The millenary kingdom of Equestria, ruled by Princesses Luna and Celestia, is known by all. It is famous, without a doubt: few kingdoms can boast of having the creators of day and night as their ruling cast. The people of Equestria live peacefully, with sporadic and unremarkable startles. Many think that Equestria covers the entirety of the world. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Although the princesses have a lot of power, they cannot cover the whole world under their protective wings. Where their influence dies, the borders of the kingdom are born. And beyond that, wild territories rise, little known by the scholars of Canterlot. It was not a topic to speak of excessively, for what would a decent pony want to know about a land infested by dangerous wild creatures? And the truth is that they are right. Beyond the borders of Equestria, there is a type of creature that most ponies have already forgotten: predators. Animals that eat other animals. It is the power of the princesses that keeps them away from their borders or confined in wild places like the Everfree forest. No pony in Equestria in their right mind would venture out of the kingdom.
But the truth is that beyond the border, there are pony settlements. Settlements with their own culture, traditions, ways of doing things, and surviving. Settlements that trade among themselves and survive the harsh conditions of those wild territories without being affected by the events of Equestria. And although they know of its existence, why would they leave their homes?
To the northeast of Canterlot, several weeks' journey away, lies the farthest border of the kingdom. Beyond it, the territory becomes a chaotic mosaic of hills, rivers, mountains, and lakes. Summers, mild and low on rain, give way to long, wild, cold, and stormy winters. Agriculture is impossible in this land. But curiously, the trees seem to have adapted to these conditions, blooming and bearing fruit all year round without stopping.
This is the real reason why ponies had managed to settle here. What more could you ask for than plentiful food and water? Several days' journey in the opposite direction of Equestria is a small village. Rather, a traveler and nomadic tribe's crossing point. Its houses and the occasional tent grow scattered on two hills by a river. No one has ever bothered to give it a name, but it is known by all as River Hills. Next to it stands an imposing mountain. There is there is a trail at its foot that leads to a small clearing next to a waterfall, halfway to the summit. The land there overflows with an abundance of berries, mushrooms, blackberries, and other fruits that are to the liking of ponies.
And there is where Mountain Peak stands. A tiny and isolated village accustomed to the most terrible winters, which only seeks to live in peace. It would be almost two generations before Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor were born. And even more time would pass before Nightmare Moon managed to escape from her prison to try to plunge the world into eternal night.
It had been almost a year since Star Whistle got lost in the night and was saved by the wolves. Star had just turned seven. She had never told anyone, except her mother, that she had learned to speak with the wolves. Her mother knew that ponies would be scared to know and that they might do something terrible. It was unlikely, but who wants to tempt fate? So, Star swore to her mother that she would never tell anyone.
Star Whistle left her house and walked to the edge of the village. She sat next to a bush and ate some berries while watching the sunrise. She liked to wake up early to see the sun rise. She had been told that there was a pony, Princess Celestia, who moved the sun every day. She wondered how she did it. She was sure she was a unicorn. She had seen a unicorn once when she went down to River Hills with her mother. There were no unicorns living in these lands. The few who passed through the area didn't usually stay long.
She also thought it might be a flying pony - a Pegasus - who flew to move the sun. But she didn't believe it because the feathers would have burned if they got too close to the sun and the pony would have fallen to the ground. It had to be a unicorn. For sure!
Star wanted to see a Pegasus. She had never seen one before. Her village was the territory of earth ponies.
It was cold, but still bearable. Autumn was about to give way to winter. That's why Star took advantage of that morning: soon she wouldn't be able to leave home so early. She remembered her night with the she-wolf for the umpteenth time. It had been challenging to start understanding her. The language of wolves seemed very complicated and intuitive at the same time. But she was convinced that the wolf had told her she wanted to see her again. That she would see her again.
The sun rose over the mountain, bathing the little pony in its light. Star smiled, feeling the warmth on her tiny body. She heard noises in the village. The ponies were waking up. Star Whistle got up and went to her house. That day she had to go with other ponies to gather berries and mushrooms for the winter reserves. Then she would help her mother prepare the jams and dried herbs.
It is true that the fruits of this mountain grow even in winter. But there are weeks in winter when it is not safe to leave the house. That's why they prepared their reserves.
Star entered her house. Her mother, Glittering Light, had just woken up and was preparing breakfast. When she heard the front door, she said, "Star! Where were you? I thought you were still asleep."
"I went out to see the sunrise, mommy," the little filly replied. Her mother smiled. "Come on, have breakfast while I pack my things."
Glittering Star was a sky blue earth pony with blonde mane, slightly taller than average. Her cutie mark was a wooden doll playing with a hoop. While her daughter had breakfast, she went to the opposite side of the room where she had set up a small workshop. Glittering was a craftspony: she made everything that was needed, from canning jars to wicker baskets. And of course, she made her own art pieces (like any good artisan): figurines, toys, drawings, paintings... From time to time, she would go down to River Hills to sell her works.
