---------- Melody’s Tale - Frost ----------

“Wh… What?” Melody stammered. She had been ready to slip into her room, lock the door, and take off into the night. Dash might have been the better flyer, but once on the ground, Melody would have easily bested the avian with her magic. However, Dash didn’t look like she was prepared to stop them… If anything, what she said next, and her willingness to say it, swayed Melody to the thought that Dash was inclined to enlist their help.

“Scouting Unit forty-eight is missing. Their camp is abandoned and none of them are anywhere to be found. What’s more, their camp is deep in the heart of what we assumed was safe territory. In the recent months, a pack of migrating wolves have made their den nearby. They’re constantly hounding those troops. One of a few things has happened…” Dash turned around and kept walking, motioning for the two of them to follow. Woodenly, Verse and Melody padded after her, following the stressed general into her office.

“What… What do we do?” Melody asked. This was about MUCH more than Connor now. No one would blame her for her desire to check in on the unit now. It never had been about Connor, she knew, but even Verse doubted her when she said she was going just to check in on them. Not just out of some selfish notion of love. Dash sighed and wiped a hand across her face, looking at the map on the wall, then back to them.

“The weather’s kicking up… What originally was supposed to take five days took two weeks. Getting you kids out there is going to be troublesome. High winds, snow, wilderness… But I can’t just ignore these reports. I need to investigate. Personally, if I must.”

“Dash, you can’t-“

“I know I can’t leave. There’s too much here that needs my attention. So I’m sending you and two platoons to investigate. Melody, we’re going to need a medic. You know how to treat frostbite?”

“Well.” Melody said, nodding softly. “And Verse isn’t too bad himself.”

“Even better. Go get Lily, you leave presently.”

“What about Twilight?” Verse asked gently, just before they were about to leave. Dash sighed and looked up at the wall, frowning over the placements of the glowing dots.

“I need her here… I have to ask Ephemira for a favor.”

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They left in an hour. Lily hastily threw together a pack with warm, modified clothes that would not hinder her flight. Melody and Verse needed nothing, their own clothing having come from Hurricane and Gale themselves. They would be protected from the cold. They rendezvoused with the captains of two other platoons, one of them an airborne cavalry unit, and the other a support unit. Both of their teams looked very hardy, dressed for the cold, armed to the teeth, and professional. Melody was feeling very good about their trip. The first part, anyways.

“Ready?”

“As we’ll ever be.” Melody said with a sigh. Lily, behind them, looked different in her thick, warm clothes, carrying a hefty pack. She looked out-of-place. Melody and Verse, however, looked worse. They wore thin clothes, and drew more than a few questions from the doubting soldiers. They assured everyone present multiple times the clothes were enchanted… Blessed, even, but none of them believed. They were given other clothes to wear. Rather than make a big deal about it, Melody removed the liners from the heavy clothes and wore the outer pieces. Verse followed suit, and they were off.

Both units of avians flew very fast. Lily was able to keep up without too much difficulty, but the novice flyers Melody and Verse struggled to keep up. Melody felt suffocated, even without the heavy liners… These avian were career military personnel. They probably practiced flying every day. Eyriwatch dwindled behind them, growing smaller and smaller on the southern horizon. They turned their path north-east, back into Featherhome. Melody began to think about all that had happened…

Connor went north, sent back a suspicious report of some frostbite and an old, ancient cave… Or maybe a ruin. Verse and I both feel the need to investigate, so we begged Rainbow Dash to let us go. She agreed, but only on certain conditions… One of them being she sends a small party to investigate first, and if they return with anything suspicious, we would be permitted to go, along with a sizeable escort force. The advance scouting party returned, but they reported Connor’s unit was missing, their camp abandoned. What’s worse, there was a pack of wolves making trouble in the area, and they were going to have to deal with the weather as well. I’m not worried about Connor, I’m worried about this odd frostbite, and this ruin...

After a full day of flying hard against the wind, they settled down for the night. They weren’t quite into Featherhome yet, but the pine tree forest was beginning. They settled in under the green needles, their footsteps silent on the bed of dried needles. There was plenty to burn for a fire, so they all huddled up around four separate fires for a hearty dinner of bacon and bread. Perishables first, so they saved the dried jerky, beans, and rations for later. There was talking, joking, laughing, and conversation. As night fell, though, Melody began to tire. When she rolled up in her sleeping bag, she dreamt of wolves with ice for teeth and glowing red eyes.

The next day dawned bleak, overcast, and slightly chilly. She could feel the freezing air on her arms, but it didn’t affect her torso or her thighs, so she was still able to fly well. A little stiff, but well… And so it went, from day to day like that. The bread they ate was stale after two days, and moldy on the third, so they tossed what little was left and switched to dried beef. It was salty and chewy and good, it made Melody feel full. At night, they would set a watch, four people to watch for four hours, then another four for the last portion of the night. Melody didn’t feel right not contributing, so she offered to take the place of one tired-looking guard. She was paired up with another guard and he showed her the proper way to conduct a night watch.

