> Sisters of the Storm
>  by Volgrand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 The blizzard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The blizzard unleashed itself upon Mountain Peak, bringing with it all the force of winter. It was proving to be quite tough for the pony settlement, but it was nothing unknown to its inhabitants. It was not yet night, but the dense clouds already obscured almost all the light. All the ponies took shelter with their families in their respective homes, lighting fires to combat the cold. All except one mare, who, defying the weather, galloped to the edge of the village.

"Star! Star Whistle!"

Only the wind answered the call. The mother pony, knowing that her daughter had not returned to the village, ran to the nearest house and pounded on the door with all her might.

"Open up! Help!"

An adult pony opened the door and looked at the hysterical pony.

"Glittering Light! What's going on?"
"My daughter. My daughter has not returned to the village!"





Star Whistle huddled under a bush of berries, trying to find the warmth that was leaving her little by little. She was a six-year-old filly with a light gray coat and blonde and white manes. She had gone out to eat some wild blackberries, which grow even in winter in these lands, when the storm surprised her. She tried to retrace her steps, but the wind and snow disoriented her immediately. When she tried to follow her own footprints, the snow had already covered them.

She searched for a long time, calling for her mother. But it was of no use. Her mother had told her once that, if she got lost, she should hide under a bush and wait. And that's what she did. Star Whistle was getting colder and colder. And sleepier. She started to feel very sleepy. She couldn't explain why, but she knew that was a bad sign. 

"Mama! Mommy!"

The wind carried the desperate cry of the little pony. She kept calling her mother, shouting as loud as she could. Darkness was already deep when a violent lightning flashed across the sky. The cry of the little pony was covered by the roar
of thunder. Star Whistle called for her mother again. But no one answered. Suddenly she heard a howl. She didn't know where it came from, or if it was far or near. It was the winter wolves. Star Whistle huddled even further under the bush, letting the snow fall on her and hide her even more. She saw no movement, apart from the storm. She was getting more and more tired. Should she go back and try to reach the village? Was it better to stay still? 

Crack.

She heard the sound of a branch breaking from a nearby bush. Someone was moving. Star Whistle opened her eyes wide and came out of her hiding place. It was her mother, it had to be her mother looking for her! Who else could it be? "Mom, mom, mom...!"

The first thing she saw was a thick coat of light gray color. The creature's back rose several feet above the ground, much higher than any adult pony. The being began to turn, and as it did so, Star Whistle saw that its legs ended in four
claws. It moved with the stealth, agility, and speed of a born hunter. And then she saw its eyes. Two shining amber eyes that glowed in the darkness. The winter wolf fixed its gaze on the little pony and bared its teeth, growling.

Star Whistle screamed and ran with all her might in the opposite direction of the predator. Her hooves sank into the snow, almost to the belly. She called out to her mother, searching for a path that would lead her to the village. 

Suddenly, she felt herself sinking more than usual. There was a hole under the freshly fallen snow, and the pony became trapped. It was only a second, but it was enough to feel the wolf's breath behind her. She turned around, terrified, as the wolf approached, growling lowly.

"It's going to eat me".

It was the only thing Star Whistle could think. She stepped back and, by chance, saw a bush behind her. She jumped under it, hoping in vain that the wolf wouldn't be able to reach her. But the predator approached, walking without wasting unnecessary energy. He crouched under the bush, and just as he was about to bite her, a new growl was heard.

But this one was sharper.

The big wolf looked to one side. Star Whistle followed his gaze. There was another wolf. Or rather, a wolf cub who would soon enter his youth. Unlike his brother, his fur was completely white, perfectly camouflaging him in the snow.

The wolves stared at each other for a long time. Star Whistle thought she heard small growls, but she wasn't sure. Suddenly, the big wolf left, leaving the pony alone with the wolf cub. It approached the bush where she was hiding and laid down on the ground, looking directly at her.

The pony looked at the wolf cub and immediately knew it didn't want to harm her. And, looking closely, she sensed that it was a female. It was a female wolf cub (or was it called a she-wolf?). Her left eye was amber, her right eye was blue. The wolf cub seemed to be studying the pony in turn. She looked at her in a very strange way, as if piercing her with her gaze. Without getting up, the wolf cub moved a few inches towards Star. But the pony got scared and backed away. The wolf cub stayed still again.

So they spent a long time, until Star convinced herself that the wolf was not a threat. Little by little, the wolf approached. Star felt strange. She knew that wolves were very dangerous, but she knew that this wolf cub was not. When they were only a few inches apart, the wolf lay down on the ground. Star Whistle knew that she was inviting her to lie down with her.
And so she did. With fear at first, she approached and lay down next to the wolf. Feeling her warmth, she realized how cold she was. Star Whistle began to shiver violently. The wolf put a paw on her, giving her some of the warmth that her fur provided.

It was a very strange night: a pony sleeping next to a predator that could have easily eaten her. But now, it was the wolf who had decided to save her.

"Will you take me home?" Star asked.

The wolf growled, very softly, emitting a guttural sound. Star Whistle, although scared to hear it, soon realized that the cub was not threatening her. 

Star gave up on trying to talk to her savior. The wolf cub continued to growl for a long time, hours. At first, Star Whistle thought they were meaningless growls. But with nothing better to do and unable to sleep, she listened to them. She noticed that they weren't all the same. Some seemed to come from the wolf's throat. Others from his chest. Some sounded like a wolf's growl, but others sounded like a cat's purr. And sometimes, she made a noise with her throat, as if howling without opening his mouth. There were pauses between the sounds, some longer than others.

And little by little she began to notice patterns that repeated themselves. Several times she repeated exactly the same growls and sounds, with the same pauses. Star Whistle turned her head to look at the she-wolf. She was talking to her! But what was she saying? The pony turned completely to look at her. The she-wolf looked at the pony and stopped growling... talking. Star thought about how they could understand each other. With a hoof she pointed at herself.

"Star Whistle."

Then she pointed at the she-wolf. She did not respond, as if she did not understand, so Star tried again. The she-wolf growled in a particular way. But what did it mean? Was it her name? Wait a minute, do wolves use names?

Star looked at the bush and picked two berries. She ate one and pushed the other with her snout to the she-wolf. She smelled it and rejected it, making the same growl as before. That growl meant "no." So, wolves don't use names. Star picked up a twig and drew a little house in the snow.

"Will you take me to the village?"

The she-wolf did not respond. Star drew, as best she could, a pony going to the house. She pointed to it.

"Me. Star Whistle," then pointed to the house, "village. Will you take me to the village?"

The she-wolf made a different growl. Star interpreted it as a "yes." The storm began to subside, but it was still very strong. There were still many hours until dawn. Neither the pony nor the she-wolf slept that night, as they both learned from each other.





With the dawn, the storm subsided. The ponies, who had searched around for Star Whistle, could now move further away from the village. But nobody had any hope left. Not even the strongest pony could have withstood such a storm.

Glittering Light was desperately searching for her daughter, calling out to her along with many others. She was about to collapse when she heard a shout. "Wolves! Winter wolves!" The ponies reacted by grouping in a circle, picking up sticks and some tools to defend themselves. The pony who had gone ahead came running back to the group.

"You won't believe it...you won't believe it!"

"What?" asked another pony.

In response, the wolves appeared. The largest of them all was a light grey, almost white wolf. It was bigger, stronger and more muscular than any pony. Next to it was a young wolf pup, whose fur was grey and white.

And, alongside the wolves, a little pony crawled through the snow. Star Whistle, in perfect condition.

"Star!" shouted her mother.
"Mommy!"

The little filly ran towards her mother. The wolves stopped in their tracks. But before reaching her mother, Star stopped and looked at the wolves. To the surprised ponies, the filly growled or roared at the wolves with her sharp little voice. The wolves looked at her and lowered their heads, as if bowing. Then they left.

Finally, Star Whistle ran to her mother and hugged her. Glittering began to cry when she saw her daughter alive. Some ponies also petted Star, asking if she was hurt and what had happened. Although most remained silent,
trying to understand the strange sight they had seen, or how Star Whistle had survived.

Later they returned to the village. Glittering Light took her daughter home, where she bathed her and fed her. Star told her how the young she-wolf had kept her warm during the night, and how they were brought back to the village in the morning. The mother was amazed and grateful. She never expected a wolf to show such feelings.

"Darling," asked the mother, "why did you growl at the wolves?"

"I didn't growl at them, Mommy."

"No?"

"I told them, 'Thank you for your help.' I think that's what I said."

Glittering kept a surprised and incredulous silence.
> 2 The soul of your herd
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
> 3 Wolves' games
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pack of winter wolves stayed in the vicinity of Mountain Peak and River Hills for several weeks. Star Whistle and the she-wolf saw each other every night they could. Rather, they saw each other as long as the weather allowed them to.

As soon as the first snow fell, Star could appreciate how true her friend's prayer was. She had already noticed how well the wolf could see at night. But when the snow covered the mountain, the predator revealed that she truly was one with it. Her fur blended in perfectly, even hiding her on a plain without vegetation. She moved on the virgin snow with ease, while Star's slender hooves sank hopelessly. Yes, winter wolves were the brothers of night and winter.

One night, sitting on the snow, the she-wolf asked something.
"Why do you ponies live here? Snow is not your element."
"Because there is food and water. Because we can live in peace," Star replied in pony language.
"You could live in peace elsewhere. With water and food. Less danger for your herd."
"This is our home. We live happily here."

They remained silent for a long time. It was common between the two, even though they were so young. But truthfully, these silences bored Star. Too much, for a seven-year-old pony. An idea crossed the little pony's mind. While the wolf was distracted looking into the distance, Star made a snowball.

"Hey," called the pony.

The wolf looked at her, and before she could react... SPLAT! The snowball hit her forehead. She shook her head, removing the remnants of the treacherous attack, while Star Whistle laughed heartily at her friend's bewildered face.

"Why are you attacking me?"

"I'm not attacking you!" Star responded in wolf language. "I'm playing!"

"Playing?" The wolf stood up and advanced threateningly towards Star Whistle. "Wolves play differently, pony."

Star looked at her friend with fear. What was she doing? She watched as the wolf crouched in the snow, and before the pony could realize it, she was a blur in the darkness. Star heard her growling. She wasn't speaking in wolf language, she was growling.

Star Whistle got up and ran towards the village. Her friend was going to attack her! She tried to follow a path of shallow snow, but it was of little use: her hooves sank too much and she couldn't move forward fast enough. She heard the wolf at her side a second before receiving the blow that sent her rolling on the ground. She opened her eyes to see the wolf leaping towards her with her jaws open, aiming for her neck. Star screamed, closed her eyes and tried to hit her. She felt the bite on her neck... but the pain never came. And she kept breathing.

Finally, she dared to look. The wolf had bitten the pony's neck, but she hadn't tightened her grip. She let go, freeing a trembling Star Whistle.

"I killed you, pony. It's your turn."

Then she ran off. Star watched her go. Of course, ponies played by imitating their elders: building houses, picking fruit, helping in the kitchen... And wolves did the same: they played at hunting. It was an unsettling idea, but now that she knew it was just a game... Star wasn't going to let herself lose so easily!

She ran looking for areas with low snow and protruding rocks, avoiding sinking. When her friend made a turn, the pony made a tighter curve to catch her. She jumped with all her strength to fall on the wolf's back.

"Arrrr! Die, die, die...!"

Star pathetically leaned on her friend's back, holding on with her front hooves and pretending to bite. The wolf looked at her expressionless. Star returned a ridiculous smile. Then the wolf stepped away from the pony and jumped on her, knocking her down and immobilizing her again.

"I killed you again, pony," she said.

"I can't beat you, you have claws and teeth," Star said as she got up.

"You'll never be able to beat me with my weapons," the wolf replied.

The wolf ran off again. Star pondered her words. It was true, she couldn't beat her by jumping on her like a wolf. What weapons did a pony have? Wolves were fast and deadly. Ponies were slower, but strong and resilient. She could never hunt, not even playfully, an adult wolf. But her wolf friend was very young, and only a little bigger than her.

She started to chase her. Slowly but surely she gained distance - after all, the wolf was playing, not running away. When both made a turn, Star closed in and charged with all her strength against her friend's side. Surely she could knock her down! But the wolf saw her coming and stopped abruptly. Star, finding nothing to crash against, lost her balance and rolled over in the snow.

Once again, the wolf immobilized her on the ground by biting her neck.

"You died three times tonight. If you want to hunt prey, you must first camouflage your intentions," the wolf said.

"You're very fast!" said Star, panting. "It's too hard for me to catch you and think at the same time!"

"A bad hunter pursues. A good hunter waits," the wolf replied.

Star took note of that lesson when she heard a howl from the foot of the mountain. The wolf perked up her ears to listen to it. Star did the same and understood the message.

"Your pack is going hunting..."

"Yes. It's better if you go back with your own kind, pony."

"Will we see each other tomorrow?"

"I'll call you from this very spot."

They said goodbye with a nod and headed off in opposite directions. As always, Star went back home without waking anyone up. She went to sleep, still thinking of a way to beat her friend in the game of the wolves.

The next morning, no pony understood why Star seemed so tired.





"The first thing you need to know, Star, is what the job of a healer consists of. Many think I only dedicate myself to healing wounds and illnesses, but... Star Whistle! Are you listening to me?" Plantain Hooves stomped his hooves on the ground. Star woke up abruptly.

"Yes, yes! I'm listening, I'm listening."

"You need to go to bed earlier tonight. It can't be that you come to learn from me if you can't stay awake."

Star lowered her head. Plantain was completely right to scold her.

"As I was saying," continued the old pony, "the job of a healer is not just about healing wounds and illnesses. It's much more than that."

On a piece of paper, Plantain drew a pony, which he circled and covered in shadows.

"The first thing healers do is to prevent the spirits of illness from reaching the ponies we care for."

On the same paper, he drew a shadow breaking the circle and reaching the pony.

"The second thing is, when a pony becomes sick or injured, we have to treat them until they recover."

