I have FINALLY finished it! It took me SUCH a long time to finish this! WARNING: it is VERY long, hehe. I didn't mean for it to be so long, it just sort of... happened. ENJOY!
Frostwind trotted through the deep snow, his thickly feathered hooves making deep wells when he lifted them. He breathed heavily in the cold weather. He wrapped his periwinkle blue wings around his light silver body. He longed to return to his small cave on the south-west coat of Anok. He had been forced to leave it the day before because of an avalanche. He had only been able to escape it because he could fly.
He reached the cave, and gasped at what he saw. It had been completely demolished by the avalanche, nothing but large pieces of rock remained. Frostwind sighed, sorrow suddenly filling his heart. He had grown up in that cave, lived there his entire life. His foal hood memories were all in there, and now it’s gone. A lone tear dripped down his cheek, and he quickly brushed it away, ashamed that he would cry over a silly cave.
Frostwind took a deep, shaky breath, and turned around. He couldn’t stand to look at the remains of what was once his favorite place in the world. He glanced back at it one last time, then trotted away, setting off to search for a new cave, a new home.
He didn’t know how long he had been searching for, but it must have been a while, as night had crept upon him. His teeth chattered in cold night air, the wind whistled, breaking up what would have been utter silence. Snow fell down in flurries, swirling in the breeze, making it hard for Frostwind to see.
His breath showed up in puffs in the cold air, and he shivered. He decided to stop for the night, and found a large tree to shelter under. He made a shallow dent in the snow big enough to fit him, and he curled up inside it, wrapping his wings around his body for warmth. As Frostwind closed his eyes, memories of his foalhood swarmed his head, swirling around like the snowflakes around him. He pressed his eyes shut, trying to get rid of the images that plagued his mind.
It didn’t work.
“Mama!” Young Frostwind bleated, seeing his mother surrounded by Snow Herd stallions. “Stay back Frostwind,” His mother, Snowbell, whinnied, her ice blue eyes wide in terror. Her beautiful lilac feathers tipped in indigo rattled defiantly, and her white body shimmered in the sunlight. Frostwind was just a few days old when this happened. He shook in terror, confused by what was happening around him.
A tall, stocky, silver buckskin mare trotted over to Snowbell, and the stallions departed, allowing her to approach Frostwind’s beautiful mother. “Snowbell,” The mare greeted, her long black mane flowing in locks down her neck. “Wintercloud,” Snowbell said, her voice as icy as the terrain she calls home.
Wintercloud rattled her silver-blue feathers, and trotted closer to Snowbell, lifting her black tipped legs carefully and gracefully. “I remember you were very good friends with my mate, Northwing, before he became over-stallion, correct?” She trilled, her voice as smooth as a riverstone, but cold as ice.
Snowbell nodded stiffly, her feathers rattling.
Wintercloud walked smoothly and confidently around Snowbell, swishing her silky black tail. “And, now here we are, nearly nine months later, and you have given birth to a colt, who looks very similar to Northwing,” She nickered. She glided right up to Snowbell’s ear. “And yet you have no mate,” She whispered hauntingly.
Snowbell shivered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” She insisted, edging away from the lead mare who had become her best friend’s mate.
Just then, the stallion in question flew down, seeing the commotion from the sky. His cobalt blue feathers fluttering down to the ground like raindrops. “What is happening here?” Northwing whinnied to his mate, and former best friend. He landed on the snow covered ground and flared his large wings. He looked at the circle of steeds, confused. His eyes landed on the small, three day old colt a winglength away from the circle. He gasped. The colt was the spitting image of the overstallion, down to his curly white tail and the connected star and stripe on his forehead. The only difference was that the colt’s wings were a periwinkle blue, an almost exact combination of Northwing’s cobalt blue feathers and Snowbell’s lilac feathers.
Northwing narrowed his eyes at the colt. “Who’s colt is that?” He snapped, glaring at Frostwind. The three day old colt trembled, terrified.
Snowbell stepped towards her former best friend, her over-stallion. She raised her head proudly. “Mine,” She said fearlessly.
Northwing pinned his ears. “You don’t have a mate,” He sputtered, confused.
Snowbell’s white ears pricked. “I know what,” She whispered. “May I speak with you? Alone?”
Northwing nodded, and they trotted into the trees.
And that’s where the memory ended. Frostwind’s mother, Snowbell, had been banished from Snow Herd and raised him in the cave that had just been destroyed. SHe had been killed by an ice tiger a few weeks before Frostwing was going to be weaned, forcing him to fend for himself from a very young age.
Frostwind shivered in the cold, and burrowed deeper into his wings. He had checked around earlier before he fell asleep, and had seen absolutely no sign of an ice tiger, so he hoped one wouldn’t come and eat him while he slept. After a while, he fell into a restless sleep.
The sound of hoofbeats and voices awoke him. His head snapped up, fully awake within seconds. “Hey, you!” A stallion called to him. “What do you think you’re doing here, trespasser!”
Frostwind scrambled to his hooves. “I didn’t know I was trespassing,” He whinnied, his deep voice startling the stallion. “I’ll leave.”
