Had my heart turned into an empty room or was I simply standing still when the entire world was passing around me? I could look all around and still feel as if time was changing while I stayed the same. I couldn’t name how I felt, couldn’t see where I was going… What was wrong with me? I was standing at the edge of a storm that was heading toward my heart, even if I didn’t know it yet. The wind carried a message within the folds and I struggled many times over to understand what it meant. Even the constant thrumming of my essence against my will was causing havoc from within that often reverberated outward. I was shaky with the force of unknowing and all I knew was that, in time, all of these emotions would reveal the source of my pain. Everything would end in one way or another.

I had been wandering throughout the Edge for days now, restless and anxious. My lack of sleep was seemingly getting to me because I couldn’t handle the pounding of my thoughts against my skull. However, the sound of the sea still seemed to soothe me at times. In those times, I would stand to listen to the muted rushing of the waves. I wondered what it would feel like to have them crash against my legs, my face, let them swallow me whole. Would I find freedom within its deathly grip or would I find only panic, the very same thing I sought to escape? However, mild tones reached up above the roaring not only in the Edge but in my heart and wrestled me from my frantic daydreaming. I recognized her voice instantly and thought quickly back to the little rusty filly from the Threshold. As I recalled, her name had been Red Baron, Baron for short and ever since my rise to the throne, I hadn’t seen her much.

However, seeing her now was such a relief. She appeared to be overwhelmed and perhaps I had expected as much but before I could go to her, a pallid mare with artfully tousled ebony tresses beat me to the chase. Both females were new to the Edge, one so young, and the other merely young at heart. I smiled at her approach and decided to wait in the shadows for the perfect time to intervene. I wanted more than anything to see this Mikali in action after meeting her upon her arrival from the claiming grounds. I was still slightly irked by her beauty but her kindness was enough to distract me from her certain… allure. My heart plunged slightly at the thought of such blasphemy because Tamira was always ever pressing upon my mind, but I hadn’t seen her in nearly a week. Surely there was something going on that was ailing her. I only wished that I could find out what it was before I drove myself to the brink of insanity.

For I was nothing without her love and tender caress.

Many moments passed in which I found myself locked within the captive thoughts of my mate before I realized that the situation unfolding before me was now in need of my attentions. I was reluctant to tear myself away from Tamira, but there was nothing that I could do to stay any longer within her warm gaze. It was something that often sustained me in the midst of the cold nights… I wanted more than anything for her to reconcile her reservations and find me again. I needed her to find me again.

“Baron, you’ve no reason to fear the Edge, you are now among family… This is your home not a prison.” I looked down into the filly’s wide eyes as I approached from my perch. They were filled with questions that seemed to go unanswered and further more unasked. The girl had resonated with me and given me great satisfaction upon coming to the Edge with me. I had taken her from the clutches of the Grey and now that I had done as much, I was more than proud to guide her away from their ruin. Turning to Mikali, I nodded slowly. I was thankful for her attentions to the filly in my absence; she was certainly becoming a great asset to my herd, my family, still obviously shared with Mirage. The thought of her brought a sense of comfort to my heart knowing that I had found such a friend in her as well as a wonderful presiding equal. “Mikali, I trust you have fared well. Would you say that you’ve found the Edge to your liking?” There were so many formalities as of late… I only hoped that everyone would see me for what I was- true.

Thor