Finally, he changed several lines on the pony to make it lie down and drew a bed underneath. "Lastly, when we can't cure someone, we take care of them and prevent them from suffering until their time comes."

Star Whistle took a moment to understand what the old healer meant. "They die?" Star asked incredulously. "But why? Aren't healers supposed to prevent ponies from dying?"

"Little one, you have to accept one thing now: you can't avoid death," he replied.

The filly looked at her teacher, with the expression of a child who had just learned that sooner or later they would die.

"Everyone dies, Star, and not even the best healer can prevent it," Plantain said. "When you know somepony is going to die, no matter what you do, the only thing you can do for them is take care of them and prevent them from suffering."

The little pony nodded, feeling that a small part of her childish world had been shattered. Plantain imagined how she felt, but it was better that way. That was the first lesson every healer had to learn, surely the most difficult to accept of all.
The old healer rummaged through his things and pulled out a large book. Inside were preserved specimens of medicinal plants, with notes and recipes.

"Let's start with the plants. This plant is a belladonna flower, and it is used for..." After a few minutes, Star had to make a real effort to keep her eyes open.





That same night, after a good nap, Star stealthily slid over the snow. Her wolf friend would be in the same place as always. And she wouldn't see her coming. It was a calm night, with a light and cold breeze coming down from the top of the mountain. The moon was full, illuminating the snow. The pony could see well that night. It was the perfect opportunity to catch her friend.

She was going to beat her in the game of wolves.

With a smile on her face, she crawled between rocks, bushes, and snowdrifts, always staying out of sight. When she was close enough, she peeked out from behind a hedge. In the same area as always, her friend was lying on the ground, unsuspecting. The wolf lifted her head a little, but didn't see Star Whistle.

Star calculated the path to the wolf's back before approaching closer. She had everything planned: She would jump on her back and throw herself on top of her so she couldn't get up. And then she would 'kill' her, and she would win the game. It was a perfect plan. It was going to work.

Finally, she arrived at the right spot. She took a quick look, to see her friend's back and calculate the jump. She positioned herself, raising her hindquarters to push off. She couldn't help but smile one last time. She was going to win this time! She calculated the jump once more, leaned slightly backward... and jumped with all her might!

...Only to land on the snow.

"Huh?"

Star looked around for her friend... and saw her at the last moment. From the side, the wolf jumped on the pony, throwing her off balance and knocking her to the ground, where she immobilized her... again.

"I killed you again, pony," said the wolf.

"But how did you see me?" asked Star, incredulous.

"I didn't see you. I smelled you. Never follow prey with the wind at your back."

"Oh, come on!" exclaimed a frustrated Star Whistle.

The wolf released her friend and lay down on the ground. The pony sat in front of her.

"It took me two years to catch my older brothers."

"Yeah... I guess so."

They spent a good while talking and playing in equal measure. Star didn't manage to knock the wolf down even once, but she was also becoming a very elusive prey. During one of their breaks, the wolf asked her:

"Do you know the answer to my question yet?"

Star remembered: She had asked her what the soul of her people said. She had thought a lot about the subject and believed she knew how to respond.

"Yes. Ponies don't have a soul like yours."

The wolf looked at her, intrigued.

"Every pony is different. Have you seen the marks we have on our flank?"

"Yes. I've also seen that you don't have one," the wolf responded.

"That's it! When a pony discovers what makes them special, the mark appears. There are ponies who build, ponies who gather food, who heal, who take care of their children, who fight..."

Star stopped to see if her friend was understanding her. She responded:

"So you are driven by personal desires. That will make you weak. Wolves move with a single will."

The pony, although she didn't really expect a very different answer, was surprised by the wolf's appreciation.

"No, no, no! You're wrong! When a pony is especially good at something, why would we make them do another task for the people? Ponies let everyone do what they are passionate about. That way, they'll do it better than anyone else!"

The wolf stared at her friend for a moment. She was assimilating what she had said and reflecting on it.

"Ponies are a strange herd."

"The same could be said of you, my friend."

"Some more than others. Only a fool would talk to their hunter on equal terms."

"And only a pony would talk to another pony, right, 'hunter'?" Star replied sarcastically.

Both friends held each other's gaze. Star made a strange noise followed by a giggle. Soon, the pony began to laugh heartily. The wolf looked towards the snow, curling her lips back and showing her back teeth, and snorted against the ground in a silent laughter. They laughed for a long time. When they calmed down, Star lay on her back, looking at the stars. She remembered a question she wanted to ask. This time she spoke in the language of ponies since the wolf was starting to understand it.

"When you found me in the snow, why didn't your big brother eat me?"

"Because I told him not to."

"But you're just a filly..."

The wolf looked at her without understanding. Star continued speaking in wolf.

"You were just a pup. Young ponies obey their elders, not the other way around. Why did he listen to you?"

"Because I have one blue eye."

Star looked at her, now completely confused. The wolf continued to explain.

"In my pack, every generation, a wolf is born. A wolf that can see beyond the obvious. One that can see the soul of beings. One that can talk to the storm like no other wolf can."

Star sat up straight, looking directly at her friend, mesmerized by the story.

"That wolf," the wolf continued, "can sense the passing of packs. And some say they can see the future. There are never two of them at the same time: when one dies, it is reborn in the next litter of pups; a pup that will be destined to become the pack leader."

"And how do you recognize it?"

"Because they always have a blue right eye."

At this point, the pony's mouth was wide open.

"It's you!" 

The wolf nodded. "That's right. I'm not yet the leader of the pack, I'm too young. But they listen to me."


Star looked at her friend, realizing she was in the presence of the future leader of the winter wolves. But... "Why did you save me then? We weren't friends. Just hunter and prey."

The wolf seemed to ponder the answer for a few seconds. The breeze turned into a rather cold wind.

"The elders of my pack tell stories of ponies. They say that once you were our prey, but that you learned to defend yourself. Not with fangs and claws, but with your wit. That you can live anywhere, without having to migrate. And that some of you can control magic. I could never know your way of seeing the world because ponies still remember the time when we hunted them. But when I saw you, I knew you would listen. That you would see beyond your instincts. And I also saw..."

The wolf fell silent. Star exclaimed.

"What? What did you see?"

The cold wind increased in intensity, taking the warmth from both friends, but especially from Star Whistle.

"The storm is coming, pony. We must return to our own," said the wolf, getting up.

"But what did you see?" Star asked, exasperated.

"I'm not going to answer."

Grumbling, Star got up too and was surprised to see her friend approaching her. She stopped right in front of her and lowered her head, bringing it to the side of Star. The wolf pressed her head against her friend's neck. Star understood that it was akin to a hug for wolves, and returned the gesture.

When they finally parted, the she-wolf said:

"If the storm becomes too strong, the prey will move away from the mountain. If that happens, we'll see each other again when my pack returns."

"I'll miss you, wolf."

"Me too, pony."

"Take care, friend," said Star as a final goodbye.

The she-wolf said nothing more and began to descend the mountain at a leisurely pace. Star Whistle watched her as she walked away. She was going to miss her very much. She was the only true friend she had made, and she could only see her for a few weeks each year.

She slowly made her way back to her village, but when she saw the storm clouds surpassing the mountain, she began to run. As soon as she arrived home and closed the door behind her, the first thunder was heard. It began to snow, and the increasing wind blew the flakes in all directions. Shivering, Star Whistle crawled into bed, fighting the drastic drop in temperature.

Shortly after, the exhaustion of two nights of little sleep overtook her, and Star fell into a deep sleep.
> 4 Not-So-Secret secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the wolf had predicted, the storm was very intense, punishing Mountain Peak for several weeks. The ponies, accustomed to these types of winters, spent their time sheltered in their homes. They occasionally went out to visit a neighbor and exchange provisions, see the healer, or make some repairs. But no one was foolish enough to venture out of the village in that weather.

Star learned a lot that winter. With nothing else interesting to do, and without a wolf to distract her every night, she punctually went to Silver Hooves' house. The first lessons were really boring. The teacher didn't make her memorize dozens, but hundreds of plants. Most were medicinal, some poisonous.

But after a few weeks, he began teaching her the practical part of the profession: Which plants were used to heal wounds, which to soothe pain, to sleep, not to dream... He even spoke to her about a love plant, although he never told her exactly which one it was.

As was usual at that time of year, the healer's work was reduced to treating chest illnesses, such as colds, pneumonia, or fevers. Star mechanically memorized which plant was used for what, although she still had a long way to go to understand why they were used.

Winter ended, and with it came spring. Or what Mountain Peak understood as such: a time that softened while the snow remained present. It was at the end of the season, almost summer, when the sun managed to overcome the cold. With the thaw, the river began to flow again, overflowing with water. The waterfall came back to life, and Mountain Peak resurrected as well.

The year passed quietly, peacefully, and lazily, as it usually did on top of the mountain. Occasionally, a daring merchant ventured up to the village, where he spent a few days staying with a neighbor selling his products.

Star turned eight years old.

When winter returned, the little pony eagerly awaited her friend's call. But that year, it was delayed. Normally, the wolves arrived shortly before the first snows. She didn't dare ask her mother about it. What if she found out that Star Whistle's best friend was the same wolf that saved her? It would cause a huge mess!

Shortly before the really harsh part of winter began, a howl echoed in the night. Star immediately woke up. It was her. It was her friend. Quietly, she put on her winter coat, opened the window, and left the house. As always, leaving a light behind to find her way back.

She walked as quickly and silently as she could to the area where they usually met. She didn't think about hiding to surprise her friend, nor did she even remember that she wanted to win at the wolf game. She just knew that her friend was there.
She reached the meeting place and saw nothing... until the wolf rose, camouflaged on the snow. Both had grown a lot that year. The wolf was already starting to have the bearing of an adult hunter. Star ran towards her friend, who only waited to receive her, and they collided in a 'wolf embrace': nuzzling each other's necks.

It's not that the wolf wasn't happy to see her friend. But for a winter wolf, appearances were everything. That's why they were the lords of winter.

"I thought you wouldn't come," said Star Whistle, speaking in wolf.

"I could barely make it. The packs have passed far from the mountain. Today is the only night we'll stay close to your village."

Star stepped back and looked at her with bright eyes. "You're only staying for tonight?"

"Yes. We have a lot to catch up on, my friend."

The little pony looked down... and didn't look up. The wolf was surprised, what was wrong with her friend? She approached a little, lowering her head, trying to see the pony's face... when she looked up. The she-wolf realized her mistake too late: Star Whistle jumped on her, throwing her off balance, and the two friends rolled in the snow, fighting to win the battle.
A few seconds later, the pony stood over her fallen friend.

"I killed you, my friend! I hunted a wolf!"

The wolf stood up and shook the snow off her fur. "You used the surprise well, pony, but it won't happen again."

Saying this, she jumped on the pony, who dodged the charge and ran away.

They played, talked, and laughed for several hours. It was an intense, fun night, and too short for the young friends. But all good things must come to an end, and shortly before dawn, the wolf returned to her own. They said goodbye with a long hug, promising to see each other every year.





The years passed, endless and intense, just as children experience them. Mountain Peak didn't change too much. There were some births and some deaths. A family asked to settle in the town, which the inhabitants happily agreed to. They were a couple of artisan ponies with a foal one year older than Star. The neighbors helped the young family build their house, an opportunity that all the young ones took advantage of to learn how it was done.

The foal was called Silver Boulder. He had brown fur, brown eyes, and very short reddish mane. He was a very curious and outgoing pony: He loved to play explorers, and Mountain Peak was every little explorer's paradise. Star became very good friends with him. She, Silver Boulder, and Mulberry spent their days playing, searching for hidden passages between the caves under the waterfall, or building improvised wooden shelters, supported by rocks, to hide from their imaginary enemies. Star had made a very good pony friend for the first time in Mountain Peak. Although she had to admit that she was getting along better with Mulberry every day too.

This didn't stop the little filly from eagerly waiting for winter to come so she could see her friend again. Every year, as soon as the first howls were heard, Star waited at night to leave home and meet the wolf.

The winter when Star turned twelve, something very dangerous happened to her: a snowstorm struck the mountain when she was with her friend. She had to run back to the town, and even accompanied by the wolf, she almost didn't make it. She decided then she had to do something to avoid being in that situation again.

The following year, during summer, Star secretly gathered materials and tools near her meeting area. She found an ideal place: between a large rock and a tree, far away from the path that led to the town. That would be the place where she would build her shelter. It took her all summer to finish it since she couldn't be away from the town for too long to keep it a secret. But in the end, she got a small wooden structure that, although not very pretty, would serve her as a refuge if she was caught in a storm.

But, not satisfied with this, she decided to make a fireplace. She made a hole in a wall and put a circle of stones just outside the cabin. There she could light a fire if she had to spend a night under the storm. She was dying to show it to her friend. And she could make tea! Their next meetings would be very fun and warm under the heat of the fire.





One night, the following winter, both friends sat in front of the flames. There was a light snowstorm and it was quite cold, but they felt the warmth of the fire on their faces. The wind carried fast snowflakes that, like needles, hit against the fur of the wolf and Star. The sky loomed above them, but the clouds prevented them from seeing any stars. The flames, rising towards the dark sky, covered what had been Star Whistle's cabin. The only thing that survived was the circle of stones in which the uncontrolled bonfire had started.

"I told you there would be too much fire, Poni,"

"Shut up," replied Star with a nervous tic in her eye.

Star was angry. Very angry, but with herself. How did she not think that the heat would set fire to the cabin wall? All summer working... for this! The wolf watched her grumbling quietly. She could understand why Star was angry, as she had just lost her den. But truth be told, she never understood the ponies' love for fire. Didn't they see that it was dangerous?

Suddenly, the wind brought a distant sound. It was very similar to that of a frightened herd of elk, but much more organized. She looked up at the mountain and saw small glows illuminating the pony village.

"You must go back. Your pack has seen the fire," said the wolf.

"What?!" Star looked where her friend was looking... and also noticed the glow. It was true, she could see some torches moving among the houses. "No! Oh, no! Oh, no!" cried Star.