The buttermilk buckskin stallion grinned. “I don’t think you will,” He snarled, rattling his silver feathers. “You will come with us,” He whistled, and more stallions cantered over to him. “Call Northwing,” The stallion told the others. “He can deal with the trespasser.”
`Northwing? Frostwind thought. Oh, no. I trespassed onto Snow Herd’s territory!
One of the stallions called for Northwing. The buttermilk buckskin stallion snarled. “I’m Stonefire, top captain in Snow Herd’s army,” He said. “And you, trespasser, WILL come with us.” He lunged towards Frostwind, baring his teeth.
Frostwind squealed and darted out of the way. Stonefire narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. “Get him!” He ordered his stallions. They charged towards Frostwind, surrounding him. Frostwind reared, and flared his large periwinkle blue wings. The stallions backed up, surprised. They lunged forwards again, surrounding him and more determined.
A dapple gray stallion whirled around and struck Frostwind’s chest with his sharpened hooves, slicing open the skin. Frostwind squealed in agony and charged the dapple gray, baring his teeth. Frostwind headbutted the dapple gray in the chest, hard, and threw him off of his hooves.
The other stallions, including Stonefire, nickered at Frostwind, laughing at him. “Get him,” Stonefire ordered. Frostwind reared, striking his hooves in the air. He took notice that the warriors’ hooves were sharp and deadly, while his were dull and overgrown.
The stallions rushed forward again, grabbing to his wings and forcing him back to the ground. Frostwing thrashed, pulling his periwinkle blue wings out of their grasp. He whirled around and kicked one of the stallions in the ribs, knocking him to the ground. Frostwind was just about to crush the stallion’s skull when the trumpet of an over-stallion disrupted them.
A light silver stallion with cobalt blue feathers flew overhead, landing in front of them. “What is happening here?” He whinnied to his top captain. Then he saw Frostwind, and gasped.
Stonefire looked at Northwing. “This stallion trespassed, and then attacked us.”
Liars! Frostwind thought. Typical pegasi, always twisting the truth around to benefit themselves.
Northwing looked at the younger stallion who looked so much like him. He narrowed his eyes. “Break his wings.” He told Stonefire.
Stonefire nodded and lunged forward. Frostwind pranced away, nervous. His wings were pretty much his only means of survival when living alone. He wouldn’t last a day not being able to fly. His feathered hooves danced on the snow, ready to run away as soon as needed.
The stallions rushed forward and grabbed Frostwind’s wings, not giving him a chance to escape. Stonefire lashed out and kicked his front left leg. Frostwind groaned in pain, but remained mildly subdued, seeing there was no way to escape now.
Northwing trotted up to Frostwind, his eyes narrowed. Frostwind was shocked this stallion looked so similar to himself. He raised his head, his eyes meeting the over-stallion’s eyes. Northwing reared up, flaring his large cobalt blue wings to help him balance. He brought his hooves down just as the other stallions moved away so they didn’t get hit.
Frostwind duck to the side, barely escaping the stallion’s hooves. Northwing’s sharpened hoof managed to hit the bones at the very end of Frostwind’s left wing, breaking the flight bones. Frostwind wanted to scream as bolts of white hot pain shot from his wing throughout his entire body. He clamped his mouth shut and pranced away from the stallion.
Northwing snarled and charged Frostwind. He reared up and was about to give him the deathblow, but Frostwind was faster.
He met Northwing halfway, flaring his periwinkle blue wings. Frostwind hit Northwing’s chest with his large hooves, wishing once again that he had sharpened them. He hoped the blunt force of them would hurt Northwing enough. Northwing staggered back a few steps, but surged back forwards again.
Frostwind reared up, and bit the crest of Northwing’s neck, making him squeal in pain. He tossed the overstallion onto his side, crushing his cobalt blue wing. The patrol of stallions stared in confusion. Northwing had given them orders a few minutes ago not to interfere, thinking he could beat Frostwind. They awaited for new orders, but none came.
Frostwind reared up, flaring his wings for balance. Stonefire knew what was coming. He had seen it in many battles. “Fly straight and find your rest,” He whispered. Frostwind slammed his hooves back down onto Northwing, crushing his skull and killing him instantly.
Frostwind cringed, realizing what he had just done. I just killed an overstallion, He marveled. What is wrong with me!??! What was I thinking?
Stonefire and his patrol stared at Frostwind in wonderment. “What is your name?” Stonefire asked, his face void of any expression.
Frostwind balked. His eyes widened, scared of what the stallion might do to him. “F-Frostwind,” He said hesitantly. He stepped away from the body of the dead overstallion, slightly freaked out by it.
Stonefire then did a surprising thing. He kneeled down on his front knees, surrendering to Frostwind. “Frostwing,” He said.
Frostwind rocked back on his haunches, confused. “W-what?”
Stonefire looked up at him. “You killed our overstallion, so you are now our new overstallion.”
“I-I can’t be overstallion, I’ve never been in a herd.” Frostwind whinnied.
Stonefire stood up. “It is the custom. You don’t have to accept it if you want to live alone for the rest of your life. Is that what you want?”