It was better than her dreams, which had slowly begun to develop into nightmares. Late into the night, what she had to guess was at least close to two in the morning, she was relieved and collapsed into her bedroll without a second thought. This time, her dreams were blissfully non-existent. She began to volunteer for the night watch more often. At least, until the cold rolled in. Once they started encountering high winds and blinding snow every night, the watch was reduced to a solitary person, someone experienced and professional. Melody reluctantly slept the whole night, wondering if and when the would be an end to her nightmares. There seemed to be none. They went on every night, the same wolves chasing her through the forest.

Their breath was freezing cold on the back of her neck, their snarls inducing enough adrenaline to fuel a six-day marathon. But she could never move fast enough. Her legs bogged down in deep drifts of wet snow and she felt short of breath. No matter how fast or how hard she ran, they were always on her heels. When she turned around, a dozen of them leapt out of nowhere, glistening fangs of blue ice sinking into her skin.

She never awoke screaming, thankfully. The night watch would have been alerted. Instead, she gave a small gasp and curled up, shivering from fright on the hard forest floor. She didn’t sleep well after that. It was fitful, restless… She awoke feeling much more fatigued and sore than she had been the past few nights.

Truthfully enough, her clothes kept her warm. Her arms would occasionally grow chilled, particularly when flying into a stiff wind with snow falling, but the rest of the time she felt oddly warm… Like nothing would bother her. Where others would shiver and huddle around a fire, she and Verse would take a walk through the woods, their light jackets open and feeling warm and safe. At least there was that. Melody knew she would be much more miserable if she hadn’t brought them along.

The lack of sleep began to get to her. Melody began to feel as if she were constantly dreaming. The lines between dream and reality began to blur, leaving her red-eyed and delirious. The other soldiers were not bothered by these nightmares, but one look at Verse’s haggard expression and she knew he was suffering as well. They put their heads together one night, debating solutions to their predicament.

“I don’t know a single herb mixture in our supplies we could use… And we sure as anything aren’t going to find shit in the snow. It’s either frozen and dead, or can’t even grow…” Verse said gently, wiping a hand across his face.

“Is there a spell for it?” Melody knew there wasn’t, she was just brainstorming…

“No… Nightmares and sleep mean brain activity, and I’m not about to let you or anyone fuck with my neural pathways.”

“Right… What the fuck can we do, then?” Verse shrugged at her question.

“Sweat it out? I suppose? We can’t keep going like this, though… If we keep it up, we’ll just start passing out. Look, monitor spells are safe, right?” He asked gently. Melody nodded. A monitor spell was a way to see everything someone else saw, both in their mind’s eye and their regular vision. It was a little complex, certainly not for your average magi. Then again, Verse and Melody were anything but average. “So we do that. You watch my dreams, I watch yours. Maybe that will give us a little something to go on.” Melody mulled the thought over… While performing a monitor spell while she was this tired wasn’t the safest thing, it was progress. Better than just suffering through it.

“Alright.”

“Are you good?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She said gently, heaving a sigh. Messing with someone’s brain was dangerous. Watching it was just hard. Advanced soothsayers and fortune tellers would use this spell to interpret dreams, and others would use it for research. Melody wasn’t sure what their reasoning was, but it was better than nothing. She swept snow off of the ground, preparing Verse’s bed for him. Using her magic, she engraved the spell-form into the spot just underneath his head, and placed a single down feather underneath his pillow.

“Ready?” He asked softly, laying his head down. Immediately, the spell form glowed with a soft light. Not visible past three feet. Melody knelt at his head, facing down the length of his body.

“I am. Are you?”

“Yeah… Good night?” Melody nodded her head and let her hands glow with her magic. She spoke the words under her breath, making sure no nearby avian guards were able to hear her… The monitor spell was one of only fourteen Melody had to speak an incantation for. The words were lost to her, but their meaning, ancient and lost in a tongue none spoke regularly for thousands of years, was clear as day.

”Rest your weary head to sleep, or keep thine eyes wide awake.

Sleep now, child, and let me see, or stay sharp and observant.

Reveal your thoughts to me.”

Verse was gone to his dreams as Melody cast the spell.

Revealed to her eyes was Verse’s nightmare. And it was a nightmare indeed.

Horses had long been extinct in Equestria. They existed in myth next to the Worpletinger and the Porcupine, creatures that had supposedly roamed the surface of the planet freely, and had been utilized by ancient people in one way or another. Now, though, they were children’s myths and bedtime stories. Every bit as unreal as the myths and fantasies that inhabited the books Twilight used to read to her at night… In everywhere but Verse’s dreams. She watched, stricken, as his nightmare world unfolded before her.