"What are you so afraid of?" asked the wolf.

"Mine will never understand that we're friends. They could attack you!" Star was so nervous that she didn't think to speak in wolf. "And... and they will be very angry with me, for sure."

The wolf pondered, watching the pony pacing nervously. She would never understand the ponies. Among wolves, although it was strange, no one objected to a pony being the Seer's friend. Although, of course, no wolf expected a pony to try to devour a wolf.

But first things first: Star Whistle needed someone to show her the way forward.

"You'll have to be as elusive as in our games and go back to yours without being seen," said the wolf.

Star nodded.

"You also have to go back to your pack," Star said in wolf.

"I will. Be careful, Poni. We'll see each other again, friend, but it will probably be next year."

They said goodbye with a wolf hug before the she-wolf ran off into the darkness, down the mountain. The pony took a detour back to the village. Her house was on the side, away from the river. With a bit of luck, she could sneak into her room without anyone noticing her absence... But what if her mother had already noticed she was gone? It would be a disaster. She would find out everything! And Star had never been good at inventing lies.

When she was a short distance from the village, she could see several neighbors with torches on their hooves, looking towards the huge bonfire that Star had accidentally started.

"Come on, we have to see what happened. Maybe there are injured," somepony shouted.

Star calmed down: they weren't looking for her. Crouching in the snow, she slowly moved towards her house, always staying out of sight. The whole village was up, watching for anyone who needed help. In the end, the young pony reached the closest corner to her window. It was still open. Her mother probably hadn't even entered the room. Luck was with her!

She came out of hiding and galloped the remaining meters to her window. But just as she was about to reach it, she heard a voice.

"Star! Where were you? Didn't you see the fire?"

The pony turned to meet brown eyes.

"Uh... hi, Silver Boulder. Yes, I saw the fire," Star added with a laugh.

Silver Boulder looked her up and down. "But... why is your coat covered in snow? It looks like an avalanche fell on you! And why aren't you with the others?"

"Well... I was just looking to see..."

Star had ran out of ideas when someone shouted:

"Star Whistle!"

Glittering Light appeared around the corner, looking at the small pony severely. Star shrank back. It was over, she had been caught. Now she would have to tell everyone that her best friend was a she-wolf, that they had been meeting every winter for years, and that she had caused the fire by building a secret cabin. The ponies would chase the wolf and banish her from the mountain forever.

"Star Whistle, what are you doing here?" asked Glittering Light. Silver Boulder moved out of her way, as she seemed very angry.

"I... mommy, I..."

"I've told you a thousand times not to go out the window! What are doors for? And look at you!! Did you fall on your back in the snow again, huh?"

Star stared open-mouthed at her mother. She had given her the perfect excuse! But had she ever told her that before? Who cared!

"Yes... yes! I jumped out the window and fell. I'm sorry, Mom..."

"Well, you'll be sorry tomorrow too because you'll have to do the laundry."

"But, Mom...!" exclaimed Star.

"No buts! And let's go, both of you, to the center of the village until the mountain fire situation is clarified."

Saying this, Glittering made Silver Boulder walk in front of her. But before turning her back on her daughter, she looked at her with a half-smile and winked at her. It didn't take long for Star Whistle to realize what that meant.

Her mother knew. She knew!

And she had just covered for her in front of Silver Boulder.





The neighbors took almost an hour to go back and forth from the site of the fire. The only thing they found were the remains of a shelter built between a tree and a rock. The circle of stones from the fire pit helped them to know that this was the one that had caused the fire.

Additionally, they also saw wolf and pony tracks. Fortunately for Star, ponies are not great trackers and they didn't find out much more. Theories ran wild. Some said they were travelers attacked by winter wolves. Some claimed that a mountain spirit had set the shelter on fire, but this story did not have many followers. But what kind of travelers carry wood to build shelters at night? The village would have a topic of conversation for a long time.

When everything calmed down, Star went back home. Her mother seemed serious but not angry. She closed the door behind her and immediately said, "Sit down, Star. We need to talk."

Star sat in front of the kitchen table. She felt butterflies in her stomach from the uncertainty. Her mother heated water to serve tea. "How long have you been meeting with the wolves?"

"But...how do you know? Nobody has ever seen me!" exclaimed Star.

"It's true," responded Glittering Star, "but I'm your mother and I've noticed that many nights you sneak out of the house. Always during winter, and always after hearing the howl of a winter wolf."

Star realized she had never been able to deceive her mother, she had always known. But why had she never tried to stop her? The filly didn't understand anything.

"So, how long have you been visiting the wolves?" her mother asked again.

"Six years, mommy. Since the winter after I got lost. But they're not wolves: it's just one wolf. The same one that saved me from the storm. She's my age, I think."

"It's a female? I see. And you can talk to her?"

Star nodded.

"When you learn to distinguish the growls, it's easy."

The teapot whistled. The mother got up and poured two cups of tea with sweet herbs and served one to her daughter. She sat on the other side of the table before speaking again.

"Star, I've never said anything about all this for a very simple reason: if I had tried to stop you, you would have ended up escaping or worse, the village would have found out. And if you've been seeing the wolf for so many years, I'm sure she doesn't want to harm you. Otherwise"

Star didn't need her mother to finish the sentence. She still remembered the first time the wolf 'killed' her while playing. If she was alive, it was because her friend had never wanted to hunt her. They really were friends.

"You made the fire, right?" Glittering asked.

"Yes," Star began, "it was a shelter in case I got caught in a storm. But I made a fire and..."

"Okay, I just wanted to know that. It's a good idea."

Glittering drank her tea again.

"You'll have to find another place to meet, my dear daughter. A more hidden place, where you can build a real cabin. I'll help you with that, but it will have to be in the summer. I'm just going to ask you one thing, Star."

"What?" asked the filly.

"That this remains a secret. Don't tell anyone, not even your friends."

Star promised she wouldn't do it,  she had been doing it for years, anyway. She didn't plan on doing it, but not because of the promise itself: she didn't want to risk the ponies trying to do something against her wolf friend.

Mother and daughter finished their teas and then went to sleep.





At the foot of the mountain, the wolves welcomed their future leader. They were uneasy, as the storm had brought them the smell of fire. Although they never felt that the seer was in danger, they relaxed when they could see her with their own eyes. The current leader of the pack approached.

"The packs are moving away. We must depart."

"I know."

Wolves are beings who say just the right and necessary words. The she-wolf looked towards the mountain with her seer's eye. She felt no death or pain in it, which indicated to her that Star Whistle was okay. But suddenly she noticed her vision was darkening until she couldn't see the mountain anymore. Not the snow. Not her brothers...

Her seer's eye was showing her something.



She felt hunger. She felt a great emptiness. She felt that her death was near. She saw again, through eyes that weren't hers.

She was flying. It was cold, very windy, and snowing. She was lost, alone, and weak. She wouldn't survive.

And suddenly she felt warmth, a warmth that she felt in her spirit, not her skin. She felt that she had a chance to survive...




The she-wolf felt someone push her. She shook her head, recovering her own senses. A wolf had nudged her with its snout when it noticed that the seer was in a trance.

"What have you seen?" he asked.

The she-wolf, the seer of the Winter Wolves didn't answer, for she didn't know herself.
> 5. What's happening to dad?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the mountain fire, winter fell with all its force upon the mountain. The ponies had little time to speculate about the burnt cabin. Like every winter, the neighbors took refuge in their homes, only coming out to visit each other, but not leaving the village.

One winter morning, Star was getting ready to leave. She bundled up because, even though the road to the healer's house was short, the wind would steal the heat from her body in a matter of minutes.

"I'm leaving, Mom," said the young filly.

"Alright. Listen to Plantain carefully, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," responded Star, annoyed by her mother's insistence.

As soon as she opened the door, a blast of cold air welcomed her, carrying snowflakes behind her. Star stepped out, closed the door, and walked quickly to Plantain's house. She saw one of her neighbors - in fact, Mulberry's father - outside, collecting the accumulated firewood to feed the fire.

Star greeted him with a nod, and he returned the greeting. As soon as Star turned her back, she felt a shiver run down her spine. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.

She turned around, puzzled, only to see the pony enter his house. What was that? Star felt a strange fear engulf her. She looked at the house, puzzled, but saw nothing else. It was as if... "Joyness was gone," she thought.

Star stood still for a few seconds. Then she smiled and shook her hoof in front of her face, as if shooing the idea away. It had definitely been a silly thought. Surely the grass and cabbage stew from the previous night had not sat well with her.

Still laughing at herself, Star continued walking to Plantain's house. When she was about to knock on the door, it opened in front of her. But she didn't find her teacher there; instead, she found a pony: Mulberry's mother, Berry Punch.

"Uh... hello," Star greeted her.

"Hello," the mare replied quietly.

Star looked into her eyes. She was a mare a bit older than her mother, with a very light pink color and dark green hair. She had been crying, the streaks of tears still visible on her face. Not only that, but the mare's sadness infected the apprentice healer just by looking at her.

"Are you okay?" the young one asked.

Mulberry's mother opened her mouth to answer but seemed to change her mind.

"I'll leave you to it, you have to study to become a great healer," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Uh... sure."

Saying this, the mare went out into the snow towards her house. Star watched her go, knowing that she was going through a great depression. What could have happened to her? Could it have something to do with her husband?

"Come in, Star, and close the door, the heat is getting out," Plantain Hooves shouted from inside the house.

Star entered, shaking off the snow and taking off her coat. Her teacher, as always, was waiting for her in his workroom's armchair, but this time he was writing in his journal, where he recorded details of the ponies he treated. "Did you see her?" the old stallion asked.

"Yes... yes, I did," Star replied.

"What do you think?"

"She was very sad, and not just because she cried. She's very depressed, as if... as if she has no hope? I think I'm imagining things too much."

The teacher smiled and invited Star to sit at the table. Still scribbling in his diary, he said:

"You have a lot of empathy, Star. No, you're not wrong. That pony is on the brink of a deep depression."
"Why?" asked Star.
"Hmmmm..."

Plantain only said this for a while, while scribbling with his pen on the diary.

"It doesn't make sense, what she's saying, Star. It just doesn't make sense."

"Can't you tell me?" asked the apprentice. "Maybe I'll see something that you missed. I know Mulberry very well."

"You're right, Star," Plantain responded with a smile, "but she asked me not to tell anypony what she told me. Plus, I think she's having relationship problems, and the winter is making it worse."

The young mare nodded. Of course, if you had problems with someone and you were forced to see them day after day...

"Well, Star," began the healer, "I've given her some plants and infusions that will help her cope with the sadness she's feeling. Which do you think they are?"

Star felt like sighing. Great, first thing in the morning and he was starting with her exams. Let's see... plants to cheer up, for sadness... "Um... rocket extract and honey?"

Plantain's face became serious. She had made a mistake, and if she did it again, she would get a good knock on the head. "Come on, think Star, think," thought the apprentice. "Um... almond root and berry infusion?"

Plantain relaxed again and a smile crossed his wrinkled face. Star breathed a sigh of relief.

"And why the berry infusion?"

The relief of Star lasted only a short time. The exam had only just begun.





The hours of class with Plantain went fairly well, despite the test she had put Star through. After bundling up warmly, Star left the healer's house and headed back to her own. The snowstorm had worsened and she could even hear thunder. It was still daytime, so she couldn't see the lightning.

She passed by Mulberry's house again and stopped. She was worried about her friend and his family. It could just be a family quarrel -these things happen in every household from time to time- but what if it was something more serious? She stood there for a few minutes, braving the winter storm, and finally realized that if she didn't try to talk to Mulberry and something more...serious...happened later, she would never forgive herself.

She went up to the door and knocked with a hoof. There were noises inside and Mulberry's mother's voice shouting, "One moment!" She opened the door herself. She seemed calmer than when Star had seen her in the morning, and there were no signs of tears on her face. The mare looked at Star with a mixture of surprise and concern.

"Oh...hello, Star Whistle."

"Hello, Berry Punch," Star replied. "Is Mulberry here?"

"Yes...yes, he is. But today is not a day to go out and play, Star."

"I know, it's really cold," said the young mare, shivering slightly. "I just wanted to see him. Can I come in?"

"What did Plantain tell you?"

The question thrown by Berry Punch was asked forcefully and, to some extent, with anger.

"Nothing. He just told me that you asked him not to say anything. And he hasn't."

"Are you sure?" asked Mulberry's mother.

Star watched as she looked at her. Normally, when any pony asks for something to be kept a secret among healers, it's just because they're embarrassed about it getting out, many times because they did not want to worry their family. But with Berry Punch, it was different. She looked at her directly, with her eyes wide open and ears raised. She leaned slightly forward, in what would seem like a threat. But to Star, it seemed more like a defensive gesture.

Berry Punch was scared.

"You can relax. When Plantain promises to keep a secret, he'll take it to the grave."

"Oh..." the mare smiled slightly. "Thank goodness."

"Berry Punch, what's wrong? If you have a problem, you know we'll all help you."

"No, Star, nothing's wrong. Don't worry."

The mare was lying very clearly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she said, making her expression tougher. "I'm sure it's none of your business, Star Whistle. Go back to your house."

Saying this, Star found the door closed in front of her snout. She backed away from the sudden slam and she stood there for a few moments, shocked. It was true that Mulberry's mother wasn't an overflowing with sympathy pony, even with her closest friends. But she was a very proper pony, and she had never behaved like that with anypony. At least, that's what Star thought.

The young mare returned home. As she did, the snow stopped falling, but the wind and cold persisted. Surely, there would be a big thunderstorm that night. When she entered her house, she was greeted by the smell of roasted potatoes stuffed with carrots.

"Hi Mom, I'm home!" exclaimed Star, as she always did when she returned.

"Hi dear, how was your day?"

"Well... Mom, do you know Mulberry's parents?"

"Very little, Star. Why?"

"You see..."