Frostwind reconsidered. He had begun to feel something missing a few months back, and an urge had grown inside him. He had begun to yearn for a family of his own, a mate. He realized that he didn't want to live alone anymore. “I don’t want to live alone anymore,” He told Stonefire.
“Then follow me,” Stonefire said. He turned around and walked in the direction of Snow Herd.
Frostwind followed, slightly in shock. He looked up at the night sky, and saw the lights of the ancestors flying over them. Ancestors help me, he thought to himself, not sure what would happen when they reached Snow Herd.
They walked for about a half hour, with Stonefire asking Frostwind questions and telling him about the herd. When they reached Snow Herd, they stopped walking and Stonefire called the herd. They stood on a cliff, overlooking a large, snow covered valley where Snow Herd was.
Pegasi swarmed to the valley, and stared at Frostwind in confusion. Where was their overstallion? They rattled their feathers, uneasy by the strange stallion.
Stonefire raised his head and stomped his hoof. He snapped his wings out, the noise catching the Snow Herd steeds’ attention. “SNow Herd,” He whinnied. “Northwing battled this stallion just this night, and lost.” He gestured to Frostwind. The herd gasped. “This is Frostwing, your new overstallion.”
The herd protested in outrage.
He’s an outcast!
He doesn’t belong here.
Does he even know how to fight?
He must, if he killed Northwing.
A white mare with light pink feathers trotted forward, her ears pinned. “You killed your own father?” She asked Frostwing.
Frostwing balked. What was she talking about? “M-My father?”
Whispers erupted between the steeds in the valley. This was the illegitimate son of Northwing!
The mare scoffed. “Yes, your father. There was a rumor that Northwing sired a foal with his former best friend, SNowbell, before he became overstallion.”
“Silence!” Stonefire scolded her, flaring his silver wings. He turned his attention back to the herd. “Frostwing will meet with the captains now.”
The captains flew up to them, and they walked to a patch of trees a bit away from the herd, to discuss.
After the meeting, the medicine mare treated Frostwing’s wounds from the fight with Northwing. A few hours after that, he stood by himself, having finished everything that was needed to do. Can I really do this? He thought to himself.
Just then, the white mare with light pink feathers trotted up to him. “I’m Lightflower,” SHe introduced herself. Up close, Frostwing realized she was not fully white. She was mainly white, but had a small patch of silver over her ears, and on her back. Her eyes were a stunning pale blue, and her mane and tail were a silky white, with an almost pearlescent sheen to them.
She didn’t wait for him to introduce himself. “So you really didn’t know that Northwing was your father?” SHe asked him, narrowing her eyes at him, seeing him staring at her.
Frostwing stared at her. “No, I didn’t.” He said.
Lightflower looked at him. “What was it like, living alone?” SHe asked him.
He pricked his ears. He told her about the cave, and his mother. Frostwing told her about teaching himself how to fight.
Lightflower gasped. “You taught yourself everything we learn in flight school and army training?” She asked, astounded.
Frostwing nodded.
“Wow,” She breathed.
They talked until late evening, when Lightflower had to go back to her family. Frostwing stared after her, confused. It seemed that Lightflower liked him, and he liked her. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard being overstallion after all.
A few years later…
Frostwing stood with Lightflower, now Lightcloud. They watched their newborn son, Iceriver, play with the other foals. The two had grown closer since Frostwing had arrived in Snow Herd, and they had become mates.
After getting used to being in a herd, Frostwing began to take his role of overstallion very seriously, and cared deeply for Snow Herd. He had proved himself to be a very capable and protective overstallion, taking action as soon as possible if something goes wrong, and takes every measure possible to protect the herd.
Lightcloud was just as a good lead mare, and the herd loved the pair for it. THey had long gotten past their hostility towards Frostwing, and had accepted him.
Lightcloud sighed and leaned against Frostwing, watching their dark silver colt rattle his pale blue feathers, trying to tag one of his friends. Iceriver’s large white star glinted off sunlight as he looked up and saw his parents. He waved a wing at them, then narrowed his blue eyes and swished his white ringlet tail, and chased after his friends.
Frostwing wrapped a wing around Lightcloud, and remembered everything that had happened to get him to this moment. The cave collapsing, fighting Northwing, becoming overstallion. With gentle understanding, he realized that he had a purpose. To lead a herd, and protect.
He looked at his family, and the herd. He nuzzled Lightflower, and silently vowed to protect his family and Snow Herd with his life. And, when the time came, he would leave Snow Herd in the charge of the best replacement possible. For now, he will love and protect his herd and family with everything he had.
Again, sorry it's so long!!! I didn't intend for it to be so long. The characters and story just kinda kept adding and adding to it... and this happened. I hope you liked it!
BABY ICERIVER
AHHHHHHHHHHH WITTLE BABY ICERIVER!!!!!!!!
AWEEEEEEEEE!!!!! SO CUTE!!! AND BABY ICERIVER!!! EEEEEEEEEK!!!! :
IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was really good! So Snowbell was Northwing's first mate?
And Frostwing and Lightcloud are Iceriver's parents! Cool!
maybe now that I've finished this, I can finally start working on The Astronomers' Apprentice again! XD