//------------------------------// // 11. The pony sister // Story: Sisters of the Storm // by Volgrand //------------------------------// Star opened her eyes. She had woken up alone in the middle of the night. Without startling, without reason. She sat up in bed and looked around, expecting to hear something. But there was no sound at all. It felt as if someone had called her but... there was no one. She felt that something strange was happening. She closed her eyes and did what her wolf friend would have told her: to trust her instincts. Setting aside her conscious thoughts, she noticed what was happening: She didn't feel alone. She remembered that sensation. She first noticed it seven years ago, the year after she had met her friend. Smiling, the pony went to her window and opened it. The cold and snow greeted her. The night was dark, with a new moon. The stars of Princess Luna, trapped in the celestial body that bears her name, created a huge and spectacular mosaic in the sky. A howl echoed in the night, carrying with it the call of a great friend. Star wrapped herself up, grabbed her healer's satchel and an oil lamp, and left the house, trying not to wake her mother. But as she passed by her room, she heard her murmur "be careful," before going back to sleep. There was a slight breeze coming down from the mountain, but it wasn't too cold. Star trotted down the mountain to the clearing where she used to meet her friend. She saw her before she arrived; the wolf was lying on the ground, looking around. Her bright eyes fixed on the pony. The seer got up, approached Star Whistle, and without thinking, they hugged like wolves. "It seems you've thought about my actions," the wolf said. "It seems you're trying to guess what I've thought," Star replied. "I feared losing you, my friend." "Then fear not." The pony sat in the snow facing her friend. Ever since she talked with Mulberry, she had been waiting to see her to express everything on her mind. The wolf sat down as well. "I thought you'd still be frightened by my actions," said the seer. "I was for almost a month," admitted Star, speaking as a pony, "I was afraid you'd hunt somepony else because of me. But I've thought about it a lot. You risked everything to protect me. You came near the village to fight the shadow and saved us all. And you knew my pack could have come after you, and you..." "Friend," the wolf interrupted, "you ponies put too many words into your intentions." Star, who had been beating around the bush due to nerves, stopped and scratched her head. "What I'm trying to say is that you are more than a friend. You're almost like a sister to me, as only a sister would risk so much for someone as you have. I regret doubting you. And I've come to understand that you did... what you had to do by hunting Silver Boulder." The wolf blinked a few times, processing the information. "Sister?" "Um... yes?" said Star. "I feel happy to know your feelings and to realize I won't lose you, my friend. But I think ponies understand something very different by 'brother' or 'sister'.'" "What do you mean?" The wolf pondered. How could she explain such a complex yet simple concept, feeling, and bond to a pony? The wind, which previously descended from the mountain, changed, now swirling around it and ruffling the seer's fur. Ponies understood little about instincts; she had to try to put words to something indescribable. "Wolf siblings share a much deeper bond than friendship or blood. A wolf sibling can know when another has been injured without seeing, hearing, or smelling the blood. In a sibling pack, each wolf knows their place in the hunt without anyone saying a word." "Telepathy? Can you read each other's minds, you mean?" asked Star, intrigued. "No. There are no words. No gestures. There is... knowledge. Wisdom. It can't be explained with mere..." The wolf suddenly stopped speaking and turned, facing the wind. She took a deep breath, catching a scent. Springing to her feet, she looked around. Her fur bristled, ears perked forward, eyes widened. "What's happening?" asked Star, rising as well. "Wolves from the darkness, from the forests. Black wolves." Star calibrated the definition. "Worgs!? What are they doing on the mountain?" "They hunt the same prey as us in winter. They're our rivals," the wolf said. She closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, her blue eye shimmered with its own light. "They're coming for me." "Why? That makes no sense!" "If they kill me, my pack won't have a leader. They'll win the battle for the prey." "You have to flee! Go back to your pack!" "They're blocking the path to my pack. We can't escape." They were trapped: the pony wouldn't reach her village in time, and her friend wouldn't find help there either. Star stepped back, unsure of what to do. The wolf took a breath and howled to the sky, calling for help from the pack. A dozen howls answered from the base of the mountain. They were far... too far away. "Run to the hut! We have to hold them off until your siblings arrive!" Both rushed to the small cabin. Once inside, Star barricaded the door with several logs from the woodpile she kept. She also threw some into