"Where did you guys get the branches that stick out of the ground on your territory?" Ziggy asked. She met Athena again. This time the brown filly came after her to the Mystic's territory.
"Those aren't branches. They're teeth!"
"You're pulling my leg!" Ziggy squealed. "No animal has such big, long teeth!"
Athena's eyes sparkled. She was happy she knew something her friend didn't and she was prepared to share her wisdom. "Not anymore. But long time ago, big horses walked along these paths, and these horses had long teeth. And before them there were even bigger horses. And they had horns. Their heads were as big as an adult Warrior."
Zigg flicked her ears. She didn't know that anyone was there before the herd that later separated into Foresters, Warriors and Mystics. Athena continued. "They were only passing through. They were leaving the nothern lands because of the cold... and maybe something else, too!" Ziggy meekly lowered her ears, "What else were they running from?"
Athena shook her head. "I don't know. But my mom said that there is something they were afraid of." The filly slowly leaned towards her friend. "I know how to get there. We could go find out!" Ziggy frowned. "If our big ancestors were afraid of it, how could we defend ourselves against it? No, we're not going there!"
"We'll just take a look. We won't fight anything!"
The grey filly shook her head stubbornly. "It's too dangerous, Athena. We're just foals!"
The brown filly stomped her hoof. "What else was I expecting from a Mystic, right? I should have known. Only Warriors have the courage to stand against our ancestors' enemies. I'll go alone."
Ziggy wouldn't have minded what she said. She was used to the other herds teasing them after all. Everybody beamed with pride at the traits of their kin and frowned upon traditions of others. But it scared her that the filly said she owuld head to the place alone. What if she got lost? Injured?
Athena trotted up the hill, following the narrow path that lead back to her herd. Her brown fur blended in with her surroundings so she was practically invisible. Not that she needed it, the Mystics were far too occupied with their own thoughts. They wouldn't notice the Warrior foal that entered their territory.
"Athena, wait!" Ziggy called out and galloped after her. "You can't go alone! What if something happens? I'll go with you!"
The brown filly smiled proudly. She knew she could convince her friend. Both of them looked around carefully, making sure nobody saw them, and headed towards the Warriors' territory. Out of there, they would be on their way towards the ancient lands of horses with long teeth.
When Athena felt sand crushing under her hooves, she flicked her ears, making sure no Warrior was near. She knew they had to mainly avoid Guards that protected path leading out of camp. But the one they were headed for was abandoned and unguarded. Why wouldn't it be? It was narrow, winding and covered in snow. Nobody wanted to go through here.
"It's getting cold out here," Ziggy whispered. The path got narrower and more crooked, but the freezing wind still found its way in. "That means we're getting closer," Athena answered and continued to stubbornly trot towards the mysterious cold place.
Ziggy's feet kept sinking into snow. The narrow path opened up into a giant snowy valley. The thick freezing mist tickled the filly in her nostrils. They reached their destination. "This place is bigger than I anticipated," Athena mumbled. Her brown striped fur didn't fit in to the snowy place at all. It almost looked like from a different world...
"This is the Gray World, right?" Athena nodded. "We're too far from our territory. We're definitely in Gray World."
Ziggy stepped forward carefully. The Mystics had told her about the places beyond her homeland, especially after the friendly horse and his human, who both dressed the same, stomped into their green pastures. She'd always thought the Gray World would be different. That she'd meet way more horses and humans. But there was only white wasteland with barren trees in fron of her.
"Wow, Ziggy, come look what I found!"
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