Star told her what had happened: how she found Berry Punch in the morning, and what happened when she tried to go see Mulberry. She didn't mention the strange feeling she had when she saw his father, as she still thought it had been her imagination.

"I wouldn't worry so much, dear. Berry Punch has always been known to be a bit standoffish. It sounds like a relationship problem. They will solve it."

"I don't know, Mom... it's strange," said Star.

"Dear," continued Glittering Star, "there are things even a healer like Plantain can't intervene in. Learn from him and stay out of it, unless they come to ask for your help."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

The rest of the day passed without incident. Star took the opportunity to review the healing herb book a bit before nightfall. When night came, Star entertained herself by looking out the window, waiting for the storm to light up the night. But, although she could hear thunder rumbling among the clouds, they seemed reluctant to release lightning bolts or flashes.

Star grumbled a bit, disappointed. It was curious, but after getting lost in a stormy night seven years ago, anyone would expect the apprentice healer to be afraid of lightning. But strangely, Star really liked stormy nights. She liked to see how lightning illuminated the mountain with its flashes, making shadow drawings that otherwise never appeared.

But well... the night wasn't in the mood to give the young girl a show. She had dinner with her mother and then both went to bed.

In the middle of the night, Star was suddenly awakened by a dry noise. She thought she had dreamed it, but when she heard it again at her window - Clock Clock Clock - someone was knocking on the shutters. Star got up, lit a candle, and went to look. She opened the window and partially opened the shutter. On the other side, she saw a colt of her age: Yellow coat, green mane... Then she opened the shutters completely.

"Mulberry! What are you doing here? You'll freeze!"

"I needed to see somepony. Can I come in?" he asked.

Star stepped aside to let him in. He was freezing, he must have been outside for a couple of hours. Besides... he seemed anxious for company, as if he felt alone. Star reached for one of her blankets.

"Mulberry, what happened?" she asked as she threw the blanket over him.

"I just needed company," he said, looking away.

"Don't lie to me," Star replied. "I don't believe you came on a winter night just looking for company. What's wrong ?"

"It's just... I can't tell you. You'll think I'm crazy," he said, lowering his head.

Star stood in front of him, sat down, and with her hoof made him look into her eyes. The young mare seemed about to burst into tears.

"Mulberry, I'm the healer's apprentice. Believe me, I've heard some very strange things. But we're friends, right?"

"Yes... we are," he replied.

"Then you can trust me. What's wrong? I've never seen you so... hurt."

The young mare looked at him until a tear escaped his eye. Mulberry took the blanket with his hoof and wiped his face, trying to control himself. Star put him beside her and stroked him with her hoof. "It's okay Mulberry, it's okay. When you calm down, you can tell me, okay?"

Mulberry nodded his head, not yet managing to do so.

"I'll go prepare an herbal infusion for you, alright?"

Star left her room, leaving the door open, and went silently to the kitchen. The fireplace still had some embers burning. She gathered the extinguished pieces of wood with the embers to revive the fire a little, filled the kettle with water, and put it on top. While it heated up, she searched for the herb she wanted: Valerian. Plantain told her that with honey and lemon, it was the ideal infusion for somepony who was suffering - it would help them calm down and sleep deeply at night. Which is what Mulberry would need.

She took the teapot by its wooden handle - which was cold - with her teeth, while balancing two wooden cups filled with herbs on her snout. It was a skill her mother had taught her as a game when she was younger. She passed her mother's door. Not hearing any noise behind it, she assumed she must be sleeping. Good, she could explain what happened in the morning.

Star entered the room walking sideways to try to keep the cups balancing on her snout. Mulberry, seeing his friend juggling, couldn't help but laugh slightly.

"He, he, he, you should join the circus, not be a healer," said Mulberry.

"Thrrrmfsyu," grunted Star without letting go of the teapot.

Mulberry closed the door while his friend poured two cups of the infusion. It smelled very good, like herbs with honey and lemon. They sat down to drink. The foal was already calm and had stopped crying. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" asked Star.

"It's... it's my father."

Star looked at his friend. He had never seen him so... sad. Almost as sad as he had seen his mother Berry Punch this morning, if not more.

"For a while now... when he looks at me... I don't know. I can't explain it," whispered Mulberry.

"What happens when he looks at you? Is he angry?"

"No... it's not that. He doesn't get angry. He never gets angry anymore..."

"I don't think I understand," said Star.

Mulberry took a long sip of the hot infusion before continuing.

"Well... it's been a few months now that when he looks at me, I feel like... he doesn't love me anymore. I don't know why, and I know no one else sees it. But I feel it. I've asked him if something's wrong, and he always says no and laughs. But that laugh... it's like he's not my father anymore," the foal sniffled before wiping away new tears. "And I know Mom feels it too, I do, but she won't listen to me when I try to tell her."

"What did you mean when you said your dad never gets mad anymore?" Star asked.

"That's just it," Mulberry clarified. "When he started looking at me like that... I tried to get him to react. I was a really good ponybecause I thought I had misbehaved, but nothing changed. So I tried to misbehave and broke a window... and a cloth that my grandmother, my dad's mother, had woven. But he didn't..."

"He didn't do anything?" Star asked incredulously.

Mulberry shook his head. Now Star really didn't understand. If she broke some of her grandmother's memories, she was sure her mother wouldn't talk to her for weeks.

"I don't know what I did wrong, Star. I just don't know," Mulberry cried. Star hugged him.

"I don't think you did anything wrong, Mulberry. I don't know what's wrong with your dad either, but I'm sure it can't last forever. Eventually, he'll come around, I'm sure of it."

"Are you sure?" Mulberry asked through tears.

"Positive," she said with a smile. "He's your dad. Sooner or later he'll come around, you'll see."

They stayed like that for a while until Mulberry calmed down.

"Star, can I stay the night, please? I really don't want to go home right now."

"But what about your parents? They'll be worried if they wake up and don't see you at home."

"I left them a note," Mulberry explained, "saying that I was going to sleep at a friend's house."

"I don't know..."

Star looked at her friend. Just then, a thunderous thunder sounded over the town, once again without a lightning bolt accompanying it. The weather was really bad and besides... she knew Mulberry would feel better sleeping with someone.

"Of course, you can stay," she said finally.

She rearranged the bed in which she sleep, spreading the straw a little more to make it bigger, and put blankets on top. It would be less fluffy than usual, but they  both would sleep well. Between the two, they prepared the bedding and lay down after extinguishing the candles.

"Thank you so much, Star. I knew you would listen to me," Mulberry said.

"You're welcome. Good night."

"Good night."

After a few minutes lying down, Star felt Mulberry turn over. She wondered worriedly if he was going to try to hug her or something... but soon she heard him breathing deeply, before snoring. Star smiled. Valerian was truly miraculous.

But what Mulberry had told her... it worried her. If what he said was true (and she was sure he wasn't lying), what Star felt for her father in the morning shouldn't be a coincidence. What if something really had happened to Mulberry's father? It was all very strange. She would have to tell her mother... and maybe Plantain...

Thinking about this, the infusion took effect on the filly, who fell into a deep sleep.
> 6. A mother that loves me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day after, Star woke up when the morning light filtered into her room through the cracks in the windows. She stretched in bed and sat up, rubbing a crusty eye booger that clung to the filly's eye with all its might. When she managed to pull it off, she looked to one side to find Mulberry.

The pony was still sleeping soundly, with half of his body on the bed and the other half off it. He slept belly up, with his mouth open. His tongue fell comically as he drooled and moved his right front leg like a dog being petted on the belly. Star looked at him for a few seconds... and began to laugh. First softly, but the image was so funny she began to laugh out loud. Mulberry woke up, looking around.

"Uh? What's going on? Why are you laughing?"

Star couldn't stop laughing, let alone answer. Suddenly, the door of her room opened as her mother came in saying, "Dear, what's so funny?"

Glittering Light fell silent upon seeing Mulberry in her daughter's room. The young mare's laughter stopped at once as she looked alternately at her mother and her friend. "Mom, it's not what it looks like!"

"Hehehe... sure," responded Glittering Light with a chuckle. "Come on, let's have breakfast, guys."

Saying this, she walked away down the hallway laughing softly. Star blushed and Mulberry didn't quite understand what had happened.

The three of them had breakfast, although nopony explained why Mulberry had slept there. Star's mother didn't ask either, knowing that if her daughter didn't tell her, there was a reason for it. When they finished eating, Mulberry said goodbye politely.

"Thank you for breakfast. And, uh... thank you for everything, Star," said the pony.

"You're welcome," she replied.

The pony left the house, closing the door behind him. A very uncomfortable silence formed in the kitchen for Star. The smirk on her mother's face didn't bode well.

"Well dear, it seems like you're looking for a partner before your friends did..."

"I told you it's not like that!"

"No, no, don't misunderstand me," her mother continued, teasing her daughter. "I just imagined you would go out with Silver Boulder."

"Mum!" Star Whistle pleaded. "Stop joking already!"

Saying this, Star went to her room. Glittering shouted after her, "You'll have to tell me the wedding date!"

The mother's laughter was interrupted by a ball that bounced off the wall and floor of the hallway, hitting the mare in the forehead. A loud "Ha!" was heard from Star's room.

Several minutes passed before the young mare came out of her room with her coat, ready to go to Plantain's house. Her mother looked at her and gave her some fruit to eat mid-morning, like any self-respecting mother would do.

"Dear, before you go, and now seriously. What was Mulberry doing sleeping in your room? He must have arrived at night, I didn't hear anything."

"Yes. You see..."

Star told her mother everything, not forgetting any detail of what Mulberry had told her.

"And the truth is, when I saw his father yesterday, I felt...weird. I can't explain it, could Mulberry be right?"

"Star," her mother responded, "the thing is, you're too empathetic. I think they're having a pretty serious marriage crisis. I'm proud that you took your friend in when he needed it."

"Well...it's the least I could do..." said Star, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"But listen to me on this: Don't get involved in the matter. Trust me, they need to solve these things themselves.

Star didn't like her mother's statement, but deep down she knew it was true. What could she do to fix it? "Okay mom. I have to go now."

"Pay attention to Plantain, okay?"

"Yes, mom..." replied the young woman with a hint of sarcasm.





Several hours later, Star was returning from Plantain's house. The weather had softened quite a bit, although it was still very cold. The harshest part of winter would soon be over. Star's thoughts wandered from one idea to another, but they revolved quite a bit around Mulberry. She couldn't help worrying about him; they had been friends for a long time. She wished she could do something more, but...

"Hey! Star!" somepony shouted.

Star turned to find Silver Boulder running towards her, smiling. His red mane had grown over the past few weeks and moved to the rhythm of his gallop. He wore a work suit on his back, as well as a coat, from which a hammer, a ruler, and other tools protruded.

"Hi, Silver! How's everything?" she replied cheerfully.

"Much better. I was getting bored of being at home all day. Today my father and I are fixing some leaks in the roof," Silver Boulder said, pointing to his house. Obviously, his father was perched on the roof, with a hammer between his teeth.

"Yeah, you'd better do it now or you'll flood in the spring."

"True!" he laughed. "Let me walk you home, and you can tell me how your classes are going. Hey, Dad! I'm taking a break!"

Silver's father nodded his head. But as he did so, he lost his balance and slipped. Flailing, he slid down the roof until he fell into the thick snow around his house. A second later, he got up, saying, "I'm okay!"

Laughing at the scene, the two young ponies set off towards Star's house. They talked quite cheerfully on the way, although Silver soon noticed that his friend was worried about something.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"It's nothing, Silver, don't worry."

"Are you sure? You seem worried."

"It's just that... I can't tell you right now."

"Why not?" he asked.

The question was answered as soon as they arrived at Star's house. Glittering Light and Berry Punch, Mulberry's mother, were at the door. The latter seemed upset, while Star's mother was trying to calm her down.

"He should have come home! I'm his mother!"

"Berry Punch, calm down. They're just kids. It's true what you say, but I don't think that..."

"Clearly your daughter is not a filly anymore!" Berry responded with malice. At that moment, Star Whistle and Silver Boulder approached.

"Hello."

They stopped arguing, looking at the young filly. Her mother gestured for them to go inside, but Star ignored her. "I think I owe you an explanation, Berry Punch."

"An explanation, you say!" Berry exclaimed, Berry Punch. Star did not falther.

"You'll see, yesterday night Mulberry was very altered. She needed somepony to talk to, so he came to find me".

Silver looked at her, understanding why Star was worried.

"My son went to find her, she says!" exclaimed Berry, talking to nopony in particular. "To talk! and tell me, at what point does 'talking' mean somepony stays over with you?"

She said this much louder than she should have, leaving a double interpretation of her words hanging in the air. Several neighbors had already peeked out and were listening to the argument. Star recoiled at the question. She sensed what Berry Punch was implying, although she didn't want to admit it.

"What... What do you mean?" asked Star.

"That you must have offered Mulberry something very suggestive to get him to stay and 'sleep' with you! Your mother insists on calling you a filly when you obviously no longer are!"

"How dare you...!"

Glittering Light advanced towards Berry Punch, but Silver Boulder stood in the way to stop the enraged mare. Star Whistle, at first, was in shock at the accusation, but it didn't take long for her to snap out of it, feeling a rage within herself that she didn't know she had. How dare she insult her when she had wholeheartedly helped her son? How dare she?! In front of her mother and her best friend?!

"Well, you must have done something very wrong for your son to decide to tell me his problems instead of his mother!" Star shouted, advancing towards the mare.

"You little bi...!"

Even as she yelled the insult, Berry Punch advanced towards the young pony, ready to strike her. But at that moment, Star's mother dodged Silver Boulder and charged at Berry Punch. The impact caused her to lose her balance and fall onto the snow. When she looked up, she saw Glittering Light staring at her with anger.

"Get out of here. Don't come near this house again, and especially near my daughter," Glittering Light said, turning her back and gesturing for Star and Silver to follow her into the house. Berry Punch got up from the ground, still not giving up.

"What can you expect from a mare who doesn't even know who her daughter's father is? Like mother, like daughter!"

