They had been close to edge of the Threshold and it took a very small time to reach the deep forest. I had continued to talk to her, continuing the conversation first started when I had walked up on her.

"Not any in the slightest. See I came here much like you did. I stumbled through the Threshold, lost and confused. The burning smell in my coat was heavily embedded but long faded now. See, I had escaped a fire. I ran away and somehow found myself here in Helovia. I took to myself as I don't feel as though its right to 'belong' to someone. However, as I learned more, I felt like something new needed to be started. I'm in the process of creating a group made from outcasts and herd members alike. The goal is to fight for equality and peace between everyone. To serve retribution and justice. But as you can see, I'm taking my first foal steps with this."

I sigh, continuing to walk. The dusting of snow is still below us and our hooves are leaving impressions behind us. However, along with these impressions is a slide of where my long black tail has been trailing behind me. My ice blue eyes flicker to her then nod with a sigh "That's not our only goals, though. I also want to provide a family and shelter for those lost souls seeking guidance. Whether it be temporarily or permanently. In return, I only seek alliance. " I shrug my broad and stout shoulders then continue to barrel through the snow as a new coating begins to slip through the thick trees.

We would continue to walk for as long as possible, then take a well earned rest. There was no doubt that the travel would be a few more days to reach to the place I wanted to be. We would be taking a rest here in the Deep Forest tonight, definitely. If we could get into some of the thickest parts, we could find shelter under thick tree branch groupings to escape the snow.

Saffron spoke of her own past and with that, my smile turned into a frown. My past was a happy one for the most part. The parting from my mother was something that could've been spotted from the getgo. I knew it had to happen and when it did, it was sad. I didn't mourn because I knew what lied ahead of me. Bull reigning was a passion and a dream of mine. Something that I had unfortunately, left behind.

However, instead of sorrow for Saffron, I felt a pang of anger. I hated those that pushed around the weak and young. Considering the fact that Saffron wasn't even a male and the stallion had chased her off was not only strange, but just plain asking for a beating. I turned my head sideways to stretch my neck, then relaxed my pinned ears. "If you ever see that stallion, please let me know. I would love to have a friendly discussion with him." My mood had been ruined by that, but I wiped the frown from my face and replaced it with my warm smile.

"So what do you like to do, Saffron? Or what did you used to like to do?"

"Talk"

I smiled as she exclaimed that the snow had melted as she touched it. I assumed that she had never seen the frozen and crystallized particles of water for if she had, it would probably come as more of a nuisance than of enjoyment. I used to be much like her, but of course, I had been exposed to it when I was very young. Now it was simply something that made me become cold and wet. Needless to say, snow still held a beauty that I could admire.

"Snow. Small, tiny particles of frozen water that fall from the sky when the temperature is cold enough. Have you never seen it before?"

The question was innocent. Had she not, I had quite the treat for her consider that my eyes had spotted another thing a few feet away. I made sure my eyes didn't linger, that way I wouldn't give anything away. I moved my head around, searching with my eyes for some cover that had yet to have the ground beneath it covered in snow. My shaggy, winter coat provided some protection, but still.

When I found it, I snorted which turned the breath from my nostrils into winter's breath. It looked like a fine mist of smoke. The cover was from under a large pine whose needles were thick in quantity and still clinging on and whose branches were very large in radius and length. My 'treat' was also found near here.

"I've found where we will be resting for the night, Saffron."

"Talk"

"It doesn't last long, I suppose. Comes and goes with the seasons." My warm smile was still there, even though it was tainted with weariness. I had made it such a long ways and my eyes were beginning to droop. "Of course, if that gets you, perhaps you have never seen one of these before?" What came with snow? Ice. What came with both? Icicles.

I walked over, out of the cover of the pine tree. About 40 feet away was a branch with icicles lined up and down. My icy blue eyes scanned them all up and down, trying to find a reasonably sized on. Once found, I took my mouth and grasped it, feeling the freezing sensation upon my lips and tongue. My body heat was melting it and luckily, it didn't get stuck to my tongue. I was sure to keep my teeth away from it, lest I feel a pang running up my nerves.

I drop the icicle beside her but close to the edge of the cover of the pine trees, my black, thick tail trailing behind me. We certainly didn't need anything wet getting on us in these frigid temperatures unless we were welcoming sickness and death. My snowy white pelt descended onto the cold and frozen ground littered with pine needles. In response to her other statement, I chuckled with a weary smile, "No one will need to keep watch tonight. With this giant tree covering us, we'll be extremely hard to spot. Our monotone coats will blend in. We're at an advantage here and I doubt someone will be out in the snow looking for trouble. If so, they'll find it."

I chuckled once more, then put my weary head down, watching my surroundings as the lightness decreased in amount. I waited for any more questions she would ask. "You should perhaps get to rest. We both have a long day of traveling tomorrow with as little breaks as possible." My ears flickered in her direction, ready to speak at the first words that came from her mouth and ready to provide an answer.

"Talk"

[[Apologies on the wait!]]

A story. How long had it been since Adalaide had told a story? Or even heard one for that matter? Oh, so long ago. It was a different life and a different place. Right there!

"There's a place far away from here. Very, very, very far away from here. No pegasus could fly it and no equine nor unicorn could run or swim to it. This place has rolling, green hills filled with the freshest and coolest of grass you could ever imagine. On a hot day, it cooled you off. Now, imagine this place having a giant... how do I put this... a giant ring in the middle. This ring is filled with dirt and is outlined by metal melted together to create a fence."

Adalaide sighed, her icy yet warm blue eyes looking out at the snow, carefully resting her head back down. "Inside the ring there is a creature called a bull. He is somewhat like a horse but he is much bulkier. He has more muscle on the front half of his body. On the sides of his heads near his forehead he has two large horns protruding far out. They're bone and cone like but they turn frontwards and protrude far out. He has a black coat, with black eyes and a black nose giving him a skull like blaze.

Now, imagine this bull is bucking another creature off of his back. This bull is angry and merciless. He is wanting to kill anything that moves because he thinks that it is a predator. This creature isn't a predator. The creature is simply wanting to ride upon his back for the fun of it. The bull doesn't understand this and so the bull finally bucks the creature off. The creature falls and is hurt and needs to be helped or else he can get killed. The creature cannot get up. The bull is charging this creature and has his long and sharp horns aimed right for him, ready to gore him.

There are other creatures around though. They know he can get killed. They have to save him so what do they do? They called a horse in the ring and let the horse loose. This horse is agile and quick but is also bulky. This horse possesses a long mane kept long for the sake of a distraction. The horse is running and circling the bull and right before the bull gores the creature, the bulls jerks up and heads for the horse. The horse is too quick and too agile, though. The horse distracts the bull. There is also a creature upon this horse's back. This creature has a rope and pulls the rope over the neck of the bull. The horse then quickly circles the bull, the rope's slack going around the bulls feet.

The creature on the back of the horse holds on and the horse lunges away, pulling with all the strength in her body and the rope trips the bull, making him fall in the dirt. She then proceeds to charge right at the bull and the hurt creature is able to get out of the ring. The bull gets up and runs from the horse, and into a metal box. The door is shut behind him and the work is done. The day is saved by the horse.

The horse is then taken out to a giant thing filled with rolling green hills and blue skies and clouds and she gets to relax and sleep. She awaits the next time she will be called upon to do it all again somethings happening differently every time. Sometimes, she is almost killed yet she continues to do it for the thrill."

Adalaide took a huge deep and heavy sigh. She remembered those things. She missed those things.

"Talk"