As in her own, Verse was running, but he was running through an open field. Flat and wide and long, it looked like Verse could run forever in any direction, and would never reach the end. Behind him, though, were the thunderous hoof beats. Whenever he glanced back, Melody could see them. A dozen, maybe more, all spread out in a fan behind him. Ancient diagrams constructed from uncovered bones and ancient archeological expeditions showed horses to be anywhere from six to eight feet tall from hoof to head, and at least five from hoof to shoulder. They were proud, magnificent beasts with long tails and flowing manes, strong and beautiful and frightening all at the same time.

The beasts chasing Verse through his dreamscape were not just frightening, they were completely terrifying. Under their running hooves, ice and snow spread, covering the lush grass of the field. Behind them, snow-covered trees rocketed into existence, towering tall. As they began to catch up to Verse, the trees enveloped him, dropping wet snow on his head. Their branches broke from the weight of the snow and fell in his path, hitting him and knocking him over, making him trip and fall, or work to scramble over massive branches. All the while, the terrifying screams of the equine nightmare pierced through her head.

When they caught him, Verse’s dream didn’t end with the first contact. Melody was forced by magic to watch as Verse’s body was bitten and ripped at. She felt each bone snap, understood his pain and agony as their teeth ripped chunks of his flesh apart, their vicious, glowing blue eyes piercing into her whenever she caught a glimpse of them through the flurry of hooves, teeth, and blood.

“Woah.” Melody breathed. The nightmare ended as Verse’s eyes snapped open, his chest heaving. “I… I’ll take my wolves any day over… Over THAT.” She whimpered, looking down at him. Both of them were crying.

“That was worse than any night before…” Verse whispered softly. He couldn’t stop his own tears. They both were frozen, Melody’s hands still resting on Verse’s face… She was crouched, he was laid out, and neither of them could bring themselves to move.

“You two okay?” The voice snapped them from their reverie. They swung their heads around, eyes resting on the solitary night watchman. He looked down at them, his spear clung tight in both fists, his expression drawn and worried. Melody wiped her eyes, Verse groaning as he sat up and did the same.

“Nightmares.” Verse grumbled, slowly getting up. “Very, very bad ones… My sister was helping me with magic.”

“Right… That mumbo-jumbo…” The guard tapped his spear on the cold rock beneath them. “How you two manage to sleep in this cold with those clothes is still beyond me. Gotta make my rounds. If you’re gonna be awake, watch the North. I swear I hear wolves.”

“If only you knew.” Melody muttered underneath her breath. The guard didn’t hear, moved off, shuffling through the snow. “My turn?” She asked, turning to Verse. With a heavy sigh, Verse nodded. It was dark out, the only light coming from one of four campfires the sleeping guards were huddled around. If Melody had to guess, they were in the spell for an hour, maybe ninety minutes… She took Verse’s spot, stretching out with her head on the spell-form, the material feather underneath the pillow she rested on. Once more, she found herself thankful for the enchanted clothes. She felt pleasantly warm, almost like sleeping underneath her tree on a moderately warm spring day.

Shame she didn’t sleep as well as if she were home. In fact, Melody couldn’t call what she did sleeping. She was in the pine forest, running hard and fast from the wolves. Their baying howls chased her through the forest, around trees, over fallen logs and splashing through frigid streams. They were relentless, their panting breaths and excited barking reminding her they were but a few steps, a few fumbled footfalls behind her. She swore she could feel their thudding paws in her chest, shaking her to the core with terror and agony.

Her lungs burned, her muscles were rubber, and she felt delirious. Sick, even. Maybe that’s why they were chasing her. She was sick and weak. Helpless. Easy prey for the experienced and heartless pack of wolves. Her head spun around as she tried to get a look at them. Just like every night previously, their eyes were icy blue and their fangs appeared to be sharp icicles. She was being circled. Outmatched. Bested. It took the pack another thirty seconds to cut her off. Snarling, a wolf jumped into her path, then another when she veered. Turning around, she was cut off once more. Back to a tree, Melody’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes darting to and fro, looking for an opening. She saw none. Nothing that wouldn’t allow them to rip her apart when she tried to slip through the opening. And even if she did, she would be run down again. The first wolf growled low, it’s lips spread in a snarl as it’s head inched closer and closer, slinking low across the snowy ground.

She was wet, she was tired, she was freezing cold, and she was sick. The terror that gripped her heart couldn’t be stopped, didn’t help her breathe, made her weary muscles lock up on her. She stared, wide-eyed, as they descended on her.

Her nightmare didn’t end.

It only grew worse.

She could feel the freezing teeth rip into her flesh, each one setting nerves and synapses aflame with pain and agony as they sunk in, locked, and pulled away. The first fell on her thigh, the second on her side, the third on her arm… Each time, bloody chunks of her naked skin were ripped asunder, exposing tendons and pulsing, bloody arteries. She screamed long and loud, her eyes wide with horror as the wolves snarled and gulped her wet, still-warm skin down. She fell to the ground, which made it easier for the others to join in.