Glittering Light stopped dead in her tracks. First, she opened her mouth slightly, and her eyes widened. Then her face contorted. Clenching her teeth in anger, she turned to face Berry Punch. Completely beside herself, she advanced towards the mare.

"Mum, no!" Star Whistle stood in front of her mother, stopping her in her tracks. The mare didn't pay attention, crashing into her daughter. Star tried to push her back, but it was no use. 

"MUM, STOP!" Star shouted, hitting her mother on the nose with her hoof. Glittering blinked and finally looked at her daughter. "It's not worth it, let her go," Star told her.

The mare continued to look at Star for a few seconds before nodding and returning to the house. Star had never seen her mother so furious. She heard Berry Punch's voice behind her again.

"Mulberry never needed your help, little busybody. He has a FATHER and a mother for that," Berry Punch spat.

"At least I have a mother who loves me," Star retorted dryly.

Saying this, the young mare followed her mother and Silver Boulder into their house. Berry Punch stood there motionless, as if the healer's apprentice's words had touched a nerve.

When Star entered her house, she heard a door slam shut from her mother's room. She must have locked herself in to drown out her anger alone. Silver Boulder was in the center of the kitchen. Star slumped into a chair and felt the urge to cry growing within her.

"I think you can imagine what was worrying me. But I never expected that she...could..."

Star began to sob and couldn't finish her sentence. Silver approached her and hugged her. She leaned against his neck.

"But what happened out there?" Silver asked.

When she was able to calm down, the pony explained to her increasingly astonished friend what had happened.
> 7. The Lords of Night and Winter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night after the tense discussion with Berry Punch, Star slept little and poorly, still disturbed by what had happened. In the morning, she got ready and, exhausted, went to her classes with Plantain. But the elderly healer, who already knew what had happened, quickly saw that his apprentice wasn't going to learn much that day and sent her back home.

Star didn't feel like going back and being alone with her thoughts, as they were only revolving around what Berry Punch had said to her and her mother. Instead of going straight home, she decided to take a walk around the village. Although everything was still covered in snow, the weather had softened, and only a thin layer of clouds remained from the storm. Star went to the frozen stream. A tiny trickle of water dripped at the entrance of the cave under the now sleeping waterfall. A sign that spring would soon come.

The young pony sat on a rock, ideal for the purpose, took out a handful of candied blackberries from her bag, and started eating them one by one. Inevitably, she started thinking about the argument with Mulberry's mother. It made no sense. It simply didn't.

She had understood why Berry Punch was angry with her. But  not even asking  why her son went to see Star, and instead of accusing her of being...promiscuous? Berry was a mother, and although Star didn't know her very well, she knew that normally she would have asked about Mulberry first.

So why didn't she?

Also, going from being on the verge of depression to a strong outburst of anger in less than a day? Something must have happened. Star mentally reviewed everything she remembered from the argument: the voice tone and inflections, the words, the gestures and the stares. The young pony realized that there was something in Berry Punch's gaze that...wasn't normal. But she couldn't focus her thoughts enough to see it clearly. The argument was still too recent to think about it calmly.

Maybe there was a reason for all of it. Star tried to visualize what was strange about Berry's behavior. Maybe...

"Hey, Star," a young brown-coated pony approached her from behind.

"Hi, Silver. How are you?" the young mare turned to him.

"And you?" he replied, sitting down next to his friend.

Star handed him a few blackberries.

"Calmier."

"You don't look good."

"I didn't sleep well."

They continued to eat in silence for a while. Silver looked at his friend. To be honest, he didn't know what to say. What had happened was too violent. So much so that he had even thought of going to Mulberry's house and telling Berry Punch a few things to her face. He leaned in closer to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. Star looked at him without being startled.

"There's something I don't understand, Silver."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know."

Silver looked at her, puzzled. Star smiled and shook her head from side to side.

"Don't mind me too much. I haven't slept well. I think I'll go rest."

Saying this, Star said goodbye to Silver Boulder and returned home. Her mother wasn't there. Without thinking much about it, she made herself an infusion to help her sleep. She hadn't even drunk half of it when she put her head on her pillow and fell into a deep sleep.




"I can't tell you now" she said.

"Why not?" he asked.

Star began to dream about the moment when she and Silver arrived at her house. She shook her head, trying not to recall that scene. She saw Berry Punch arguing with her mother. Anger. No...rage. Rage was what Mulberry's mother was radiating. Star saw herself greeting and attempting to explain to Berry Punch what had happened the night she slept with Mulberry.

"An explanation, you say!" exclaimed Berry Punch.

Star observed Berry's expression. At first, she thought the mare was offended. But something didn't fit with that explanation.

"My son went to find her, she says!" exclaimed Berry, talking to nopony in particular. "To talk! and tell me, at what point does 'talking' mean somepony stays over with you?"

Star felt the shock she had felt at that moment as something distant. She realized that it had affected her so much at the time that it had clouded her senses. But she was living her dream impersonally, as if reading a book, thus, she was able to unfold all her empathic skills and review her memory. Berry was attacking, but not out of anger. Now she saw it clearly: she had insulted her as a way of protecting herself. But from what? Why? She noticed Berry's gestures: she did look at the healer's apprentice fixedly, with anger, when she launched her offenses, but...

"Well, you must have done something very wrong for your son to decide to tell me his problems instead of his mother!" shouted Star Whistle in the dream.

"You little b...".

Star saw how Berry Punch looked away when the young pony began to speak, and she launched her insult before she finished the sentence. That was what didn't fit! Berry Punch was attacking her to avoid listening! To avoid listening to what? That her son preferred to tell his problems to a friend rather than his own mother?

In her dream, Star observed the moment when Berry launched her most terrible stab against her mother. When Glittering jumped out of herself and turned towards her, Berry stepped back. Scared? No... confused. Confused? How could she be confused?

At one point when she looked at her, Star saw how Berry Punch looked at the infinite with a mix of fear, confusion, and... regret? on her face. But when Star saw her again, after convincing her mother to come back home, Berry had pinned her with malice in her eyes.

"Mulberry never needed your help, little busybody. He has a FATHER and a mother for that."

"At least I have a mother who loves me."

Before locking herself in her house, Star looked at Berry Punch one last time, just for a moment. She hadn't seen it at the time, but now she remembered the expression that had stuck in her mind. The expression that had haunted her all day, although she hadn't been able to relive it. Berry Punch was looking towards the door, mouth open as if she couldn't find the words. Her eyes, also wide open, were shining with tears.

It was the expression of someone who had just remembered something very important.





Star woke up in her room. It was getting dark, she had slept for several hours. She sat on the floor, next to her bed. She remembered the whole dream perfectly.

"Berry Punch had forgotten that she loves her son... that she loves Mulberry..." 

That was the strange feeling she had had all day, and the reason why she couldn't sleep the night before. Not because of the anger or the nerves of the argument: because she knew there was something abnormal in Berry Punch's behavior, but she had not been able to see it at the time.

How could someone forget that they love their child? How? She could believe that someone no longer loved their family, that they rejected their child... but forgetting their love for him? It was not possible. It simply made no sense. She had to be imagining it. It was not logical!

Star got up and stretched. As soon as she took a few steps, she heard her mother:

"Dear! Wake up and come to have dinner!

She went to the kitchen, where her mother had already set the table. Glittering was in good spirits, the anger from the argument had passed. They talked about a little bit of everything, touching on the topic of Berry Punch very briefly.

"Now I would love to be able to talk to my best friend," Star said.

"I know, dear, but..."

A howl resonated in the middle of the night. Star perked up her ears looking towards the window. It was her friend.

"Sometimes you scare me, Star," Glittering said.

The young mare, barely listening to her mother, quickly went to get her coat and, after saying goodbye with a quick kiss, went out into the night and trotted down the mountain.

When she reached the plain where they usually met, Star was not surprised to not find her friend. It was winter, there was snow, and she was a winter wolf. It was her voice -or growl, depending on how you look at it- that indicated her presence.

"Something disturbs your spirit, my friend," the wolf emerged from behind a bush. Only a couple of months had passed since she last saw her, but even so, she noticed how much she had grown. Star ran towards her to hug her the wolf way.

"You don't know how glad I am that you're here," Star responded.

"We're together, pony. If it's in my jaws to help you, I will. What's going on?"

Both of them lay down in the snow. Star began to explain what had happened with Mulberry and her mother from the beginning. For her, telling the wolf her problems was as natural as telling them to a sister. The wolf did not interrupt her at any moment, and listened with particular interest when the pony recounted the dream she had had.

"It's just that it doesn't make sense for Berry to forget that she loves her son. It's not logical. It doesn't make sense," Star finished in pony language.

"You ponies have forgotten your essence."

"What do you mean?" asked Star.

"Tell me, friend, why does the rabbit run from the wolf?" replied the heterochromatic-eyed she-wolf. Star looked into the wolf's mysterious and wise eyes.

"It's logical. It runs because it doesn't want to be hunted."

"No," the wolf corrected. "A rabbit runs from a wolf because its instinct tells it to. And it obeys. It doesn't question if it's logical or not, it doesn't wonder if it's wrong, it just follows its instincts. Now, tell me, my friend, what do your instincts tell you?"

Star had to make an effort to clear her mind of all the logic that generations of ponies had created, leaving only her most basic senses.

"That there is something unnatural in Mulberry's house," Star said, more easily expressing herself in the language of the wolves than in her own.

"Then you have your answer, my friend."

The young pony knew it was true. It didn't fit with the logic and culture of the ponies of Mountain Peak, but it did fit with what Star had seen in her dream. With what she had felt in Berry Punch's eyes.

"But what could it be?"

"I don't know. Keep an eye on that pony, her mate, and her foal. If more ponies start behaving like her..."

Star nodded. Whatever had happened in Mulberry's family, if it spread, it could endanger all of Mountain Peak. In her heart, the young pony wished her instincts were wrong.

They talked for quite some time more. The wolf explained that the following year she would assume her responsibility as an adult wolf: she would become the leader and guide of her pack and would, when the time came, bring a new generation of winter wolves. Star was glad to know it, imagining her friend would be a great mother. She even wondered how long it would take her to follow in her hoofsteps.

Truth be told, ponies of those lands usually formed families very young, when compared to other cultures. 





After saying goodbye, Star returned to her village. The wolf set off on the path towards her pack... or so she led Star to believe. Taking a detour, camouflaged in the snow like a shadow in the night, she headed towards the Poni settlement of the mountain.

The village was silent. There were no lights except for the chimneys that had not yet gone out behind windws. The wolf slowly circled Mountain Peak, looking for any clue of what Star had told her. Eventually, she arrived at the rock wall, where the now frozen waterfall fell, and climbed up. Once she reached the top, she looked down at the village. 

She called upon her seer's eye. 

For her, small lights began to shine in the settlement. They were the essences of the ponies that lived there. Some were brighter, and therefore happier and healthier, than others. But after looking carefully, she saw something that wasn't normal: there was a house with two ponies inside. One essence was shining faintly, but the second was almost extinguished. Something that not even the most terrible sadness or disease could provoke.

The wolf focused her seer's senses on that house. There was something hidden in it, she could sense it, but not see it. She had to get closer. She descended the ravine and circled the buildings, approaching the cabin in question. She correctly guessed that it was the home of Star's friend, Mulberry, and his family.

Suddenly, the wolf stopped, feeling the adrenaline pumping in her body. She couldn't see. Her seer's eye had gone blind. She quickly backed away, regaining her senses as soon as she did. She calmed down and looked at the house again. No, she hadn't lost her oracle's eye. There was something in that house that was trying to hide from senses like hers.

The wolf crouched down on the ground, among the snow and bushes, while staring fixedly at the darkness that surrounded the house. And it stared back at her. A cold, dark, and hungry gaze. A voice that was both deep and sharp resonated in the wolf's mind. Like a chorus of thousands of impossible voices. There were no words in that voice, but there was meaning.

"Go back to your own, hunter. This is not wolf territory."

The wolf felt a presence trying to cling to her mind. With a single thought, she shoved it away. She almost allowed herself to feel offendedl, what kind of oracle would she be if she couldn't control her own mind? But when that presence came closer, she could appreciate its essence in its entirety: darkness and hunger. Lies and death. That was the evil that had invaded Mountain Peak.

"You will leave this place. Tonight," the wolf responded.

Her mind fell silent, until it was broken by laughter. High-pitched laughter devoid of all emotion except hunger.

"Will you face us, hunter?"

The darkness took on a very physical form. It seemed to spill through the walls and windows of the house. Creeping through the air like an evil cloud, it unfolded, trying to surround the wolf. She stood up and looked at the sky. The clouds covered Mountain Peak.

"We are the winter wolves. We are the lords of winter and night."

The cloud of darkness advanced quickly towards the wolf, who remained standing and did not take a single step back.

"The night is our kingdom, the snow our sister."

She didn't finish reciting the soul of his pack. It wasn't necessary. The she-wolf raised her head towards the clouds and howled. A deep, guttural howl that echoed throughout the mountain. The clouds responded, chorusing the howl with their thunder. The darkness stopped its advance, realizing its mistake. The she-wolf howled a second time, a new howl so powerful that the mountain seemed to vibrate with it. 

And the storm answered the call. 

Lightning jumped from cloud to cloud, illuminating the night as if it were day for moments. The darkness retreated, but it was too late: a bolt of lightning struck right in the center of the malevolent cloud. It screamed, hundreds of voices screaming in pain and horror. A second and a third bolt struck around the she-wolf, but no scream was heard again. When the storm stopped its discharge, only Mountain Peak stood before the seer. 

She observed the village carefully but did not notice any darkness again that did not come from the night itself. Then she looked back at the house from where it had emerged. The essence that was almost extinguished had begun to recover its luminosity. Whatever had invaded that home had disappeared. The storm had brought the necessary light to scare away the darkness. She heard noises in the village, the ponies had woken up. The seer turned around and disappeared into the night. 