the fireplace and poured some of the lamp oil on it, quickly igniting the fire. Meanwhile, the wolf looked around as if she could see through the wooden walls. "They know we're here. They smell us. They're following our trail." The healer, recalling a certain trick she used with a certain pony, rummaged through her satchels. She gathered several dried leaves, crushed them with her hooves, and mixed them with water, creating a paste. "They're getting closer. They will hunt us soon." Star rushed to the fireplace. She tore up a blanket and soaked the rags in the remaining oil. Using several sticks, she fashioned makeshift torches and placed them over the fire to ignite them as quickly as possible. Around the house, growls began to be heard. But these were not the winter wolves' language: The growls were more aggressive and darker, a threatening sound by its very nature. Several paws with claws scratched the wood from outside, seeking a crack, a gap, a weak spot that would allow them to reach their prey. "They'll come in through the windows." The cabin had two opposite windows, now barred with wooden gates. The wolf positioned herself next to one, ready to pounce on the first worg that came through. The pony did the same, carrying the paste she had prepared on her hooves. Silence fell, except for the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace and the scratching heard from outside. Seconds stretched into eternity. The wolf growled softly, tensing her muscles and sharpening her senses, poised for combat. "They're agile wolves. They'll attack you with their claws. They'll suffocate you with their teeth. Don't let them catch you." Star swallowed hard and nodded. The growls outside began to fade until the cabin fell into a complete and terrifying silence. The calm before the storm. The winter wolf seer broke it with a growl, anticipating the attack. Without warning, there was a creak of wood followed by an explosion of splinters. Star turned, looking at the window where her friend was stationed, a huge creature had burst through. The pony only managed to capture its most terrifying details: black as a starless night, massive sharp teeth, red and glowing eyes... The worg glanced at the pony, about to attack, but it didn't see the winter wolf coming. Leaping from the corner, she tackled it to the ground and after a few twists, bit into its neck. The dark being tried to wriggle free when it realized it couldn't breathe, but the wolf positioned herself away from its sharp claws. Star heard movement on the other side of her own window and prepared for what was about to happen, raising a hoof. Nettle concentrate served many purposes. Properly prepared, it could heal diseases, aid in wound recovery, and in infusion, provide energy. But it was very challenging to work with: if it stayed on the hooves for too long, it could leave them sore for days. If it touched the fur, it would fall out and cause an ugly rash for weeks. There was another terrible creak. A second worg smashed through the other window and fell inside the house. Seeing its kin in trouble, it aimed to attack the winter wolf seer. "Hey!" The worg turned against the pony and without hesitation lunged at her. Star jumped and rolled aside, dodging it. As she got up, the worg, roaring, began to attack her with its claws. The healer stepped back a bit and, when she saw the opportunity, threw the paste she had prepared. The worg noticed it at the last moment, too late to evade it. It struck its face, covering a large part of it and one eye. The dark being instantly roared... no... it screamed in pain. Unable to see, it couldn't defend against the kicks Star aimed at it. All it managed was to leap back outside and throw itself into the snow to rid itself of that horrendous paste that blinded it. When Star had dispatched her opponent, she glanced to the other side of the cabin. The wolf was still on top of the first worg, whowas nearly out of strength to fight but there was still life left in it. From her position, the healer saw two red eyes through the window next to her friend. Without hesitation, she ran towards it, grabbing a torch from the fireplace. She raised it against the shattered window at the same time a third worg was about to leap. It halted at the sight of the flames, roaring in surprise and its natural fear of fire. Now the pony could see the hunter clearly: It was a very dark brown, almost black. Its legs ended in four claws, much sharper than those of the winter wolves. It was smaller than them but much more agile, but the most terrifying were its jaws, which opened in an almost supernatural way, displaying an infinite line of fangs. The creature roared violently, thrusting its claws forward, attempting to dodge the fire and reach the pony. Star stepped back, dodging the worg's swipes. It entered the cabin after her. How could she defeat such a hunter? She had no more tricks in her satchel. She was just a pony, the worg was a hunter. 