When they attacked her neck, she could feel the blood void her body, leaving her veins in wet, thick spurts. It spattered onto the ground, staining the snow crimson, making her gurgle and choke on her scream. The taste of blood and bile filled her mouth. When the wolf ripped her throat out, she watched the pale, bloody tube wiggle in the air before another wolf ripped at it, the two of them fighting with her body part for food. They snarled and tumbled away, leaving the others to rip her chest and abdomen open.

This time, Melody woke with a scream.

“Shh! Shh! Melody, be quiet!” Verse cautioned. His shaky hands pulled her down to the bedroll. She panicked in his hold, squirming and fighting. He used magic to hold her in place, binding her to the ground while his hands clamped her mouth, trying hard to muffle the panicked screams. “Shut up, Melody!” His urgent whisper was laced with terror, even as Melody herself panicked like a madwoman. Her terror was so complete. Her sleep-deprived mind couldn’t form a coherent, rational thought. She only knew one thing, and one thing only. Flight. Run. Flee. Get out. Faster. When she couldn’t do that, she fought. Her hands and legs lashed out, catching Verse a few times, connecting with the hard ground or something else.

“The hell’s wrong with her?”

“She had a nightmare. The worst I’ve ever seen.” Verse grunted, spitting off to the side. “Help me with her! She’ll wake every fucking thing within five miles.”

“Hold her down!”

“Oof! Little bitch!”

“Fuck!”

So it went. Melody felt more weight collapse upon her, pinning her limbs to the ground, forcing her to be still. Her screams were muffled when a thick wad of fabric was stuffed into her mouth, her whimpers softened by a hand covering her throat. When she couldn’t flee, and when she couldn’t fight, Melody cried. She cried long and hard, sobbing and whimpering until the panicked, adrenaline-fueled strength left her muscles. Tears flowed fast and free from her eyes, and she twitched with the sobbing and depression.

“She gonna be okay?”

“I think so…” Verse’s voice. Soothing, but low and gruff. Like he was hurt, or at least offended.

“What the hell was it?”

“A nightmare… But so real, if felt like she was being ripped apart…”

“Can such a thing happen?”

“Ever piss your bed when you were a kid?”

“Who hasn’t?”

“Same thing, only amplified… It felt so real to her, her brain told her it was. She’s suffering from shock. Here, let me lay with her.”

“Gross, aren’t you her brother?”

“Shut up and take her jacket off.” Melody felt herself lifted up. At least four other guards held her in place as her jacket was taken off, tossed off and to the side heedlessly.

“She’s gonna freeze-“

“For the fiftieth fucking time, these clothes were given to us by a god. Do you remember those two massive birds that landed on the tower a few months ago? The call that went out to the land?”

“You’re telling me you had something to do with that?”

“I had EVERYTHING to do with that. She and I. Now shut the fuck up.” Melody was still delirious with pain and panic, her chest heaving with sobs as her muscles struggled against her captors, her chest twitching with sobs and cries.

“If she doesn’t shut up after this, I’m leaving her to the wolves.”

“At ease that shit, private! I’ll leave you to the fucking cold if you ever speak like that again!”

“She’s gonna get us killed, sarge!”

“I’LL kill you if you say that shit again! Commander’s orders, they live no matter what! You have a fucking issue, you fly back to Eyriewatch and hand in your resignation right now!”

Relief came like a wave. Melody clutched to the body that slipped in next to her. This wasn’t a captor. This was a friend. Arms, tender and caring, wrapped around her body, not holding her in place, just holding her. Her sobs came to an end and she quivered once before closing her eyes. Tears poured forth silently, her screaming and wails gone. The rest of the arms left her, and all she felt was this person, whoever it was, holding her close, stroking her hair. She heard their heartbeat, felt their reassuring presence. Her terror calmed, and she was left to soft, inaudible whimpers and silent tears.

“Thank the gods, she fucking shut up.”

“In the woods, private. You ‘n me are gonna have a little talk.” One by one, the presences watching them left. A second person pressed against her back, a second pair of arms wrapping around her.

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t think so… I don’t think either of us are. I’m scared, mom…”

“Shh, shh… It’s okay, Verse… Relax.”

“They’re going to leave us, aren’t they?”

“Not if the sergeant has anything to say about it.” It was Lily. Her voice came to Melody across the still-frazzled plane of her fatigued mind.

“I’m still scared…”

“I am too, kiddo… I am too…”

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Melody wasn’t sure if she slept at all for the rest of that night, but when she sat up, Lily and Verse were both snoring peacefully. She stayed there for a little while longer, trying to recollect her thoughts… The pearly-white sky was lit by an early-morning sun. The wind was blowing, kicking up snow and making the fires gutter weakly. Soldiers were moving, packing, getting ready. The scent of trail oatmeal and rations wafted past her nose, reminding her how hungry she was.