Star was among the first ones to arrive at the scene. Small fires had ignited the bushes where the lightning had struck. The ponies who arrived did not understand what had happened: first, they had heard the howls, right next to the village, and then a storm had broken out. Silver Boulder came out of the village limit and searched through the burning undergrowth. 

"There are tracks here!" he shouted. "Wolf tracks!" 

Several voices asked what kind of magic it was. Star remained silent. 

"Our howls summon the storm"... she remembered, whispering to herself. 

"Gather everyone," Plantain Hooves ordered. "Get everyone out of their homes. There may be injured." 

A few minutes later, the count was over. Only one pony was missing, who had disappeared without a trace from his own home. 

Mulberry's father.
> 8. The shadow and the healer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night a wolf called out to the storm was etched in the collective memory of Mountain Peak. No one could explain the mysterious disappearance of Mulberry's father. They searched the mountain for days without finding any trace of him. Star imagined... no... she knew it was the she-wolf who had fought Mulberry's father, but it was something she couldn't tell anypony. She sensed he had been behind Berry Punch's strange behavior, but it was just a teenager's assumption, and too many explanations would have to be given if she told anypony.

More than a month after the incident, Star confirmed what she suspected. Berry Punch, in broad daylight, showed up at the young girl and her mother's house. In front of all the neighbors, she apologized for her behavior. "I don't know what came over me," she repeated in her apology.

"I don't know why I got angry when I found out you had helped my son," Berry Punch said, addressing Star Whistle. "I really don't know. I'm so sorry."

When Berry finished her long apology, Glittering Star looked at the repentant mare, not really wanting to forgive her, but her daughter spoke up:

"There's nothing to forgive," said Star Whistle, "it was a mistake, and you said things you didn''t really mean."

Glittering Light let out a soft sigh before saying, "I appreciate your apology." From that day on, while the two mothers didn't interact more than necessary, they were able to pass each other in town without any noticeable tension in the air. Star and Mulberry continued to be good friends, as always.

Soon after, a funeral was held for Mulberry's father. The entire town attended, and instead of sadness, confusion permeated the ceremony. Everypony wondered what had happened to him. Had he been struck by lightning and reduced to dust?





The summer in which Star became fourteen years old, she and her mother traveled to River Hills to trade goods. Although they didn't lie, they left out part of the truth. While her mother sold her crafts, Star sold herbs and offered healing services to travelers. After a week in the town, they gathered enough money to buy supplies and set off to a small clearing behind a rocky outcropping in the mountains. It was far enough from the main road to avoid casual travelers but close enough to the town for Star to reunite with her wolf friend.

It took them another week of hard work to build the cabine, which was fitted with a stone fireplace. 

"Mom, I love it!" exclaimed Star.

"Your birthday present, my dear," replied Glittering with a smile.

The construction was simple: a single room with two shuttered windows and a door. A waterproofed roof, blankets to have two warm sleeping places... more than enough for Star and the she-wolf.

Mother and daughter set out on the journey back. Shortly after, when night was about to fall, they saw the town. Somepony galloped out of it to meet them with the urgency reflected on their face. It was Silver Boulder.

"Silver!" exclaimed Star. "What's going on?"

"The healer, Plantain. He's very sick."

"Since when?"

"Two days ago."

Star didn't ask any more questions and ran towards her master's house. Many neighbors peeked out to see her arrive. Many others waited near the elderly healer's house. The young apprentice went inside without responding to those who tried to tell her something.

The fireplace was lit inside the house. Plantain was in his bed, close to the flames; the old stallion was breathing with difficulty and had a fever. A female pony was taking care of him, using cold water cloths to try to lower his temperature.

"Star!" the mare shouted. "You finally arrive!"

"What happened?" she asked.

She explained that Plantain Hooves had stopped leaving the house a few days ago. When a neighbor came in, they saw that he was very sick and could hardly breathe.

"He gets weaker every day, Star."

Star asked to be left alone as she prepared her equipment. Platain had taught her well: she used several herbs to make vapors to help him breathe, while other produces lowered his fever. Despite her efforts, she soon realized that her master was suffering from an illness nopony could heal, from a fate that everypone had to face, sooner or later.

Plantain was dying of old age.

It was a difficult realisation for the young healer to come to terms with, to accept that she couldn't save her patient. The herbs had their helped to alleviate the symptoms: the old stallion stopped making noise while breathing and his fever dropped. For a moment, he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Star approached him, tears in her eyes and a soft smile on her lips.

"Rest, Plantain."

Upon hearing his apprentice's voice, the old pony stirred and opened his eyes. He looked directly at her, trying to tell her something, but he couldn't articulate the words.

"Calm down, master. You've taught me well. Thank you."

Plantain continued to try to say something. Star approached, and on his lips, she thought she read the word "town."

"Town?"

The healer nodded, anguish reflected on his wrinkled face. Star then understood what was disturbing her master in his last moments.

"The town will have a healer, master. I will take care of all its inhabitants," said Star. After a few seconds, the old stallion smiled at his student and closed his eyes, falling into a peaceful slumber. Wiping away her tears, Star went to the door, where she found Silver Boulder.

"Tell everypony that if they want to say goodbye to Plantain Hooves, now is the time."

Not many of the neighbors came to say goodbye to the healer because they didn't want to disturb him. Those who did expressed their gratitude for his work over the years. Finally, Star was left alone with her master, watching over him throughout the night.

As the sun rose and a somber Star Whistle stepped outside, the people of Mountain Peak realized what had happened. Several ponies left their homes, the pain and loss reflected on their faces: their beloved healer, Plaintain Hooves, had passed away. But soon, they realize that the town would have a healer: as Star rose her head and faced her friends and neightbors with teary eyes, many saw that a Cutie Mark -a plantain leaf over a waning moon- had appeared on Star's flank. 

Despite the loss, the sun brought a new ray of hope to Mountain Peak, knowing that Star Whistle would continue the legacy of her mentor.





Mulberry woke up in his room with a scream. It had been a couple of days since Plantain's funeral, and it still hadn't dawned. He had had some kind of nightmare that he couldn't remember. The first time it happened was a few nights after his father's disappearance, but since then it kept happening every night without exception. He silently approached his mother's room; Berry Punch was still asleep. 

After lighting a candle, he went to the well to wash his face and try to shake off the feeling of emptiness in his chest. He always had it after the nightmares and it lasted for several hours, as if a deep sadness engulfed him. He stayed like that, looking at his reflection in the water, feeling restless. He had no reason to b, but ever since the nightmares began, he couldn't feel at peace. 

He was consumed by an inexplicable fear, as if an invisible presence lurked nearby. He frantically scanned his surroundings, knowing beforehand that nopony was there except for him. Suddenly, a faint crack echoed from a corner of the room. He jolted towards it, trying to illuminate his surroundings with the dim light of the candle. As he drew closer, he was met with only shadows and darkness. Whatever made the noise had vanished into thin air, but the feeling of being watched persisted, growing stronger with every passing moment. He strained his ears, hoping for a shred of reassurance, but all he heard was the sound of his mother's deep slumber.

Mulberry let out a sigh. He knew he wouldn't be able to drift off that night. He stepped outside, feeling a sense of relief as soon as his hooves touched the cold and wet grass, and with every step he took, he felt a sense of tranquility wash over him. He paused and gazed at his home, realizing that too many emotions had been bottled up within its walls for over a year. 

Ever since his father started acting... strangely. 

Maybe that was the root of Mulberry's own troubles. Perhaps the weight of all those memories was taking its toll on his conscience. Maybe... "Maybe it's time for me to find my own place," he muttered to himself. With that, the young stallion went for a stroll, waiting for sundawn. 

Inside the house, Berry Punch began to toss and turn in her sleep, her voice repeating the name of her missing husband. 
Silently a shadow, an unnatural darkness began to spread through the room, seeping in through the very floorboards themselves. A shadowy figure materialized, hovering over her sleeping form. But as quickly as it had appeared, the shadow dissipated, vanishing back into the depths of the floorboards. 

Berry Punch fell back into a peaceful slumber.





A few weeks later, Mulberry moved into his own house. This caused some was some discussion in the village, as it was very unusual for a young pony to leave their parents' house without getting married, especially at just fourteen years old. Despite objections from the locals, Mulberry's mother and the neighbors collaborated to make an abandoned cabin habitable again.

Meanwhile, Star took on the responsibilities of being Mountain Peak's new healer, but she refused to use her deceased teacher's house as a clinic. She couldn't explain why, but the idea made her uncomfortable, so instead, she and her mother arranged a space in their house for her to work. In that place she gathered everything  she needed for her job and all the volumes of Plantain Hooves to continue studying on her own.

Silver Boulder began learning the trade of carpentry from his father and helped Star build her clinic in their house as well as some furniture. They spent more time together day by day and the neighbors began to gossip about the two of them, although the teenagers always insisted that they were just friends. But the idea of a new couple among the young adolescents brightened the mood of the village, fueling happy rumors that were much needed after the recent events.

Nopony could really explain why, and most simply weren't aware of it, but the night of the storm, the village became again a peaceful and happy settlement it had always been. Nopony, except for Star, could really begin to imagine that the seer of the winter wolves had saved Mountain Peak from a terrible and yet unknown curse.

Mountain Peak celebrated the summer solstice festival, as they did every year. During that night, the neighbors gathered to dine, drink, and enjoy themselves, and it was also a time to remember those who were no longer with them that year and to recall the imprint they left on the village. As they used to say: "Memories remain with those who never let your story die."

Late into the night, the festival was in full swing. There were several ponies playing instruments, and many others dancing and laughing. Glittering Light, who was among the musicians, put down his instrument to have a drink, but when he looked around, he couldn't see Star Whistle. She didn't really think that the young healer was any form of danger, but curiosity got the better of her. She left the party and went towards the waterfall, where she guessed she might find her daughter.

On the grass, leaning against each other, were Star Whistle and Silver Boulder. They were speaking in low voices, and Glittering couldn't hear them, but she didn't need to. SHe could tell by the way they looked at each other, their smiles, and their body language that the rumors were true, after all. Smiling, Glittering returned to the party. Her  daughter was smart enough not to do anything foolish... yet. Everything would come in due time.





Weeks later, when winter neared the mountain, it was no longer a secret that Star and Silver Boulder were a couple. Mulberry, upon hearing the news, invited them to his house to celebrate. Somehow, Star sensed that her life long friend preferred to remain single for now.

When they left Mulberry's house, it was already dark and snowing. Instead of going home, the couple went to their favorite spot near the waterfall. Like all teenage lovers, they didn't want to be apart, so they spent a good amount of time talking about various topics until the silence of the night was broken by a guttural howl coming from the lower part of the mountain. Star lifted her head. recpgnizing her wolf friend's voice. 

"Winter wolves," said Silver Boulder. "We need to go, it's dangerous."

"What? Oh... yeah, sure," replied Star, who still was incapable of pretending, but Silver said nothing, accompanied her home before going to his own.

A few minutes later, Star went out again, hiding and trotting down the mountain. She reached the clearing where she always met her friend without seeing anypony following her. She was about to howl when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Instinctively, she crouched, and a grayish shadow passed over the pony. Star, rapidly, turned and faced the attacked: the seer, Star's best friend, returned her gaze with a smile shining her her heterochromatic eyes.

"You've changed, my friend. You're no longer a child."

"But I'm still a slippery prey," Star replied in her friend's language.

Both friends embraced as wolves. Starguided the wolf to the new cabin she and her mother had built. The wolf looked at the construction, then at the pony alternately.

"There won't be too much fire this time, pony?"

"Not this time, I promise. Come in."

It took the wolf a while to be convinced that the fire wouldn't get out of control again, but in the end, even she acknowledged that her friend's shelter was an acceptable gathering place. Soon, Star asked a question she had been wondering for almost a year.

"What did you do in the village last winter? You called the storm, why?"

"Because darkness had invaded your territory. The storm ended the darkness. I heard it die myself."

"What was it?"

"Darkness and hunger. Death and lies," the wolf replied.

Star thanked her friend for helping her people and explained how the village had changed since that night. She explained that she was now the one who healed other ponies of her herd, which was why she had her cutie mark. She also told her friend that she had found a partner.

"Is he a good male?" the wolf asked.

"Yes," Star said in wolf. "He's kind and affectionate. And we have many things in common."

"That doesn't make him a good male," replied the wolf seriously.

Now the pony had to think like a wolf. What did Silver Boulder have that could please her friend?

"He's a strong and loyal pony. I know he would risk himself to protect his own."

"Has he ever had to do that?"

"Uh... I don't think so," Star said.

"If he ever risks himself to save a cub or a female from your herd, he'll prove to be a worthy male. Not before."

Star looked at her friend. Sometimes her way of seeing things exasperated her, but she couldn't help but recognize that she had a point, despite how different their customs, traditions and people were.

"And you, have you found a partner yet?" Star asked.

"There are several good males in the pack. Next year, I'll choose one and assume my responsibility as an adult wolf and leader of my pack."

"We're growing up, my friend."

The conversation drifted to other topics until almost dawn. Star returned, hiding and avoiding making any noise that could wake up her neighbors.

She didn't realize that Silver Boulder was watching her from a window.
> 9. He lies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glittering Light, taking advantage of the mild winter, went down to River Hills to sell some goods and get supplies like cheese and eggs. Star stayed behind, meeting quite often with the she-wolf. She offered her a taste of tea, which the predator defined as "liquid herb," and showed her firsthand the details of pony life: how they cared for the sick, how they prepared their food, how they protected themselves from the cold... The seer, certainly, listened with great interest to all these little details.

One day, Star read about a herb with peculiar properties in her former master's books. She decided that she had to show it to her friend. It was going to be a lot of fun.





"'What did you say this liquid herb is called?" asked the she-wolf.
"It's called Cannabis infusion. Try it," replied Star.

The she-wolf took two licks of the cup. It was somewhat bitter, but with a smooth flavor. Star took a long sip of hers as well.
Ten minutes later, the laughter of both friends could be heard from outside the cabin.