That day, she was going to have a lot of work ahead of her, as everyone was going to ask for canning jars or ask her to fix the ones from previous years. While she was preparing her things, she heard her daughter getting up. "I'm done, mommy!"
"Well, come on, daughter, go to the town center to meet everyone. Today, you'll go harvesting."
The filly ran out of the house shouting "Goodbye!" She was actually going to play with the other foals in town before going out to harvest. The veteran harvesters would take the younger ones on an excursion to teach them the trade. Everypony had to know how to find food in Mountain Peak. It was a matter of survival.
"Look at all these fruits!" exclaimed Star Whistle.
"Be careful, Mulberry," warned Star Whistle.
Mulberry was a slightly older foal than Star Whistle, with yellow fur and green mane. He was restless, curious to the core, and somewhat reckless. They were accompanied by an adult pony, an expert collector who supervised them and showed them the best spots and tricks to become great collectors.
The little foal was struggling to climb a small tree to pick some fruits. The adult pony was trying to explain to him that it was not necessary and dangerous. As always, Mulberry ignored all advice or reprimands and kept doing his own thing. Star Whistle spotted a blackberry bush full of sour berries. She didn't like them very much, but they stayed fresh all winter, for when it wasn't safe to go outside.
"Here are some blackberries," she said.
Her companions didn't pay attention. Mulberry continued trying to climb the tree, much to the collector's despair. Star Whistle shrugged and continued collecting herself. She carefully moved the bush aside, using a curved knife they had given her for the task. She had almost filled half a basket when she heard a scream.
"Mulberry!" yelled the adult.
After the scream, she heard a loud thud and the little foal crying. Star ran towards them. The scene she found left her frozen: Mulberry had fallen from the tree and was crying on the ground. His right hind leg was twisted at an impossible angle, and he had a wound. Star couldn't tell how severe it was until the foal tried to move, revealing a puddle of blood under his belly. Star didn't know what to do. She had to help him, but she didn't know how. She was becoming more and more terrified by the moment.
Taking charge, the collector left the baskets and lifted Mulberry onto his back.
"Star, let's go!"
And with those words, they galloped towards the village.
Star Whistle watched with intrigue as the village healer mixed various medicinal herbs and chopped them with his hooves. "You have to be reckless," said Plantain Hooves, the healer, "to try to climb a tree. You're a pony, not a lynx, Mulberry."
Plantain Hooves was an old pony, dark green fur with grey mane. He was tall and thin, with many wrinkles on his face. His cutie mark was a plantain leaf, a medicinal plant. The old healer poured the potion he was preparing onto a cloth. Without hesitation or getting agitated, he used a straight piece of wood to splint the foal's leg. The foal screamed in pain as he put the bone back in place. Then he put the poultice on the wound and finished wrapping everything up. Mulberry's face relaxed as the poultice took effect, soothing the pain.
"You'll have to stay home for two weeks, just when we need more help with the harvest. Who will do your part of the work now, huh?" Plantain Hooves reproached him. Mulberry hung his head in response to the scolding, then went home with his mother. The healer accompanied them to the door and said goodbye affectionately, but not without giving the foal one last scolding glance.
When he closed the door and went back inside his home, he saw that Star Whistle was still there. "What's wrong, little one, are you hurt too?" he asked.
"No," she said shyly, "it's just that I wanted to ask you if I could learn...to heal. To heal other ponies."
Plantain Hooves looked at the little pony, the same one who had miraculously survived a storm last year. The one who had somehow been brought back to the village by winter wolves. He hesitated, not because of what happened last winter, but because Star was young. Way too young. A healer wasn't usually trained until they were older. Things a healer sees shouldn't be seen by a foal.
But more importantly: a healer is born, not made. A healer discovers that they are one at the same time they get their cutie mark. Just like his own. But Plantain had already seen three generations born in Mountain Peak, and no natural healer had emerged.
"Why do you want to learn to be a healer, Star Whistle? It's a very tough job. You see very unpleasant things."
"Well...because...," the little pony looked around and at the ground, alternately searching for the words. The old pony watched her when she started talking. "Because when Mulberry fell, I wanted to help him. I wanted to do it! But I didn't know how. What if we couldn't come back? I couldn't carry Mulberry. I felt...very bad. I was very scared."
Star Whistle looked at the ground for a few seconds. Plantain listened to her choking back a sob.
"I don't want to see someone like that again and not be able to do anything. I don't want to."
Plantain Hooves knelt next to her and made her look up. Star Whistle was crying. The healer wondered if the filly was speaking from her heart, or if it was just the recent scare she had experienced. But deep down, he believed that the girl was telling the truth from the bottom of her soul. And if he was wrong, he wouldn't lose anything by teaching her the art of healing ponies during the winter.
"These days you will have to work hard, now that your little friend's hooves are missing. But tell your mother that, if she agrees, this winter I will teach you the art of healing ponies."
Star Whistle's face lit up, still with tears shining on her little face. "Yes! Thank you, thank you, th-!"