“Hey…” Verse said gently. She jumped a little, her eyes wide. He had just woken up. That was all. She should have noticed when his breathing became more shallow, his soft snoring stopped. She gnawed her lip, feeling embarrassed for her outburst last night.

“Sleep?”

“I wouldn’t call it that… I feel worse than ever…”

“Me too… C’mon, maybe some food will help.” She muttered, urging him up. They spread their bedrolls out atop Lily, keeping her warm as they stood and helped clean up camp. Melody noticed she was drawing more than a few curious looks. She jumped when a hand fell on her shoulder. Spinning around, she saw it was just the sergeant.

“You doing okay?” He asked, his expression dark with concern, both for her and his soldiers.

“Truth? No… I don’t think so… I don’t know what it is, but… These nightmares. Last night was the worst yet.”

“You aren’t giving up, are you?” Melody looked up at him. The tall, slender sergeant was the authority on the mission. Last night’s muddled conversation came to her through a haze. He had to dish out some discipline to other soldiers that were going to leave them to die… He cared about her, but he cared about his soldiers as well. He nudged her shoulder with a fist, offering a brave, if patronizing smile.

“No… We need to find out what happened to unit forty-eight. No matter what.”

“That’s the spirit. You’re a fighter, Melody. C’mon, I got a boy needs some help.” She perked up a little. An injury? The first of the trip, if she recalled. The sergeant led her away from the rest of the soldiers, towards a different fire. The soldiers around this fire were all standing, save for one. He pointed at the man, and Melody swept forward. She had operated tired before, saving lives when she was on the brink of exhaustion. She clicked into a different mode, a different mindset. Her eyes scanned the man’s body, looking him all over.

“Aah shit, psycho wolf-bitch.”

“Watch it, private.”

“Yes, sarge.” He grumbled, looking up at Melody. “What do you want?”

“You’re hurt?”

“Wha… Yeah, why you ask?”

“Let me see.” Hesitantly, the man pulled down the hood of his coat, revealing a glistening cut on his cheek. It had scabbed over in the night, his unshaven beard matting into the wound on his jaw.

“Sarge has got a nasty left hook.” He grumbled, even as Melody inspected the wound. The cut was superficial. It bled plenty, but wasn’t serious. Her hands glowed immediately, weaving through the air above the wound. “Hey, what the… Ow! The fuck?!”

“There.” She said, standing straight. “It’s scoured and shut. Be careful shaving… IF you shave… For about a week.” She looked down at him. Something about his voice…

“Fuck…” He ran a finger along the thin line on his jaw, working his muscles in a circle and rubbing the spot. “Well sarge makes me look like an ass twice in one morning… I suppose I owe you an apology. Yer alright, kiddo.” The man flushed, despite the cold, and stood up with the others.

“Good job, Melody. Now come on. If what our scout says is right, we’ll reach unit forty-eight’s camp today. Y’hear that, men? Half a day’s flight to some warm buildings and real beds!”

“Fuck yeah!”

“Alright!” They all cheered as loud as they could manage before eagerly shouldering packs, padding off towards where everyone else was gathered.

“Hey.” The sergeant stopped her once more.

“Hmm?”

“You did a good job. The soldiers know you’re a healer now, so they’ll forget about last night’s little accident.”

“But… Didn’t you…?”

“What?” He shrugged, clapping her on the shoulder. “No sense having a healer if no one gets hurt. ‘sides. Had to teach him a lesson.” With a chuckle, the sergeant swept past her, leaving a soft smile on Melody’s face.

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The camp was, indeed, abandoned. Twice over, Melody had to say… Connor’s unit had set up in a very old and already-abandoned town, taking over some of the larger buildings for barracks and a command center. An old town hall had been converted into a barracks, and inside it looked like beds had been dragged from all over the town. This place was maybe a quarter the size of Ponyville, and that was saying something. When they first entered the town, it was slow and quiet, their footfalls silenced by wet snow and careful tread.

It took them maybe two hours to check each building top to bottom before finding nothing, save for the leftover supplies and somewhat worn signs of recent life. “What do you make of it?” Lily had asked the sergeant when they had all settled down in the old town hall. For both platoons, it’d be a stretch, but they could fit.

“They were here, alright. This old town has been here for ages. We used to use it for out-runners fleeing harpies a long time ago, when the chimera were not so big a threat… Now, unit Forty-Eight was posted here to observe movements, scout the surrounding territory, and eventually run diversion and raiding operations. This was their command center, you can tell by the map here…” He ran his fingers over a spread piece of parchment on the nearby table. “They slept in there, where the other men are now… Bathroom facilities… Shit, they even had a shower. There are less-cushy deployments than this…”

“So… What made them leave? Where are they now?” Verse asked. That stumped the sergeant. He shrugged and sighed, looking over the room once more.