"And then," the she-wolf recounted amidst laughter, "the fawn tried to gore me. She was smaller than a wolf cub! She didn't even have antlers!"

Both friends burst into another fit of laughter. "I don't know why I'm laughing!" managed to say Star Whistle. "It must have been horrible! You were eating her sibling!"

"But the fawn bumped into me... and bounced off! You should have seen it!"

The laughter continued for a couple of hours until the effects of the herb wore off. They stayed in the cabin for a while until their heads stopped spinning. "This is the last time I try one of your herbs, my friend," said the seer. "It's not right to laugh at prey..."
"Arg... I can't get the image of a disemboweled deer out of my head," murmured Star, covering her eyes. "Don't tell me about your hunts again, please."
"Alright..."

They heard a howl from the pack. It was time for them to go back with their own. They left the cabin, but the she-wolf abruptly stopped, her ears perked up and her fur bristled.

"What's wrong?" asked Star.
"Someone's here, I can smell it. A pony."
"What! Where?"
"There," the wolf pointed. "They saw us and are trying to run away. Should I stop them?"
"Stop them, but don't hurt them, please."

The she-wolf sprinted uphill while Star tried in vain to keep up. A few seconds later, she heard a thud and a pony scream. She recognized Silver Boulder's voice. When she arrived, the she-wolf had him pinned to the ground, biting his muzzle without causing harm to prevent him from screaming. Silver was struggling with all his might against the predator.
Star approached.

"Silver, calm down. She won't hurt you." The pony looked at Star and then at the she-wolf, panic in his eyes.
"She just stopped you; if she wanted to kill you, she would have done it already. Calm down, and she'll let you go."

Silver gradually stopped thrashing and remained still. The she-wolf released him, allowing him to stand up. "Wha... what's happening here?" Silver asked, agitated.

"She's my friend, Silver," explained Star Whistle. "In fact, my best friend. She saved my life when I was a filly."

"But she's a winter wolf!"

"I know. But I can communicate with her, and she's very intelligent."

When the wolf spoke Silver became frightened, thinking she was growling.

"Is he your mate, pony?".

"Yes, he is," Star replied, and Silver looked at her, incredulous.

"I don't like him."

"What did she say?" Silver asked.

"Nothing. Silver, listen, I was about to return to the village. But you have to promise me you won't tell anypony about this. It has always been a secret, and it must remain so for the sake of everypony. Do you understand?"

"But who else knows?" Silver asked.

"Just my mother. Silver, swear it. Swear you will never tell anypony, if you truly care about me."

There were a few seconds of silence. Silver looked at the she-wolf, intimidated. "I swear, I won't tell anyone," he said.

"He's lying," growled the she-wolf.

Star looked at her friend, feeling a the weight of doubt on her mind. She knew her too well not to believe her premonitions. "Let's go to the village, Silver, and I'll tell you everything.My friend, we will see each other soon."

"I don't trust him. He will betray you," said the she-wolf.

"I think you're wrong this time," replied Star in wolf language.

The Seer growled softly without saying anything, then turned around and left. The two ponies silently embarked on the journey back, Silver seemed to tremble slightly from what had happened. When they were a short distance from the village, he stopped and exclaimed:

"But how could you be friends with a wolf! It could have killed you!"

"Silver, it's not like that. She saved my life many years ago. Since then, we have met every year."

"But why would she want to be your friend? She's a hunter, for all the gods' sake!" shouted Silver Boulder.

"Oh, look," Star began slowly, "it's all because she wants to know more. She was curious about our people. That's why she saved me and taught me her language."

"What! So, you've explained to her how we live? So they can hunt us better, of course! How could you?!"

"That's not true!" exclaimed Star Whistle. "She has never wanted to hunt us! You don't know her!"

"Unbelievable!". Silver turned around, pacing in circles. "It's been six months since we started dating, Star, and now I realize that my marefriend is crazy. Six months I believed you were sensible for refusing to... sleep with me," Silver said.

Star took a few steps closer, not understanding where her coltfriend was going with this.

"What do you mean, Silver? This doesn't change anything in our relationship," Star replied.

"Oh, I definitely think it does! What, were you waiting for your 'friend's' approval to sleep with somepony?".

"What?!" Star exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Silver Boulder confronted her, taking several steps closer. "You won't see the wolf again, do you understand me?" Silver threatened.

"You're nopony to give me orders!" she responded angrily.

"Oh, I believe I am. What do you think the town would do if I were to tell them what happened today?" he said with a sinister smile.

Star paled at the idea. If it became known, the townspeople were capable of expelling her from the village or attempting to capture her friend. There would be casualties if that happened. "You wouldn't dare..." the mare whispered.

"Oh, I certainly would. And besides," Silver added with a wicked smile, "I've been patient enough. Tonight, we'll sleep together."

"Are... are you blackmailing me? I won't do it!" Star said, stepping back. "How could I have been so blind? You're a monster!"

"Yes, perhaps I am. But to the rest of the town, I'm the kind-hearted carpenter's son. Do you think anypony would believe you if you told them? You know... there have been rumors since Berry Punch accused you of sleeping with Mulberry," Silver insinuated, capitalizing on doubts and existing prejudices.

Star took several steps back, understanding what he was implying. Nopony would believe her if she said that Silver Boulder had... forced her... after being accused of promiscuity. "Silver, please, you can't do this to me," Star pleaded. "I thought you loved me."

"How many mares my age are there in Mountain Peak? Enough with the nonsense. Your mother isn't here, so let's go to your house," he said coldly.

"No, never!".

Silver Boulder lunged at Star, but she was a slippery prey. She crouched down and hit Silver from below, unbalancing him and causing him to fall into the snow. The mare ran towards the village, hoping to find help. But Silver quickly recovered and chased after her. Star didn't see him coming when he struck her hind legs, causing her to fall. She tried to roll to avoid being captured, but Silver grabbed her by a leg, and soome immobilised and stood over her. She was unable to free herself.

"You have no other choice, Star," Silver Boulder said, panting. "If it's not in your house, then it will be here. And if you don't obey me, the whole town will know about the wolf."

"Silver... please..." Star cried. "Don't do this... don't do this to me..."

Silver didn't respond, looking at Star with the confidence of a victorious person. He leaned close to the immobilized mare's ear and whispered, "The choice is yours."

The healer wept. She had no choice. She would have to comply with what that damned man demanded. To prevent everything from exploding, she would also have to stop seeing her friend. She had no choice. She would have to surrender to that monster. She couldn't see any other option...

As she was about to respond, she heard muffled hoofbeats in the snow. Silver also heard it, but he looked up too late. Something hit him head-on, knocking him off of Star and freeing her. Star wasted no time in turning around to get up. The first thing she saw were the legs of a pony with yellow fur.

"Get away from her!" Mulberry shouted.

"Don't meddle in what doesn't concern you," Silver replied.

"I won't let you lay a hoof on her, you bastard. Not on Star."

While this was happening, Star searched in her saddlebag and grabbed a hooffull of herbs.

"Get out of the way!" Silver Boulder ordered.

"Never. You'll have to go through me."

True to his word, the brown pony charged at Mulberry. He prepared to defend himself, but lost his balance and rolled backward. After a fight in the snow, it was Silver Boulder who ended up on top of Mulberry.

"So, this is how you protect your beloved one, Mulberry? Pathetic," Silver taunted.

"Don't underestimate me, you fool," announced the healer.

Silver turned to look at her, and she smeared the herbs in his eyes. At first, it did nothing, but suddenly he began to scream as his eyes started burning like never before in his life. Mulberry got up.

"You asked for it!" Silver Boulder shouted, partially blinded. "By morning, the whole town will know everything! Let's see what happens to the friend of the wolves."

Saying this, he blindly returned to the town. Star trembled. It was a nightmare. A damn nightmare. Mulberry approached her and embraced her.

"It's... it's a disaster. A disaster."

"Stay calm. It's over now."

"You don't understand. If he tells what he knows... I should go home," Star said.

"Not a chance. You're not going to be alone tonight. Come and sleep at my house. I owe you that."

After some convincing, Star agreed to go to Mulberry's house. Unbeknownst to them, a white shadow observed the couple entering the town from a distance. The Seer of the Winter Wolves had seen what happened. She was about to intervene when Mulberry arrived.

A good male.

The seer slowly circled the town, searching for Silver Boulder's house, picking up his scent, and preparing for the hunt.

Meanwhile, Star and Mulberry arrived at his house. He prepared hot tea and a bed for his friend. Star drank the tea almost in shock. If the town found out about her wolf friend, anything could happen. And none of it would be good.

"Star, I need you to explain what happened. What does Silver Boulder know?" Mulberry asked.

"I... I can't tell you. You'll think I did wrong, that I've lost my mind," Star replied.

Mulberry sat down next to Star.

"Star, years ago, when I went to your house in the middle of the night, you welcomed me. I told you about my father, and you never doubted me. You didn't judge me." She nodded silently. Mulberry continued, "Whatever it is you've done, I know you did it with a good heart. Let me help you, Star."

The mare nodded and took a long sip of tea before explaining. "It all started when I got lost in the mountain when I was six years old..."

For the next hour, Star narrated how the wolf saved her. How they became friends, meeting every winter without fail. She explained that she had kept it a secret with her mother for their safety, as she was worried about what ponies would do if they knew. She told him that the mountain fire last winter was her fault because of her poorly constructed shelter.

And she also revealed that the wolf was a Seer and could summon the storm.

"I told her about your father, Mulberry. And that night she came to Mountain Peak without telling me, the night of the storm when your father disappeared. The following year, she told me that darkness had invaded your house, and she expelled it with the help of the storm. I think the darkness took your father, Mulberry. That's why he disappeared."

The young pony got up and walked around the room. Star didn't know why she had told him, but she couldn't help it. Not doing so felt like a betrayal to her friend. 

"So, I wasn't crazy... my father was no longer my father..." Mulberry murmured to himself.

"Are you okay?" Star asked.

"Yes... I think so," he replied. "At least I have an explanation for what happened that night."

The young pony sat back in a chair, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, he smiled and chuckled softly.

"It's an incredible story, Star. Maybe... unbelievable. Tomorrow, we're going to completely expose Silver Boulder."

"But I'm terrible at lying, Mulberry. I can't do it."

"And we won't need to! Listen..."

Mulberry told her everything they were going to do and say. The sun began to rise on the horizon. They had little time left.





"They've called for a meeting in the Town's square!" shouted a neighbor. "Silver Boulder has something to announce!"

In the center of the square, there was a large flat stone on which Silver climbed. His eyes and face were still red from the herbs that Star had attacked him with. The townspeople gathered around him. He couldn't see Mulberry or Star Whistle. Perhaps they had left the town, already.

"Listen, everypony! I have terrible news, and it involves our healer, Star Whistle," Silver declared.

The crowd murmured. More than one pony shouted "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She is responsible for my face being like this today and for me being half-blind. But that's not the important thing!"

"That's right, tell them everything!" yelled a mare. The neighbors stepped back, making way for an angry Star Whistle. "Tell them everything that happened yesterday!"

"You know that I have..."

"Tell them that last night you tried to force yourself on me, and if it weren't for Mulberry, you would have succeeded!" she interrupted him.

The neighbors fell silent, incredulous. Silver Boulder's parents shouted that she was lying.

"By lying and attacking me, you won't hide the truth, Star," Silver said smugly.

"The one who is lying is you, Silver," Mulberry said, entering the square. "Yesterday, you attacked and immobilized Star at the town's exit. Luckily, I was out for a walk because I couldn't sleep, and I heard her scream. You can still see the marks of the fight we had in the snow."

"You're saying those nonsense to prevent me from explaining how Star has put the entire Mountain Peak in danger!" Silver Boulder shouted.

"How? Seriously?" Mulberry feigned surprise. "Please, tell us! Enlighten us with the wickedness of our healer, please! The evil healer who accompanied Plantain Hooves on his deathbed! Tell us!"

Some neighbors murmured in disbelief. Star Whistle had proven to be a healer with a kind heart in the short time since Plantain's death. How could she do something that would harm the town? Silver Boulder took a breath and launched his accusation:

"Star Whistle has been informing a winter wolf about our customs and our life, which undoubtedly it will use to hunt us better!"

There was a very, very long silence as the neighbors processed what they had heard. Star tried to maintain her composure, but she felt her legs trembling from the tension. First, there was a faint "heh," then someone chuckled softly. Others started laughing more loudly, and eventually, the whole town burst into laughter.

"You have to believe me!" Silver shouted. "It's the truth!"

The neighbors laughed even harder. It took several minutes for them to calm down, and when they did, Star took a few steps forward, knowing that Mulberry had predicted the town's reaction accurately.

"I hope you had fun. Not only did you try to violate me, but now you accuse me of... this?" she said.

The neighbors fell into a tense silence at the grave accusation. Moreover, Mulberry supported her testimony.

"I know it will be our word against yours, Silver. What I don't know is how I didn't see the monster you truly are before. How could I... even love you." Some of those gathered looked at the carpenter's son with hatred. "Be careful not to get injured, Silver Boulder, because I won't be the one to attend to you. And if you fall ill, I hope for your own sake that you manage to reach River Hills in time. Don't ever come near me, my mother, or my house again."

Silver Boulder felt the hateful gazes of the townspeople piercing him. His plan had backfired terribly. When he climbed down from the rock, a pony approached him and whispered, "It's better if you leave. What you've done will never be forgotten."

Later that day, Silver gathered his belongings and left the town without waiting for his parents, he feared being lynched at any moment. Furthermore, he didn't want to risk traveling at night with the wolves in the area. Everypony knew that winter wolves didn't hunt during daytime.

When he had descended more than halfway down the mountain, he noticed movements around him. Gray shadows surrounded him, blending into the snow. By the time he distinguished the first wolf, there was no escape.

The winter wolf seer observed the hunt. An easy prey, he didn't even have time to scream. Yes, winter wolves only hunted at night... unless she ordered otherwise.

For noone, pony or otherwise, attacked her pack.