'Do not fight with your enemy's weapons.' Her friend's lesson, after participating countless times in the wolves' game, returned to her mind as her best survival option. The pony's most basic instinct took over: it was either them or the worgs. Life or death. And if she wanted to win, she couldn't keep retreating, that's what a hunter expects from smaller prey. Star stopped, standing in front of her enemy. She saw the worg's claws heading for her face. The pony ducked, an instant too late. A sharp cut opened on the healer's forehead. She ignored the pain and blood streaming down her face, raised the torch, and charged at the hunter. The oil soaking the fabric splashed onto the worg's dark fur. At first, the creature ignored the fire, focused as it was on gutting the pony. But soon the flames caught its neck's fur. Seeing itself in danger, the worg abandoned its prey. When it tried to extinguish the fire, Star attacked again, until the hunter had no choice but to flee from the pony to save itself. Star followed it to the window, placing her torch in the middle to stop any other worg from trying to enter. She watched the flaming worg disappear into the darkness as it threw itself to the ground to put out the flames. She looked at her wolf friend; she had risen. The worg she had fought lay motionless on the ground. The pony dared to smile, but the wolf looked around and said, "This is not over." Another worg entered the cabin and leapt onto the wolf. She stepped back, dodged its swipes, and pounced on it, knocking it down. But a second worg, with singed fur, entered through the same window and leaped on the wolf, separating her from her brother. "No!" shouted Star, rushing to help her friend. The wolf, having freed herself from the first attacker, retreated from the attacks of the two black wolves. They spent a moment looking at the pony charging towards them, but they ignored her, focusing on the leader of the winter wolves. Why were they ignoring her? Was she not even a threat after dispatching two of their kin? Then Star's logical subconscious analyzed the reason: one of the two worgs wasn't injured. Wasn't injured... There was another worg. Star understood this when something fell upon her. Feeling her balance slip away, Star tried to roll on the ground to free herself from her attacker. But it moved with the agility of an expert hunter and pinned her down with its paws. Towering over the pony was a furious worg, completely black. Half of its facial fur had fallen away, revealing a massive and growing rash. It had lost vision in one eye due to the healer's nettle concentrate. Star tried to strike it with her hooves to push it away. She attempted to reach the torch, but it had fallen far. The wolf ignored the strikes and used one of its paws to hold the pony's head. She tried to wriggle free without success. The pony heard her friend fighting for her life against the two worgs simultaneously. She had to free herself; she had to help her! The worg pressed down on its prey. Star understood what was happening. She understood before feeling the pressure. Before feeling the pain. Before realizing she couldn't breathe. The pony tried to turn, to strike her enemy, fighting with all her might against death, but the worg, biting into the healer's neck, had positioned itself out of reach of her hooves. Star, in her struggle, witnessed her wolf friend rolling on the ground with the other two worgs, engaging in furious clashes. The pony couldn't breathe. Her fight for life grew weaker. She felt immense pressure in her head; the world began to spin. She sensed blood running through her fur. She attempted to fight once more, with the desperation-fueled strength, but it was in vain: the worg didn't release its grip. The world started to darken before Star's eyes. Her vision blurred, and amidst that darkness, she saw her friend once more, fighting. She heard her roar. She knew she was being called, but Star couldn't comprehend it. The sounds reached her muffled. 'My... friend...' Everything turned black for Star Whistle. The winter wolf hunters raced uphill at full speed. They sensed the danger an instant before hearing the cry for help. They could smell the worgs on the mountain. They couldn't allow them to hunt their leader. The seer of the winter wolves. Their sister. The foremost wolf could feel his brothers. They didn't need words to know where each one was. For the first time in many years, they didn't follow a hunting strategy: it was a race for life or death, and he was the fastest hunter in the pack. He reached a clearing. In the snow, there were traces of wolf, pony, and worg. He didn't need to study them to know the way;, for he simply followed his instincts. Skidding in the snow, he turned east to follow a path covered by the mountain wall. At the end of it, he felt, before seeing, what laid there: a pony burrow. Inside was the seer, their leader. His brothers, the lords of winter, were close behind. There were only two holes in the burrow, worg-sized. He could enter, but his brothers would have to enter one by one. A flash passed through his mind: a worg was preparing to fight him. They knew he was comming. There was a piece of dead tree that ponies used as an entrance and exit. Within moments, he saw the pony burrow of the seer's pony friend. The hunter, without stopping, headed straight for the piece of wood he