It had long reached dark by the time the frosted brute had traipsed into the Deep Forest. The snow caught and pulled on his pale feathers, weighing him down with every step. His bonded, Cenny, seemed to love the harsh extremes that Frostfall had brought, but Andash was far from loving it. It was these times that he often wished for the heat of Tallsun, but he knew that that was a dream in a time far gone. The young beast shook the flakes that had settled upon his thick pelt, giving his magnificent wings a final stretch before striding on once more. He had still not yet taken flight - waiting for the right moment as he'd put it. His pride was not ready to be tainted by the failure of flight.

He thrust his crown into the heavens to gaze at the odd stars that circled in deep sky. It was a very odd and unique constellation that he was witnessing, something that he had never laid pools on before. As such, his curiousity had gotten the better of his nature. He was indeed wonderous at what awaited him if he were to follow the constellation. His mind pondered at the thoughts, but was soon brought back up to the surface at the shrill chirp from the young puffin. She seemed to be dancing in the deep snow, wriggling and writhing with happiness. He knelt down and nudged her along before giving himself a shiver to be free of some of the flakes that were still falling gracefully from the heavens.
"Come now Cenny, no games." He smiled fondly at his bonded. She almost seemed to be the only friend he had at the moment, feeling as though his other friends were lost in time. Andash knew that he was being stupid to think such things, he had wandered off before everything had happened. It was only himself stopping him from seeing his friends again, particularly dearest Xira. He sighed at the thought of the petite mossy fae, before focussing back onto the track.

What lay before him was the frost covered frondesnce that densely covered this part of Helovia. In the warmer climates it was cooler than he would have anticipated, but now there was no warmth at all. No ray of sunlight found its way through the crevices, and he could no longer hear the trickle of water from the streams. Must have all frozen, he thought dejectedly. The scent was tainted with the wet smell of the snow, and through that he could make no sense out of what he was doing. Why was he following the stars? Was he going mad?

With a gulp he swallowed his fright, and let his pride endure. He would not be scared by what was to follow, if it was something bad. Instead, he took his gaze up to the dark heavens and waited.

Then it came.

His pillars almost felt like jelly at the odd images that shot their way through the odd constellation, it was so out of the ordinary. Something that bore tusks almost seem to dance below, through the frondescence of the dense Deep Forest, and he followed it. Stupid to do so, perhaps, but his curiousity had gotten the upper hand. The creature's orbs were enough to drag the silvered brute in. It seemed to be pulling him to find something, and as confused as he was, he confidently strode through, his elegant frame almost casting an eerie ghost-like figure across the terra firma.

He halted at a large fir tree. It's character almost seemed to be completely untainted by Frostfall's bite, and Andash could almost feel the hope that it gave to every creature. With a sigh, he hoped that the bitter season would end, soon... Through his thoughts, his icy pools cast a glance at a silhouette of a figure that stood nearby. And then a female voice sounded through the chilly air. It was a voice that he thought was familiar, but could not quite figure out who the voice belonged to.

Wracking his brain fiercely, he was answered. The voice spoke of his name, and tense muscles that he scanned became relaxed. It was Cassiopeia. His own burly muscles began to relax, and he smiled back warmly at the duchess. It was comforting to see his friend again, after what felt like such a long time.
"Cassiopeia. It has been too long, my friend," his smile could have almost split his crown in two, it was that large. He stepped forward to press his visage on her neck in welcoming, before continuing, "I see you have gained more magic?"

Andash chuckled, thinking back to the mellay that he had just gone through. It certainly was impressive, whatever had happened. He knew that it had to be the charcoal vixen's making, or else it wouldn't have alerted her.

It was lovely to see his old friend after all this time, it felt like it had been a lifetime since their first meeting. He greeted her bearing the same warm expression of familiarity of comfort towards the obsidian fae. As he glanced at her, he noticed Azulee, her and Azzuen's daughter. With a dip of respect towards the little filly, he continued to concentrate on Cassiopeia's interest.

Her curiosity was welcomed by the frosted brute. There had been many events since their last meeting, and they were all visible. First of all: his wing. What was once a deformed, rather sad looking thing was now a magnificent wing bestowed upon him by the God of the Earth himself, complete with a fern marking that ran all the way along it. That was courtesy of his dearest, Xira. He smiled fondly at the name, his mind galloping back. His feelings towards the vixen were complicated and straightforward at the same time - all he needed was the courage to confess them to the mossy roan. The next change was of course gaining his small bonded, Cenny. The little puffin was much to handle and still very young, as well as not being handy in battle. But he loved her just the same like she were a daughter, a small bundle of joy that he was proud to have as a companion. Cassiopeia's queries, also concerning his wing, were met with a calm, cool deep voice as he explained,
"There has been much since we last met, my friend," he gestured to the quiet bird, who watched the vixen with intent, bright eyes. "Not long after Orangemoon took hold, I wandered out of Helovia for a time, seeking some refuge to get myself together, so to speak. It probably sounds incredibly selfish, but I can't tell you how glad I am to be back where I belong..." The emotion ran deep in his tones, and in his pools. They spoke of the love he had for his homeland. He shook these away and smiled back at her with his soft, leaden velveteens. The mention of his brush with the Gods made him once again think back to Xira. "Yes, well, no. Not exactly. My wing came about through the actions of Xira, something I am forever indebted to her for. I have not yet set about trying to fly yet, not for real though..." He smiled again at the mention of Xira, so fondly and lovingly. But he turned these feelings off and instead opted for a poker face, still welcoming towards his friend, however. It was time to ask her about her own happenings. Enough of selfishness he mused. "And how about yourself, Cass?"

As Azulee made herself fully known to him again, he smiled warmly at her. He remembered meeting the little obsidian with Azzuen before he had wandered out of Helovia, it was a good memory. "Yes, I remember meeting Azulee when I spoke with Azzuen. It's nice to meet you again, little one! And how are you?" He flicked his tail silks, his frosted lobes pricked forward.

Noticing the creature that was sat upon her back, it was his turn to be silently inquisitive. But he did not mention it, for fear of sounding nosy or rude. As little Azulee moved closer and inquired about Cenny, he nudged the bonded closer to the pair. It was good for the bird to get used to his friends. She fluttered about and tilted her little beaked crown, chirping at the far larger fae, before waddling over to the smaller filly confidently. He chuckled. "This here is Cenny. The Gods are too kind to the likes of me." The humour and respect played and danced about in the lights of his pools, or at least what light could be found. The darkness was growing ever more imminent as each moment passed. Andash did not wish to stay any longer than he had to. But he was comforted knowing that Cassiopeia was here to keep him company.