Noone.
> 10. The friend of a wolf
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days after Silver Boulder's departure, his parents finished packing their things and followed in their son's footsteps. Only a few neighbors bid farewell to the family. In silence, Star Whistle watched them leave.

"Don't worry," Mulberry reassured her as he noticed her concern. "Silver won't be coming back here."

"I hope not," Star replied, and then added, "she was so damn right."

"Who?" Mulberry asked.

"My wolf friend."

During the time since Silver left the town, many of the neighbors visited Star and her mother, inquiring about the well-being of the young healer and offered their help if there were any problems. The idea that Star had betrayed the town by telling the winter wolves how to hunt them was so absurd that it was not even mentioned again. At least not without a hearty laugh. However, Star knew well that some doubts would always linger over her, and that she had to be very carefull from now on.

Three nights after Silver Boulder's departure, a howl echoed through the night. Star got her coat and headed out to meet her friend, but somepony called her from the vicinity of the town.

"Star!"

"Mulberry! What are you doing?"

"I'll accompany you. What if Silver tries something again?"

"But what are you saying! My friend might... I don't know... get scared if she sees me coming with somepony."

"I don't think so. If you told me the truth about your friendship, I'm sure she followed you after Silver Boulder caught you. She has probably already seen me."

Star thought about it for a moment, and cam to the conclusion that Mulberry was probably right. "It's going to be really strange... you won't understand us when we talk."

"I won't stay," Mulberry said. "I'll just accompany you and then leave."

"Alright."

They walked down the mountain together. The night was quite clear, and the moon was almost full. Still, they didn't see the wolf until they heard a growl in the night. Mulberry froze in terror, but Star was the only one who understood what the wolf was saying.

"I see you're not alone, my friend". The wolf emerged from the darkness, revealing herself to the ponies at a certain distance, trying to avoid scaring Mulberry.

"He insisted on accompanying me to protect me. His name is Mulberry," Star replied in the language of the ponies, stating her friend's name.

"I saw him the other night. He risked himself for a female of the herd. A good male."

Star blushed slightly at what the wolf implied. Mulberry noticed her reaction. "What is she saying?" he asked.

"Uh... she says she appreciates you helping me the other night."

"Oh... yes, of course. Um... I think I'll leave you alone now. But when you come back..."

"Tell him that I'll protect you back to the to your hideout, pony," the wolf said.

"She says she'll scort me. Don't worry," Star assured Mulberry.

Mulberry nodded and, after a moment of hesitation, began his journey back. The two friends entered the cabin, and Star lit the fireplace. The wolf's eyes gleamed in the flickering flames.

"I told you he would betray you," the wolf began.

"Yes, you did."

"Why didn't you believe me?"

"Because I loved him, my dear friend," Star replied. "I didn't want to believe it."

"What happened?" the wolf asked.

"He carried out his threat," Star explained in the language of the wolves. "He told the town that I was a friend of the winter wolves and that I was providing them with information to hunt ponies easily. No one from my herd believed his words."

The wolf chuckled softly.

"To prepare for a hunt for nearly ten winters is too much, even for the most patient hunter."

"Yes. After that, Silver Boulder left the town."

"He won't bother you again."

"I hope not," Star replied.

A few seconds after giving that response, Star noticed that what her wolf friend said was no question.

"Wait... what... what do you mean?" Star looked at her friend, somewhat puzzled.

"I think you know, my friend."

"Have you...?!" Star exclaimed in her own language, alarmed.

"The pony that attacked you has been hunt by my brothers and sisters."

Star looked at the wolf with wide eyes. "Why?!" she asked.

"I don't understand your question."

"I thought wolves didn't hunt ponies. Why did you do it?" Star asked.

"Wolves are hunters. What differentiates a solitary pony from a deer? We usually avoid hunting ponies because of the friendship that binds us, my friend, and because in group you are dangerous prey."

The pony stood up and approached her friend with a mix of anger, guilt and disbelief. Her hooves resonated on the cabin floor.

"Then why did you attack Silver?"

"I don't understand your anger, my friend. That pony attacked you and tried to drive you away from your herd. If he could, he would have waited for a moment when you were weaker to seek revenge."

"You don't know that! He left the town!"

"I am a seer, pony. I know he would have returned to try to harm you again when you were weaker. I know it. Besides, among wolves, if a male attacks a female like he did with you, he is hunted by the rest of the pack."

"But those are wolf laws, not pony laws!"

"It's not a law, it's survival of the pack.", she said after thinking a bit about the meaning of the word 'law'. "A female is more important than a male because only she can bring new offspring into the world. If a male dares to attack a female to the death, what prevents him from doing the same to a cub? Or to the leader during a hunt?"

"But you didn't have to kill him! You didn't have to get involved!"

Suddenly, the wolf stood up and confronted the pony. Her teeth clenched, she roared a response that, had Star not understood its words, would have terrorised her.

"I did it to protect you!"

Silence fell. Star sat down, feeling a weight on her head that she had never felt before. A tremendous sense of guilt. If she hadn't allowed him to see her with the wolf... if she had acted differently, Silver Boulder would still be alive.

"Did you also hunt his parents?" she asked.

"No."

Star began to breathe rapidly, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Silver was a monster; he had tried to... But the healer had only hoped he would leave the town, she never wished his death! She wasn't prepared to accept that it was her best friend who had killed in order to protect her. The wolf laid back down on the ground and, for the first time in her life, Star felt that her friend was apologizing... without actually doing so.

"I understand that pony wayss are different from the ways of the winter wolves," the wolf said.

"He didn't have to die..." Star said.

"You know it's not your fault. It wasn't in your paws to stop what happened."

Both of them stayed there, under the glow of the fire, for quite some time. Finally, Star broke the silence.

"I need to go back. I need... to think."

"I understand. My pack may leave tomorrow."

Star didn't respond, but they both knew that the pony would need a lot of time to process what had happened. After extinguishing the fireplace, Star declined the wolf's offer to accompany her to the town. She needed to be alone. The wolf didn't argue but followed her secretly to fulfill the promise she had made to Mulberry to protect her.

Star arrived in the town and headed towards her house. It wouldn't be until the next day that she would meet Mulberry and tell him that Silver Boulder had died. No onepony else needed to know.





The following week winter fell with all its fierceness upon Mountain Peak. Storms raged over the small town, and like every year, its inhabitants sought refuge in their homes. During that time, Star had plenty of work as the ponies fell ill due to the cold and confinement -it wasn't strange for full families to get sick from the same disease. Despite being busy, the healer couldn't stop thinking about what had happened with seer of the winter wolves. On one hoof, she felt relieved -perhaps that was the word?- to know that Silver Boulder was dead. She was ashamed to think that way, but deep down, she had feared her former boyfriend and aggressor returned.

On the other hoof, she felt guilty. She knew her wolf friend had done what she did to protect her, that it was their friendship that had led her to... hunt Silver. During this time, Star masked her conflicting feelings and the guilt that was slowly creeping in her mind, as she thought that, given enough time, she would find the answers to the doubts that plagued her. 

But as the weeks passed, the weight on Star's shoulders grew heavier and heavier. It was almost a month later when she finally reached her breaking point. In the midst of a relentless snowstorm, after tirelessly caring for a sick neighbor, she felt as if the entire world was collapsing around her. Each step she took toward the edge of the frozen stream was accompanied by the deafening roar of her internal turmoil, turning the biting cold and swirling snowflakes mere background noise to the storm raging in her soul.

In that moment, surrounded by the desolate beauty of the winter landscape, Star realized the true depth of her confusion. It wasn't just a matter of questioning her friendship; it was a battle within herself, a struggle to reconcile her loyalty to her friend with the overwhelming fear that had taken root in her heart. She stood there, in the heart of the snowstorm, feeling small and insignificant in the face of the vast unknown.

She didn't think about it when her hoofsteps walked her to Mulberry's gome. The young colt opened the door and, before he could greet her, he saw the look on her face. He invited her in, took off her coat, and sat her by a table by the fireplace. Before Star could realize it, Mulberry had served two steaming glasses. The strong smell of spices and alcohol made Star blink a couple of times.

"It's spiced hot wine," Mulberry explained. "I always make it when it's cold. My grandmother used to say it warms the body and soul."

Star offered a polite smile rather than a sincere one and took a sip of the drink. The strong aroma of the wine filled her nostrils. She took a longer sip, and just as Mulberry had said, the cold was chased away from her body.

"What's wrong, Star?" Mulberry asked.

"It's about... what happened with Silver."

The healer explained her internal struggle to her friend: the guilt she felt, her doubts about her friendship with the wolf, whether she was a danger to the town... Mulberry listened without interrupting at any moment.

"I don't know what to do, Mulberry. She's my best friend, but I'm afraid she might hurt somepony else in my defense."

Mulberry took a long sip of wine. Star was surprised by his next question.

"Star, can I speak to you honestly?"

"What? Of course, Mulberry."

"And promise me you won't get angry?"

Star looked at her friend, not quite understanding. What was he going to say? Was it really that bad?

"Okay, I won't get angry."

"Star, sometimes I think you're foolish."

"What?" she asked, somehow incredulous.

"That you're foolish," Mulberry stated firmly. "You still feel responsible for the death of a pony who intended to rape you and, when he failed, expel you from the village and separate you from your own. But what the hell is going through your mind?"

"But Silver Boulder is dead. And it was my wolf friend who killed him. I don't know if..."

"Well, I'm glad she did!" Mulberry interrupted.

"You're glad that Silver died?"

Mulberry emptied his glass in one long sip and slammed it on the table. He spoke fast, loud, and with a certain contained anger. "He would have come back for you, Star. Silver Boulder was a settlement pony, he wouldn't have fit in with the nomadic tribes. And in River Hills, he wouldn't have lasted long before news of what he had done to you arrived. When he had nowhere else to go, he would have returned here, he would have come back for you. And when he did, either he or I would have ended up six feet under, no doubt about it."

The pony looked at her friend as he spoke. The winter wolf seer had told her the same thing. But now Mulberry was saying it using the logic ingrained in ponies. His arguments were different, but his conclusion was the same.

"And yet you forget that your wolf friend saved the village from the shadow that took my father, and who knows how many more it would have taken! She took the risk of approaching a pony village, knowing that we could have all hunted her down. And she didn't do it for me, she did it for you, to protect you" he concluded, emphasizing that last word. "And you still doubt her friendship? Have you lost your mind, Star?"

Star remained silent, unsure of how to respond. She went to take a drink and realized her glass was also empty. Mulberry refilled both glasses, and after taking another sip, Star said:

"You... you may be right..."

After a while of not saying anything, they gradually changed the subject. After finishing their second glass of hot wine, Star seemed to relax. They spent the rest of the night talking about many things, genuinely laughing at the jokes and amusing anecdotes they shared. Mulberry taught Star how to play 'Quick Pony', a tile game where speed and deception were the keys to winning. Obviously, Star didn't win a single game.

"But you're a liar! I can't do this!" she exclaimed, frustrated-

"Me, a liar? No way! The tiles don't lie!"

"I can definitely beat you at checkers."

"I know, that's why we're playing Quick Pony!"

Star turned around, puffed her cheeks, and crossed her hooves without looking at Mulberry. After a few seconds, a game tile bounced off her head, making a comical "tock" sound. Star turned around, burying a hoof into her healer's bag.

"Oh, you asked for it, now you'll see!"

She took out her hoof and blew a powder that floated like a little cloud towards Mulberry's head. He breathed it in, and after a few seconds of wrinkling his nose, he sneezed.

"What did you...? Whoa!"

Taking advantage of that moment, Star circled the table and pushed Mulberry, causing him to fall onto the carpet amidst laughter. But the mare's joy didn't last long as he grabbed her from the ground and made her fall as well. He quickly immobilized her and, from his advantageous position, stared at her maliciously. Star looked at him, fearing that nothing good was about to happen.

"Mulberry, what...?" she started, but Mulberry didn't say anything. He opened a nearby trunk with his snout and pulled out a long feather pen. It dawned on Star what he intended to do, and she began to struggle against her captor. "No, no! Not that!".

Mulberry brought the feather to the mare's belly and started tickling her. Star burst into uncontrollable laughter, trying to ask him to stop.

"Say it," Mulberry demanded.

"What?" she replied between laughs.

"Say it!"

"What?!" Star asked, now crying from laughter.

"Say that I'm the best at playing Quick Pony."

"Okay, okay! You're the best, you're the best!"

Finally, Mulberry let her go and lay down beside the panting Star Whistle.

"That... was... mean," Star managed to say.

"Really? I think you enjoyed it."

Outside, it was already dark. The wind started blowing stronger, carrying fast-falling snowflakes with it.

"I should go back home," Star said, getting up.

"Don't you prefer to stay?" Mulberry suggested. Although he didn't mean it that way, both of them interpreted certain implications in that invitation. Star looked around, slightly blushing from the idea of staying and from the wine. Honestly, she felt tempted to accept.

"Um... better not, Mulberry. My mother will worry."

"Oh, sure, sure..." he responded.

Star gathered her things and headed for the door. Mulberry accompanied her. Before leaving, the young mare turned around and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Mulberry. You've helped me a lot."

"You're welcome. Come whenever you want," he replied with a smile.

"I will. Goodnight."

The pony stepped out into the storm. The temperature had dropped significantly with the night. She ran towards her house and entered abruptly, shaking off the snow and cold.

"I'm home, Mom!"

"Oh! Star, aren't you staying overnight at Mulberry's?" her mother asked, widening her eyes.

"But how do you know I was with Mulberry?"

"I didn't," Glittering Light said with a triumphant smile, "but now I do. It's so easy to fool you, Star."

"Mom, please, don't," she said, slightly annoyed.

Glittering Light laughed as her daughter went to her room to put away her things. Laughter gave way to a smile of happiness. Ever since the attack by Silver Boulder, Glittering had been worried about Star's well-being. But knowing that Mulberry would be by her side brought the greatest reassurance a mother could have.
> 11. The pony sister
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.