“You got me there… Tracks were blown away in all the storms, any other sign would be cold by now… We can’t say what way they went or when, but we can say that they went, and they sure as shit aren’t here now. Nothing to do but set up camp and start searching. Look, I don’t want you all to stay here with the men… At least, not all of them. Take half my unit, and look for another place to stay. Take second squad. I think there’s a home across the way. If there’s room, set up a clinic so we can help sick or wounded… Tomorrow morning, we’ll get started on the search.” He spoke fast, issuing orders quickly and succinctly. Melody nodded and followed Lily, Verse staying close to her side.

Half the unit came with them across the narrow street into a nearby home. Here, a very large family or perhaps even two had lived. They swept the house and found nothing out-of-place. Melody, Verse, and Lily took the master bedroom, while the remaining half of the unit that came with split up between the other three bedrooms. Each were large enough to keep them all comfortably, if a touch spartan. Melody was glad to discover warm running water. A shower would do wonders for her right now. They settled, showered, ate, and reported back to the sergeant. She felt more awake than she had in recent weeks.

“Right, get all set up?”

“Don’t have the clinic set up yet, but the medical supplies are over here with the second unit.”

“Right. Well, here, let’s go over the map.” Before them on the wide table was a large, detailed map of the local area. The town was a small splotch near the middle, and around them in five-mile increments were what the sergeant referred to as ‘Satellite Watches.’ “One or two soldiers would post at these, and would act as a sort of first warning. We’re here for search and rescue, so we won’t worry about posting out there, but we will have to search them. Now, the report said they had found a cave or an old ruin of sorts. Long ago, this town used to mine coal. See?” He tapped the map, indicating the northern edge. It was here Melody could see rigid lines striking in towards the interior of the map. It was the beginning of the high mountains. Hardly thirty miles away… The edge of the world. No one, save for maybe a few gods, had ever been over those mountains… Here, in this harsh cold and biting winds, she could see why… No one would survive the trip.

However, there was something out of place. Frowning at the spot the sergeant’s finger met the map, she leaned in… “Is that…”

“Its no ruin. It’s a mine.”

“Woah… Do you think…?”

“Given the report, I think it’s a better place to start than out on the tundra.” The sergeant smiled and tapped the spot. “We’ll investigate after we get set up here. I get the feeling the search for unit forty-eight might take a little longer than we think… Winter’s rolling in. If we stay here for the season, sweat out the storms and the cold, we can return during the spring melts.”

“I have a better solution.” Melody said with a soft smile. The sergeant arched his eyebrow at her quizzically.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“If we find Connor’s unit, we can make spring come to us. Verse knows what I’m talking about.” Her brother smiled at her, remembering their good friends, and the ones that had given them their enchanted garments.

“Really? First, you scream and fret in the night, and now you say you can stop the snow.”

“Not me.” She pointed to the north-east. “Gale.”

“Gale. The roc-god of the north winds, master of the west?” The sergeant laid his hands on the desk. “Melody, if you think you can purse your lips, whistle to the winds, and call the roc-king himself, I’d not just call you insane, I’d call you fucking stupid.”

Lily laughed out loud.

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Two days later, the wind whipped around Melody’s waist, tugging at her. As usual, it wasn’t cold, but she wasn’t worried about herself… The sergeant and Lily shivered against the biting wind as they stood on the hilltop. They had taken two days to set up, while some smaller parties were sent out to start the searches. The preliminary search of the satellite watches had revealed nothing but cold fires and abandoned tents. Today, they were going to the mine.

“Do it, Verse.” She nodded. Her brother smiled and turned Northwest. His pinky fingers lifted to his lips, and out over the howling winds pierced a magic-induced, loud whistle. The sergeant actually winced against the sound. It echoed off of far-away hills, coming back to them eerily… Along with another sound. A howl. Wolves.

“Shit… They heard that. Not good.” The sergeant pulled a sword free from his belt, tromping through the knee-high snow towards Verse. “Ready yourselves. They’ll be here in minutes. I told you you're stupid whistle wouldn’t work. What’s worse, you’ve fucking alerted the pack!” Melody and Lily advanced behind him, Melody’s hands already glowing with a spell. Lily held a spear in her hands, though she knew as well as any of them she would be little help.

“Wait!” Verse held a hand up, stopping all of them. “Wait… Hear that?” They all paused, hearts hammering in their ears as the howling wind took over. That, and the sound of something else… Something cutting through the snow… Melody heard it… Wings! Gale was coming!

“Wolves! Guard up!” The sergeant snapped her attention back to the present. Melody watched as the pale grey shapes materialized in front of them, wavering in the driving snow for a moment. She saw them bob up and down. Melody’s dreams came back to her, and she felt her heart hammer faster, harder…

“Melody! Stay with me now! They aren’t like the ones in your dream!” Verse called, his hands already weaving an intricate spell. He was cut off by the piercing eagle cry that rocked the ground beneath them.

