For Janus, the trip from Helovia's Threshold to the Windtossed Foothills was an exhausting one. Each step brought agony to the Andalusian's weary body, but she obediently followed after Fence, blue eyes locked on the horizon. Just keep going, her mind would whisper in a voice that sounded strangely like Riveth's beautiful tenure, As long as you keep looking forward and place one foot in front of the other, nothing will ever stop you. Except... It was getting so hard. The mud that was caked onto her once ivory coat pulled at her fur, causing discomfort in her frame, but she didn't complain. Not once did she utter a word to ask Fence to pause in their journey, for in her eyes, the sooner they arrived in the Foothills, the sooner she could bathe. Then rest.

Or, perhaps, she'd just simply forego the bathing and find a nice place to slumber.

Lucky for her, however, the Foothills didn't rest too far from the edges of the Threshold where Fence had found her. Icy blue orbs drifted from the horizon to where the said stallion was walking, his pace set respectfully slow to match her own lazy one. He was a kind, despite his troubled soul... Idly Janus wondered if she would see more of him, come her acceptance into the Foothills, and in turn the Grey. She couldn't help but wonder just what kind of life Fence had come from before this, or if he had lived in Helovia all of his life... Yet he spoke of a seasoned warrior; perhaps death was no stranger to him, like for her. Maybe it was his reason for being in Helovia...

The silence was a welcome one. It wasn't full of fear or tension, like the silence she had grown used to while in captivity... It was brotherly. Despite not saying any words, Janus could tell that Fence only wanted to help her, and was genuine in his offer to do so. It warmed her bitter heart, if only a little. His kindness reminded her of another soul, the war-faring soul of a Friesian stallion... Immediately, with a flick of her head to the right, the thought left her mind. Better to not dwell on those memories. They were far too painful, and she was already weighed down enough.

Through the soothing silence, however, came the sound of a song; a brief melody that escaped Fence's pale lips and floated innocently into the sky. It was a lovely tune, innocent in its own way, and for some reason Janus was reminded of her days as an innocent youth, before her icy-blue eyes had been tainted and hardened by her days of war.

"It's a lovely song," Janus responded respectfully, lifting her head just a bit higher and daring to offer Fence a kind smile, "I think I would like to learn it, some day." Deciding to divulge a little of her history, the mare continued on, flicking her tail to the right as she walked side by side with the Trotter. "In my home, as we went to war, we would sing songs to prepare ourselves for battle. It helped ease the nerves as well, focusing on innocent songs instead of the inevitable fighting."

Her vocals drifted off into the chilly air, and as they crested the borders of the Foothills and Fence proclaimed that they had arrived, Janus paused in her steps and allowed her eyes roam the boundaries of her new home. It was a beautiful place, and the sight of the mountains so close by made her heart clench in her chest. This land... These Windtossed Foothills were so close to her dear, beloved Vallhea that it was almost painful.
"It... It's beautiful here, Fence," Janus murmured, soulful blue eyes tinged with unshed tears, "So beautiful. Thank you for... Bringing me home."

Home... It was a simple word. Four letters, one syllable, yet the depth of such a simple word held so much profound meaning that Janus thought she would cry. How long had it been since she had called a land home? How long since she had been free to run through the mountain grasses of Vallhea? Captivity had robbed her spirit, but here, in Helovia, where new beginnings were aplenty... Perhaps her spirit would return.

"Home..."