had sensed: the door. As he approached, he heard the seer fighting. He heard her scream "Friend!". The large wolf leaped against the door, arching in the air and hitting it with his back, using all his weight and speed in the charge. The wood couldn't withstand the impact and collapsed as it came off its hinges. The wolf rolled on the ground. The connection with his sister, his leader, guided his steps. He stood up and, without hesitation, leaped onto one of the worgs the seer was battling. Another worg, blinded in one eye, abandoned its pony prey and attacked the newly arrived winter wolf. Its claws struck the hindquarters of the wolf. Growling in pain, the wolf limped back beside the badly injured seer. She managed to free herself from the third worg. But there were only two wolves against three worgs now... and she was no longer in a condition to continue fighting. The worgs encircled the wolves, cornering them against the wall by the fireplace. Their dark silhouettes stood out against the flames of the hearth, like a terrible death sentence. The winter wolf, the hunter who came to aid their leader, relaxed his stance and stood tall, facing the worgs. "You are going to die," he said. The blinded worg, the leader of the hunters, replied. His growls, resembling those of the winter wolves, were violent, raspy, and aggressive. "You are alone, winter wolf," growled the blinded worg. "We are never alone, black wolf," responded the winter wolf. The wolf only needed a few seconds. He knew the worgs would respond to a growled threat. He knew they would lower their guard and become overconfident. He knew they would wait before delivering the final blow. The winter hunter knew his brothers had arrived. Two winter wolves leaped through the broken door and window simultaneously. The worg leader was the first to fall under their jaws. The other two black wolves, knowing they couldn't win, fled through the opposite window. The seer felt her pack, her brothers, running downhill, surrounding their attackers to hunt them down. But she couldn't join the hunt. Limping, she approached her pony friend. Star Whistle lay on the ground, motionless. Blood had spilled from her neck, where the worg's sharp fangs had pierced her skin, staining her blond and white mane. She wasn't breathing. "Friend. Friend!" The pony didn't respond, even as the wolf shook her with her snout. But her seer's eye showed her something: there was still life in Star. A little. She crouched by her side, resting her forehead against the pony's face. She growled softly, closing her eyes. The few winter wolves who remained in the pony den knew their leader was speaking with the spirit of the storm. A light breeze stirred within the cabin. Mulberry, just before dawn, galloped downhill. The sounds of the wolf hunt had reached the village. Some neighbors had awakened, though nopony dared to leave their homes. Nopony except Mulberry, who rushed to Star's house. When a terrified Glittering Light told him that her daughter had gone to visit her wolf friend last night, Mulberry knew that something was very wrong. Very wrong indeed. The sun was rising in the valley as the pony arrived at his friend's cabin. The door and windows were destroyed. He entered, shouting, "Star!", but there was nothing alive inside. The corpses of two black wolves, dark as night, stood out amidst a pool of blood. A fallen torch had ignited the floor. It was now extinguished, and miraculously, hadn't set the cabin on fire. There was blood everywhere. Its smell was unbearable. On the ground, he saw the saddlebags where Star kept all her healing supplies. Holding his breath, he stepped outside and looked around. There had to be something, anything... he glanced at the ground. The snow was disturbed by numerous tracks. He wasn't a tracker, but the weather was calm, and the tracks were all headed in one direction: downhill. What had happened? Had the wolf been attacked, and Star defended her? Or perhaps the wolf had decided to feast on the pony? He wouldn't remain without finding out. He yanked a long, straight, and flexible stick from the ground. Using a rope he found in the cabin, he tied his gathering knife to the stick, fashioning a spear. He slung it over his back and began running, following the trail left by the wolves. Hours later, he reached the base of the mountain. The trail led him to a sparsely dense forest quite a distance from River Hills. It looke like the wolves had avoided the pony settlement. Mulberry cautiously moved among the trees, expecting to be attacked at any moment. He held the spear in one hoof, ready to defend himself if necessary. He spotted what looked like a rock jutting from the snow. But when two eyes glimmered, he knew it was a wolf perfectly camouflaged. Mulberry halted and raised the spear with both hooves. The winter wolf growled, baring its teeth, and moved sideways, circling the pony. But it didn't attack. "Where's Star? Where's the pony?" If the wolf understood, it made no effort to respond. "She's a friend of your leader! Where is she? She was with her last night!" The wolf approached Mulberry slowly. He feigned an attack with the spear, forcing the wolf