”NO THEY ARE NOT!” Lightning. Thunder. Fire. They ripped through the air, melting snow and impacting them with a shockwave. Lily and the sergeant fell down, tumbling through the snow just as the monstrous god landed before them. Melody’s vision was filled with blue and yellow and red, the Roc’s second cry making her ears hurt. ”BEGONE, BANE OF HEARTH! LEAVE!” He screamed and shot lightning away from their small party, cutting through the storm with his power.

“Gale!” Melody cried, her hands covering her ears. The sense of foreboding and threat faded away, though she still felt a slight bit of fear. Gale was here, he would protect her, he had vowed to do so. But the wolves and their nightmares still plagued her.

”Melody. Verse. I wish we had met under better circumstances. Gale said, his voice much more cool and soothing. ”Come. Let us warm your friends.” Gale gingerly stepped forwards, his massive wings tucking up against his body with an audible whooshing sound. Melody and Verse led him to where Lily and the sergeant were picking themselves up, staring at the gargantuan god with wonder.

“Gale… God of the North and Western winds… In all my days, I never…” The sergeant breathed.

“You owe me an apology, sergeant.” Melody teased, punching his shoulder playfully. The sergeant hardly noticed, his eyes still wide with wonder as Gale swept his head in close.

”Sergeant Icelash… Your name suits you well. You’re a veteran of the northern campaign. Your family has served the Equestrian military and weather team for a long, long time… Do not stand in wonder, the honor is all mine.” Gale’s head dipped, his black eyes closing. It was a bow. From a god.

“Wh… My god Gale, I… I’m not worthy.”

”Hahaha!” Gale’s laughter rumbled low from his fluffy, down-covered chest, his beak cracking a little. Fire danced in his maw. ”We gods understand honor and can appreciate hard work and reverence. I am honored to be standing in the presence of one whose family still whispers my name and carries my crest on their coat of arms. You and yours have faithfully served me for a long time. I am very appreciative of your efforts. But this isn’t about you or I right now.”

“Gale,” Verse said, drawing the god’s attention. “On the contrary, it is… We need your help.” He stepped forward, raising his arms to the roaring storm. “We… We need clear skies and no snow right now. We’re here to rescue some dear friends of ours, loyal soldiers who have served you like the sergeant has.”

”Hmm. You speak the truth, child of love.” Gale grumbled, leaning in to fix both he and Melody with a single black eye. ”But this is not my doing.”

“Wh… WHAT?!” Melody stammered in disbelief. Gale was the god of the north winds! The snow and the weather were his to command! The skies were his! “How can that be?! You… You’re the god of the North wind, right?!”

”Indeed I am. But in my absence, it appears other forces have taken a bitter grip on my birthright. Believe me, Melody, I’ve been battling them since you’ve awakened me. But I’m afraid the northern skies of Hearth are not currently mine. I come and go as I please, but the weather, the snows, and the wind… They are not under my control.”

“H… How?” Lily stammered. She was, apparently, still in disbelief. Or maybe awe. Gale was a sight to behold. Melody noticed she was no longer shivering, though, and neither was the sergeant. Gale sighed, a melancholy sort of sound that made Melody’s heart break.

”I suppose none of you have heard of the Wendigo before?”

“I have.”

“Same.”

“As have I.” The sergeant, Melody, and Verse all answered in the affirmative.

“Well I haven’t.” Lily grumbled. Gale smiled. A beaky, odd sort of thing for a god to do…

”Very well. I shall give you the abridged version. And worry not about the wolves… They won’t bother us for now.” Gale settled down, his downy fluff covering his great talons, settling his weight into the snow and ice around them. All of it began to melt away, baring the dark, black earth beneath. ”Long, long ago, the avian commanded the sky alongside Gale and I. They did our work, and we gave them the magic to help us move clouds, to manipulate the weather. They co-existed well with the Magi, whose boon was granted by Ephemira, and humans, who were blessed by Verdan, the god of life and growing.”

“Wait… This isn’t a version I’ve heard…” Melody said, the three who thought they knew the story shared a look, frowning slightly.

”Hmm. Probably because you weren’t there. Tales are often lost or changed in time. Well, listen closely. Ahem. The three races lived in harmony… But much like the harpies have recently, the avian fell from grace. Their magic wouldn’t work because they were cold and bitter and angry. As a result, it wouldn’t rain without our direct intervention, and the crops began to suffer at the hands of Verdan’s followers. As such, the magi grew weak and could not use their magic effectively. They argued and bickered and fought. As was the way back then, it was all we could do to sit back and let things run their course. This was, mind you, before The Edge of the World existed.” Gale’s eyes turned to the North, off to the high and imposing mountains.

“That’s what it’s called?” Melody asked. “The Edge of the World?” Gale nodded and resumed his story.

