkable), he found himself unshaken. Perhaps he would pay for it one day, perhaps he would not. Instead, he let his gaze swing up to the moon, speaking silence by way of answering her. What could he say? That he was an old, stupid stallion who had lived too long in the shadow of the moon to think ill of her? In the end he heaved a sigh. "They could," he agreed in a tired voice. "But they don't." He tilted his head down to look at her. "They all have power, and with it comes responsibility. Even when angry, you cannot misuse your power. The Sun is doing just that, but..." He shrugged. "Call it blind faith and foolishness, but I believe Earth and Moon to be in better control of themselves." Mauja wasn't so sure it was just punishment for pushing the Order of the Sun off a cliff, as much as the Sun's rage at failing. In a sense, punishment, in another, just a too powerful child stomping his toys to bits. Only, the toys were alive. Had emotions, lives. And the child knew it and relished it.

Perhaps the Moon had a bestial side, too; she was certainly intelligent, wicked, sharp. Perhaps, while the Sun twisted minds with talk of glory and power, she blanketed her true intentions in soft down and gentle whispers. I could ponder for a year and a day and be no wiser. He thrust the thoughts aside. Better to have blind faith in one who did not set the world on fire, than in one who did. Religion always came down to hypocrisy and he knew it, yet he couldn't turn away.

She seemed surprised by his question, and he regarded the dragon in silence while she pondered. "I am happy wherever I can look up and see the Moon." He chuckled. Most places, then, except caves. "You're wise, moonchild," he told her, a touch of fondness in his voice. She was just a little younger than his Snö. He wasn't prepared for the stab it sent through him; he tried to think as little as possible of her and Psyche. They were missing, just gone most of the time. Thinking about them didn't bring them to him, so he just shut it out. "But should you ever wish to see Her lands, you'd be welcome to visit me at the Edge."

I just shrug when Mauja says that he thinks the Moon and the Earth have better control over themselves than the Sun did. It's just too obvious, even to me, that our debate would keep going round and round with no real end. "Maybe." I agree. "But I don't think I can blame the Sun for his temper. A being of heat and fire is bound to have a fiery temper, don't you think?" Even if I didn't blame him for his temper it didn't excuse what he was putting us through.

Silence developed only to be broken when Mauja called me wise. I turned my head and looked at him, my head tilting slightly. On my back Tallis hummed what I assumed to be his agreement. No one had called me wise before so I liked the feeling of being complimented. I smiled. "You are wise, too." Even if a little blinded by the moon. Maybe one day I would be like that when I had a stronger faith and didn't view the world through the eyes of a child. Maybe when I was grown everything wouldn't seem so wonderous and awe-inspiring.

"I would love to visit her lands." I say after Mauja invites me, but then I frown. "But I don't think I can. My mother says that I can't go into other lands unless the leader invites me." She called it trespassing and I didn't want to do that out of fear of getting into trouble.

Mauja the FrostHeart
ice cold man watches earth die, eternal winter takes its reign

Maybe was the polite way of saying I don't agree with you. In an adult, it wasn't at all strange to hear, but coming from a child felt strange. After all, weren't children known for being blunt, honest to the point of brutality? He regarded her in silence for a moment longer, then gave his head the tiniest of shakes, another of his sad, tired smiles on his face. "It's such an old cliché. Simply for the sake of variation I wish it was Earth setting everything on fire. But, I guess you are right," he complained, with a slight grimace. Perhaps the Moon hadn't been so silent as he thought - perhaps she'd sent Aylin, her child, to batter some sense and wisdom back into his stubborn old head. After so many years, it was easy to get stuck in your ways, stuck in your blind faith and unshaken belief; he felt no nearer a revelation, but perhaps it was as the child said. Patience, understanding. But how could he, deathly cold with a marble heart, pretend to understand? He, with intolerance bubbling just beneath the surface, was not one to practice understanding on a core level. He understood it; had to understand it, to play his game, and had to possess patience to play it well. But despite understanding understanding itself, he did not practice it. If he did, he'd be like the mules of the Foothills. Revolting.

