I woke to the whimpers of a dog. I looked over out of my window, the curtains tattered and worn down from the harsh winter months. The cracked window bled a cold air that sank to the floor. I felt my skin tense as I rolled onto my front and stood. "Hold on girl, I'm coming." I stepped out of bed, my hooves causing the floor to creak. "I know baby, I'm sorry." I hurried out of my bare room, the lowly oak walls painted a spoiled dank cream.

I hurried through my hut over to the door, pulling it open to the sound of my dog hurrying over towards me. She scrambled inside and hid under my back legs. "Ooooh no, I'm sorry sweetie." I closed the door with a loud snap. "I know it's cold out." The usually mild winter on the western coast was turned icy and frigid by a bitter wind from the white ocean. I peeked out my window, the crack starting to split further from the snap freeze. "Forests don't like it either, fields are barren." I ran my tongue across my lips, the cold leaving them cracked and stiff. "We'll be okay."

My dog raced around the room, shaking the snow off her back and across my floor. My single room hut was a mess, with only a bed, a stove, and a table with two chairs. Austerity served me well enough, as it did our seaside village. I looked out over the town, a blanket of frozen white gripping everything and everypony. The farming village was laid barren, without pegasus or unicorns to help regulate the weather. Even I was a rare sight for the ground walking ponies. The horn on my head leaving me with many jeers and jokes on my race.

I bared it, knowing they were simple people with simple jokes. We were in kind, poor, but happy in the spring sun. I fogged the window with my breath and turned to my dog. "Mutt, you stay--" The dog barked at me. "Fine.... I'm going to head into town, you sit there." I pointed a hoof at her. "Sit." The dog just stared, cocking its head slightly. I didn't even know if it was really a girl, but I didn't care. "Stay."

I turned to the door and flung it open, my red mane spilling out over my face as I tripped on a broken bit of pathway. I flipped it back and looked down, my white body already splashed wish slush. "Grand, why must the natural order find it so favorable to shit on me?" I kicked my leg and walked off towards the town center, the snow thin but turned to ice from the cold. The town was short, huts and homes not more than two stories.

I stretched my neck, a loud snap echoing through the dirt streets, patches of mud frozen solid and rough against my hooves. I looked towards the west, the sky grey and swirling with blue light. An omen of magic at work. I felt the frost settle upon my back as I stood staring at the upset in the sky. So long as it stayed over the white sea we would be fine, and should it come east I could only trust in our guards.

I walked along the slushy path into the market, closed down with stalls collapsed or rotted. The smell of rain had settled upon us and mixed with the biting chill. I turned to our pub, the tallest building in the town, our home in the cold months. The smell of hay fluttered out as I walked over and pressed the door open.

The inside of the room lit up as ponies turned to meet me. A small cheer cried out as I stepped into the room, amongst the tables and drinking ponies. The bar tender slammed his hoof into the counter. "Eureka, you are alive!"

I nodded to the sound of cheers. "Yes, what, did you think I was dead?" I walked up to the bar and hopped up onto a seat. "Hello Pint."

Pint nodded and walked over to me. "You haven't come out to see us recently, I think we all assumed the worst."

I shook my head and laughed. "The cold can't take me, it can try, but it won't."

The room settled down, Pint adopted a rather grim expression. "Well I'm glad. There are some that aren't as strong as you." He poured a drink into an old silver mug and nodded sharply. "In her memory."

I felt myself frown. "Rye?"

The room bustled softly, Pint nodded. "Rye, Shoots, their little filly. Found em' frozen about a day ago." Pint slid the drink to me. "A drink to remember, aye everypony!? A drink for the lost!" He slammed his hoof, the room grunting like soldiers in response. "That's what I thought!"

I stared down at the beautiful polished silver. "Pint, we'll make it through this you know."

He looked up at me, thick eyebrows falling downward as he searched the floor. "Some of you will." He shook his head, features hardened by the creases in his face. "I don't know who it'll take next, but if it's me, let them remember me as generous."

I shook my head and hopped down from the counter. "Then drink it yourself, it'll keep you warm." I turned to the door. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but somepony needs to call attention to this, pride or not I won't have my home freezing solid."

Pint grumbled angrily as I pushed the door open. "Nothing's permanent Eureka, least of all ponies!"

"Yes-" I swung around to face the old stallion behind the bar, "-but does that mean those young and weak, able to grow stronger, need to be cut down?"

Pint laughed heavily. "I hope you're not insinuating that I'm either."

I smiled back at him. "Maybe not, but my point stands. And who better to save the old stud than the fresh faced mare with a--"

The door slammed against its hinges and back closed in an instant. A crazed mare with a coat pushed me aside. "Windigo! Windigo to the west!" She ran up to the bar and jumped up on it. "It's coming from the west! We have to leave! We have to leave now!"

The room went still for a few moments. Pint huffed loudly. "Eureka, what say you of the young and weak?"

I stared at him as the rest of the ponies inside turned to me. My stomach spoke loud cries of unease. "I say that the able must defend them." I turned to the door and walked out into the swirling icy wind now sending shards of ice against the pub.