”All three races lived in harmony far north of here long ago. But their bitterness and petty arguments led to the birth of another god, one that was needed to bring balance to the world… All of us were young still, hardly ten thousand in age. Verdan, Ephemira, and my brother and I all agreed to let things run their course. We watched as each race set out to find it’s own home… In the South. Their bitterness followed them, as did the young god. When they all fought over who should reside in this new-found land, where the earth was green and lush, the winds were fair, and the land pulsed with powerful magic… It began to freeze.

“The Wendigo, a powerful god of bitterness and cold, had followed the three races into their new home. Territory disputes, hatred, rage, and bitter anger took root. Snow, or what they believed to be snow, covered the land and made things difficult for all. When one brilliant young magi realized the danger their new home was in, she used her magic to make the others see how foolish they were being, to draw attention to the danger all three races were in. They forged a new pact, a bond, and fought off the bitterness.

“The Wendigo, which are the embodiment of this young god, were fought back. The snow and bitter winds receded back to the cold north, and rose their mountains, cutting off the warm and fertile new land. Back then, the whole of the land was known as Mordune. Eventually, though, natural borders were made. New races and species were born, and each were given their own lands. Under the guidance of the avian, magi, and humans, everyone found their place, and they were happy. Forgotten was the god of bitterness and his cold wind. Forgotten, but not gone…” Gale sighed and shuffled a little, his story done.

“So… Is that what’s happening right now?” Melody asked.

”More or less, yes… The war, the anger and bitterness between the harpies, the chimera, the changelings… The Wendigo are returning in force, spilling forth from The Edge of the World. This snow that surrounds us is pure, bitter disdain. It freezes you in your sleep, and it’s frostbite is not curable by normal means. The wolves are the bitter rage that wants to rip the world apart, run it ragged and consume it’s warm flesh. The horses, long since dead, are the purest embodiments of the Wendigo’s bitterness… I fight them tirelessly, day in and day out, to reclaim my beloved winds… But I cannot do it when bitterness and anger still reside in the hearts of so many…

“Melody. Verse. You two must do everything you can to end this war. The citizens of Mordune coexisted in peace without this vicious bitterness and anger in their hearts. This disharmony amongst so much is hurting not only us, but them as well… How many have died? How many have had their lives ended in violent and vicious manners, all for the fruitless pursuit of… What? Does anybody even know?”

Melody shed tears over the sad and depressing story… While it was similar to the one she had been told by Twilight, it was not the same. There were more details, particularly at the beginning… So it was thanks to Gale and Hurricane that the avian could manipulate weather… Crops were grown by humans thanks to another god… A god that she and Verse knew about. Who was likely asleep and dormant with the others… How many old gods lived now? How many rested? How many, like the Wendigo and their god of bitterness, now rampaged unchecked across the homes of friends and family?

“These are dark times…” Melody whispered, shivering from something much colder than the wind and snow…

“We’ll do it, Melody.” Verse said, reassuring her. His warm hand on her back made her feel warm and calm. At least, more so than she had… “I have a different question for you, Gale…”

”Ask away, Verse. I am yours. My knowledge is open to your questions.”

“My sister and I have been plagued by these nightmares… Horrible things about wolves and horses, chasing us and making us lose much sleep. We’re flagging… Is there anything you can do to help us?”

”Hmm…” The low rumble of Gale’s thoughtful hum vibrated in Melody’s chest. Gale smiled again, that odd cracking of his beak.

”I believe I can. I think it’s as worthy a cause as any to protect you and yours in your time of need. I’ll stand vigil over your rest this evening, children of love. The magic and premise are complex, but with me standing by, your nightmares will not trouble you this night. Come. I will return you to your base. Climb upon my back.” Gale dropped his shoulder for them, and all four scrambled up the feathers onto his back. The sergeant had no words as he gripped the downy bed of feathers beneath him, the lurching flight was short and warm, taking them back to the Western edge of the small mining town.

“Thank you, Gale…” Melody said, hugging his beak as they all dismounted. Gale nudged her gently, clicking a soft reassurance from his throat.

”As I said, the pleasure is mine. I’m still young and new to this new Mordune… Selfish and immature as it may sound, I’m actually… Kind of enjoying the conflict. After sleeping for thousands of years, I think you’d find yourself enjoying the opportunity to… Exercise. I will get a good workout this night, protecting you and yours from the terrors in the night. There will be no need to post a watch, sergeant. Not for this or any night from here on out.”

“Th… Thank you, my god.” Sergeant Icelash, as Gale had betrayed his previously-unknown name to be, bowed low. Gale nudged him with the edge of his beak.

”Go now. And for the love of the winds… Try and laugh now and then? If I remember correctly, happiness and laughter do well to stave off the bitterness that resides in all our hearts. I’m off to watch the night.” Gale left them then. Melody had to admit, in the absence of the massive roc, she felt reassurance weigh in on her heavy, tired bones. She and Verse turned and woodenly entered the house with Lily. The sergeant wordlessly let them go, knowing Verse and Melody needed their rest. Together, all three of them stripped down for bed.

Melody was out before her head hit the pillow.