"Come on, go on now, you have a lot to do," Plantain interrupted with a smile.
The pony ran out the door. More than asking her mother for permission, she was going to give her the news. The old man smiled. Maybe he had made a good choice. Besides, he felt lonely in the winter, it would be good to have a pupil. And the town would benefit from having a young, enthusiastic healer.
Several hours after nightfall, the villagers were already asleep. Except for Star Whistle. It was strange because she was always the first person in the village to wake up, so she usually went to bed early. But that night she couldn't do it. She didn't know why. She wasn't scared of what happened during the harvest, nor was she nervous about starting her training as a healer. It was something deeper.
She didn't feel alone.
She got up from her bed, went to the window, and opened it. The temperature had dropped a lot that night. She shivered, but she could endure it for a while. She looked out over the valley that stretched at the foot of the mountain. Through the darkness, she sensed where the river was, next to which River Hills grew. Beyond it, clouds had formed, and she could hear thunder in the distance. A big storm was coming to the valley.
The feeling of not being alone became stronger. It was strange, but she didn't feel any threat. On the contrary, she felt... protected? The clouds gradually accumulated, spreading over the entire valley and Mountain Peak. The wind started to blow.
Then she heard, from a distance, a howl, followed by another. And another, and another... until it formed a chorus of wolf howls. Without warning, a powerful lightning bolt emerged from the clouds, striking the valley. Star observed the impressive event without fear. It had happened far away. The thunder arrived muted to her ears, but it lasted long seconds, leaving an echo on the mountain that repeated it several times.
When the thunder finally fell silent, Star heard a new howl. This one was much closer and sharper than the previous ones.
Star recognized the howl. It was the wolf pup that saved her. It had kept its promise and returned. Star Whistle entered her room and put on her coat. Then she quietly went out the window. Her mother would never allow her to go out at night, let alone after what happened last year.
Before leaving, she lit an oil lamp inside her room. That way, she could follow the light back.
At first, she walked in silence, but when she was a few meters away, she started running down the mountain. She stopped before losing sight of the village. She looked around, but she didn't see anything. Then she heard the wolf pup's howl. It was calling her. Star sensed what she should do. She raised her head to the sky and, firmly, howled into the night. A long and very sharp howl.
Then she stood still, alone, in the middle of the mountain. It was very dark. Star waited for several minutes until she heard something moving. The first thing she saw was its eyes: one amber, the other blue. Then the white fur of its back. The wolf pup had grown a little more than the pony: it was now a young wolf. Its muscles had developed proportionally to its height.
The she-wolf appeared before Star and bowed her head in a respectful greeting. Star Whistle did the same. The wolf growled, or rather, spoke: "I knew you would come, pony."
Star understood her perfectly, even to her surprise. She cleared her throat, searching for the wolf "words" she needed.
"Why do you call me?" Star asked.
"To learn," the wolf replied.
"I don't understand".
The wolf observed the pony. When she saw that Star wasn't saying anything else, she decided to explain herself. "Your people and mine are separated. A prey has never wanted to know about the hunter. I want to learn about your soul. I want to know how ponies see the mountains, the plains, the rivers, and the lakes."
"But why me?" asked Star Whistle.
"Because you know how to listen with your soul, not with your ears," the wolf clarified.
"How do you know?" asked Star Whistle.
"I see it."
Star didn't know what to say. A wolf wanted to learn about her people? For what? She didn't know what to think. Her instinct told her that the wolf didn't want to harm her, but the logic instilled by generations of ponies told her otherwise.
"I don't want to harm you or yours," said the wolf.
Maybe that was all Star needed to hear, that she was being assured that she wouldn't be used to harm any pony. Star Whistle sat on the ground. "What do you want to know?"
The wolf sat on the ground in front of the pony. She seemed to think about the answer. Maybe she didn't even expect it to work. Or maybe there were so many things she wanted to know that she couldn't decide where to start. "Your words."
They talked for many hours. Star using the language of ponies and the wolf using that of wolves. Star was able to speak in wolf almost perfectly very quickly. It was very intuitive. They didn't usually use names for things, rather they referred to things in a generic way: "the green plant", "the big rock"... On the other hand, the wolf couldn't speak like a pony, but she was starting to understand the words. Suddenly, she asked a question:
"What does your soul say?"
"I don't understand," replied Star Whistle.
"The soul of your herd. Our soul says, 'The night is our kingdom. Snow is our sister. Our howls call the storm.'"
"I... don't have an answer."
Suddenly, a howl was heard from the foot of the mountain. The wolf perked up her ears and stood up. "I must go to my own," she said.
Star Whistle stood up too. The wolf lowered her head until it almost touched the ground. The pony did the same. Then, the wolf ran off, disappearing into the darkness. Star walked back to the village. The light she had left served as her guide. She sneaked into her house through the window, closing it behind her quietly.
Then she turned off the light and went to sleep. No one, not even her mother, ever knew about her nocturnal escapade.
The feeling of not being alone gradually faded away.