to retreat again. "Tell me where she is!" Suddenly, the wolf ceased growling... but it was another growl Mulberry heard. Another wolf appeared at the side. This one showed itself without attempting to hide, without threatening the pony. Mulberry realized, seeing it move, that its hind legs were wounded. It was a recent injury; blood still stained its grayish fur. The injured wolf lowered its head, acknowledging the pony. After a few seconds of hesitation, Mulberry did the same. "Where is Star Whistle? The pony, where is she?" In response, the wolf fixed its gaze on Mulberry's spear, then at its bearer. It repeated this several times until Mulberry understood what it was asking for. "You want me to drop the spear? And how do I know you won't attack me?" The injured wolf lazily glanced to one side of the pony. He followed its gaze. A wolf stood up, revealing it had been beside him the entire time without him noticing. It turned around, and where his eyes settled, another winter wolf emerged. Two, three, four, five of those predators came into view. The message was clear: "If we wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead." Mulberry placed the spear on the ground. Then the injured wolf turned around and ventured into the forest. Mulberry followed suit. Star felt cold. Why did she feel cold? No... she also felt a comforting warmth. Where was she? She felt incredibly tired and struggled to breathe. Her whole body hurt, and she knew her throat was whistling when she breathed. She began to recall. Remembered that a worg had attacked her. It had bitten her neck. Remembered being unable to breathe. Remembered losing consciousness, seeing her friend fight until the end. She thought it was her end, that she was going to die that night. And indeed, she believed she had died. But if that was the case, why was she cold? She tried to speak, to call for her mother, for Mulberry, but from her throat came a sharp, painful whimper. She opened her mouth to breathe, but air seemed reluctant to enter her lungs. She felt a touch on her face. A hoof. A familiar scent. She struggled to hear the voice; it was as if she struggled to process the sounds. But she recognized it. She opened her eyes a little. At first, she could only see a blurry white spot. Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the light. It was daytime. She was outdoors. A yellowish shadow stood in front of her. "Mu... Mul... berry?" "Yes, I'm here, Star." Star gradually regained consciousness and her senses. She saw she was in a forest, on the plain. She was lying in the snow, Mulberry was in front of her with a worried expression. She started to hear growls around her. She didn't dare move her head, but at the edge of her vision, she recognized a wolf: her friend, the Seer of the winter wolves. She was lying on the ground, looking directly down beneath her, growling softly. There were several more wolves around her doing the same. They didn't speak any wolf's words she could understand, but their growling didn't indicate a threat: it indicated protection. "We... we were attacked... by worgs. We fought..." Star tried to explain. "Shhh, don't talk," Mulberry hushed her, "You'll tell me when you recover." "Ho...w lo...ng?" "You've been unconscious for two days." Star widened her eyes. Two days? How would she explain this in the village? "Rest now, Star", gently said Mulberry. "We'll handle the rest at another time." She didn't want to. But her body truly needed rest. Star fell asleep under the protection of the pack of Winter Wolves. Several hours later, Star woke up again. She felt much better. Mulberry was sleeping beside her. A wolf, standing guard near the ponies, looked at her and greeted her with a nod. Star did the same and stood up, feeling a bit shaky. Her throat hurt, but much less than before, and she could breathe without too much trouble. She ran a hoof over where the worg had bitten her. Confused, she searched by touch. It couldn't be... Nearby, she saw a frozen puddle. She got up and approached it. She couldn't believe what she saw in the ice's reflection. Her throat had no wounds, as if she had never suffered any. And the gash she received on her forehead had also disappeared. It was impossible, utterly impossible! In the best-case scenario, wounds like those would have left scars. It was impossible for them to heal like that in just two days. "Wolf magic, my friend." Star turned around and found her friend approaching with a smile in her eyes. "Ponies aren't the only ones who know how to heal." Star hurried to her friend and embraced her. A pony hug, not a wolf one. The Seer placed a paw on her back. Tears welled up in the mare's eyes. "I thought you were going to die! That we were going to die!" "I thought so too, my friend. You fought like a true hunter, using the terrain to your advantage. I couldn't have done it better." Both friends embraced for a long time, consoling each other. Despite her always serene appearance, the wolf's Seer had suffered just as much as the pony. The idea of seeing her friend die seemed... unthinkable to the seer. Mulberry woke up. "Star!" Star let go of her friend and embraced Mulberry. "Did you