The cool wind of the northlands brushed across her bay hide, welcoming home like an old friend and reminding her she'd been away too long. Back in the days of their defeat she had been used to this, but she'd spent time in warmer climates: her coat hadn't quite understood it was supposed to be grown-in by now, and at first she'd shivered as she stalked across the frozen wastes. Anger, at everything, had warmed her, along with the constant movement, the rise and fall of limbs as Alan powered herself across the snowy tundra. When in doubt, resort to anger. It worked quite well, and mumbling curses about Seiren and marshes and the Qian and everything between heaven and hell had certainly warmed her. It even made her feel a bit nostalgic, of those tense days, never knowing when the blow would come. She thrived on the fast rhythm of life, coming alive when her heart beat fire into her veins.

She didn't even know where they lived anymore - if they lived at all. She was just going off of what she knew, that they'd escaped north, then Mauja had disappeared and Alan had taken off after Seiren, mostly on a whim.. but the whim had kept her occupied for almost a year and a lot could've changed. Spitting out another string of curses she found something that resembled a well-worn trail, a highway across the snow, heading slightly west. With nothing better to follow she took the path, and the darkness closed in around her. The temperature dropped steadily, but clouds swept in to obscure the stars, and she was thankful for what extra cover she could get. Why couldn't her winter coat grow in just because she asked it to? Why did it have to take weeks? Muttering something unholy she hoped the unicorns lived someplace else, for she wasn't ready for this cold yet.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that way. Mountain walls loomed on the horizon, and movement by its base caught her attention. With nothing better to do Alan headed for it, because it coincided with her path; too far away to see she couldn't pick out their shapes properly, and they disappeared into the range. If only the moon had been out, she would've been able to see... Oh, well. If she walked into a den of lions she'd notice, and hopefully be quick out.

Coming to the point where she'd seen them, Alan realized they'd disappeared into a narrow pass, following a winding path into the bowels of the mountains. Scowling, she took one look left, and one right, then stepped gingerly in between the high walls. She could smell the pair, but not identify them - one day she'd probably known that smell, but time had scrubbed it out of her mind and she shrugged. If anything, it made her somewhat more irritated, so she guessed the scents had belonged to someplace she didn't like. Her hooves echoed dully against the hard floor, and whenever the wind blasted it was icy and strong, funneled into higher speeds by the narrow walls; Alan shivered, unable (and unwilling) to trot in such a tricky space, and her body was cooling rapidly.

Then suddenly the world opened up again. Mountains rose on either side of her, and she squinted, trying to see the other horizon, but couldn't. It seemed like she'd found some kind of hidden vale, and with her eyes scanning the ground she followed the steps of someone else. Her partner had disappeared - or had they only been one? She wasn't sure, and looked up; three unicorns stood nearby, two pale and unfamiliar, and a third... the sleek, gray body, the long horn, the lock of white by his poll... A twisted grin curled Alan's mouth. It was none other than Deimos.

But who were the ladies? One stood by his side, so clearly it was an ally, the other stood facing them, looking innocent, but Alan was no fool. She read tension in both Deimos and the stranger by his side, and her amber eyes narrowed dangerously as she slipped closer, quiet for once. She wanted to know what was going on before she started shouting.