He snapped out of his silent reverie, slightly amazed at how even reflecting over how Aylin might've been a gift from the Moon brought him to thoughts of racism. She'd spoken, returned the compliment, but he gave a dry chuckle. "Sometimes I wonder," he told her in a dry voice, stars reflecting in his eyes. Was it wisdom or passion that dictated his actions, his choices, that influenced him? Passion, he'd say, for in logic and intelligence lay only acceptance and understanding; elitism, the arrogance and certainty found in the hearts of his racists, had little to do with logic. There were good leaders among the hornless, great tacticians and soldiers with prowess, just as there were idiots, beasts and jerks among the horned. Logic and wisdom had to fall into the shadow of passion and unfounded arrogance - he did not mind it. If he did, he wouldn't be what he was.

Mauja chuckled again, this time the sound was softer, and the smile too, like moonlight over newly fallen snow. Of course, she didn't know; he'd not told her, had he? He seldom did, preferring to not flaunt his title or rank, allowing others to judge him for who he was and not for his throne. Some figured it out on their own, some didn't. He'd rather someone bowed to him out of genuine respect instead out of respect for his position. The latter was just a mockery, and it infuriated him. The soft smile grew slightly crooked and he leaned over to give Aylin's forelock another fond nibble. "Ah, but he just did," he told her, affection warming his voice. She was a sweet child; such a pity her family was tainted, her mother an equine, and she of an open mind. He longed to close the doors in it, to take her in, but she was a loss he simply had to suffer. Perhaps she would find the passion running through her blood in the future, but if she didn't, she was out of his grasp - forever, likely. But the fact remained: he couldn't tip his hand too early, right now, simply for the sake of a child whose blood was tainted. Either she would see the truth, awakening to it all on her own, or she would be lost, dying with her eyes still veiled to the glory of her race.

"Oh!" I said, shock lacing my voice as the big stallion revealed himself to be the leader of the Moon's lands. "Then ... you're Mauja the FrostHeart." My head tilted as I studied him. When I had heard his name in passing the first time I had pictured a large white stallion. The fact that the FrostHeart had black speckling his otherwise pristine coat was surprising to me, but not unwelcome. He was like the moonlight with a sprinkling of the darkness that surrounded it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I say sincerely. As he nibbled my forelock I lifted my head to bump my muzzle against his. I certainly liked him, there was a tenderness about him that I found comforting. "I will definitely visit you" I promised him. "But I have to go home." I wished I could stay longer to talk with him, but my mother and father would get worried and come looking for me. I bumped my muzzle against his once more. "Goodbye!" I said before turning and trotting away.

He just smiled - softly, gently - at her surprised look when it dawned on her that it was a herd leader she was having a conversation with. Mauja did not define himself by his title, nor, he thought, did he abuse it. In fact, he preferred to not state it when he could get away with it, and let others make what they wanted of him for who he was, and not the throne he sat upon. He did not mind that she hadn't figured it out. It even pleased him, and he could only hope she would've been as open with her views even if she'd known. "I am," he agreed warmly. A gentle laugh escaped him as she said it was a pleasure to meet him, her soft, downy little muzzle bumping against his in a friendly way. Teasingly, he blew a bout of warm air onto her. "You too, moonchild." And it was. He only hoped she'd grow into a wise mare and not stray from the true path of unicorns, but.. hopes are the fodder for fools.

But then she abruptly announced her need to go away, and his smile turned a little sad. Fondly he returned the muzzle bump. "I'm looking forward to it!" And then she was gone, trotting down towards the world below, long stick legs carrying her off. For a moment Mauja remained where he was, then he turned his head to the moon with a smile. "Thank you," he breathed. For sending me someone of wisdom. He felt better now than he'd had when he came up here.

[ The end! <3 ]