come looking for me?" "I don't know why you're surprised, it's not like I've gotten in the middle of a pack of winter wolves", he joked. "What happened?" Star explained the worgs' attack. Mulberry told Star how the wolves had led him to her, and how they had guarded her for two days, growling beside her. The Seer explained to them how wolf magic works. Star found it incredible to be able to speak with other wolves besides her friend. The Winter Wolves spoke to her with respect, and some expressed, as wolves do, gratitude for having fought alongside their seer. "Our ancestors said it was better not to hunt ponies. I understand what they meant," "The worgs you fought had wounds I could never inflict," were just a few examples of what the wolves expressed. Respect and gratitude. She also saw some wolf cubs, the youngest of the pack, only a few weeks old. They approached the pony, sniffing her and climbing on her back. Some asked her if it was true that she had fought against the worgs, and they were amazed when the pony responded to them in the wolve's language. At dusk, Star and Mulberry prepared to start their journey back. Star wanted to say goodbye one last time to her friend, but the Seer was waiting for her, with the entire pack forming a semicircle around her. The seer stepped forward. "My siblings and I want to ask you for something." "Tell me, my friend." Mulberry watched the scene from a distance, seeing Star's mouth slightly agape, looking at her friend with surprise and emotion. "It will be... an honor," the pony suddenly said. The wolves formed a circle, leaving Star in the center. Mulberry watched her among the figures of the hunters, calm, impressed, and excited. What were they doing? First, it was the female wolf, the leader of the pack, the Seer, who began to speak. "We are the Winter Wolves. The night is our kingdom. Snow is our sister. Our howls summon the storm." The wolf Seer repeated the mantra, the soul of her pack, over and over again. Gradually, the surrounding wolves joined in. Their growls filled the night. The wind began to blow, and clouds formed out of nowhere above the circle of wolves. "We are the Winter Wolves. The night is our kingdom. The snow is our sister. Our howls summon the storm," Star repeated, joining the chorus. The wind intensified, and thunder echoed among the clouds. The growls grew louder until nothing else could be heard. Without warning, all the wolves fell silent. Star did the same, with perfect synchrony, not quite sure why. The storm above them seemed to hold a tense silence. Star knew what to do without anypony or anywolf explaining it to her. She took a deep breath, raised her head, parting her lips as if to kiss the clouds. She howled: a sharp, long, sustained howl. And the storm responded with thunder. The entire wolf pack took in air and howled in return, joining the pony's howl in perfect harmony. A lightning bolt descended from the storm into the center of the circle, heading for Star. But just before touching her, the bolt split into a hemisphere, engulfing the pony within it. But Star wasn't afraid; she knew it wouldn't harm her. Several more lightning bolts followed, always surrounding the pony at the last instant. The howls continued for several minutes until the storm ceased to produce lightning. As soon as the wolves fell silent, the clouds disappeared as fast as they had appeared. Mulberry approached, concerned, but in the center of the circle stood only an impressed and... happy Star Whistle. Star looked at the wolves around her, but she no longer looked at them with the same eyes as before. She didn't know them, but... it was as if she had always known them. She knew who was a great runner, who was a great tracker, who was a good protector. But beyond that: she felt the bond of loyalty, love, and respect that bound all the wolves, she felt that bond as if it had always been her own. And she felt the shared feelings the wolves had towards her as well. Now she understood the ever-calm demeanor of her wolf friend. The wolves never needed to express their feelings: they shared them in a way that only a wolf could understand and perceive. Star felt the presence of all the wolves, and even without seeing them, she could feel where the pups were hidden, spying their elders from a nearby bush. She looked at her friend, and she felt the love, respect, loyalty, and friendship that the she-wolf felt for her. A friendship so strong that it had led them both to risk everything for each other, that had brought them to the brink of death. A friendship that would never, ever fade away. Star felt tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions washing over her. The seer approached the pony. "Every time we come to this territory, you will be welcome in the pack, sister pony." Star understood that she was no longer just a friend of the she-wolf. She understood why she couldn't explain what a sibling meant to a winter wolf. It was indescribable, inexplicable. Only 'brother', 'sister' or 'sibling' could try to encopass that feeling and yet fail to grasp its huge meaning. Star was now one more in the pack. She was a sister to the wolves. The pony sister.