Valencia had made it her mission to explore the whole of the Lost Islands. The Crossing had been her home for long enough that it seemed the ideal starting point for her adventures, for she knew the Meadow and the Falls better than the back of her metaphorical hand. She had ventured into the Lagoon and escaped unscathed and, it must be said, relatively disappointed. Therefore it made sense to her to see if the Vulcans, the natural antithesis of the Bachelors, were any more interesting and competent than their competitors.

Not to mention the fact that they lived on a mountain that Valencia had longed to climb since she was a foal. After all, mountains were one of the only places you could find ice and snow (except for Tinuvel, of course) in the summer time.

She had wandered past the scent borders slowly but with easy confidence. She had no intention of causing trouble, and since she was female Valencia was relatively hopeful that she would not be chased away. Looking up at the looming mountain ahead of her, the atmosphere was a lot more foreboding than the disgusting murkiness of the Lagoon—not to mention the collection of scents being not half as overwhelming.

Valencia climbed carefully, but quickly. Occasionally a loose rock would shift under her hooves, and her heart would leap in her chest until she steadied herself again. As she climbed higher up the mountain, the patches of grass and foliage became smaller and further apart; there was less greenery and more cold, hard rock.

She couldn’t be certain how far she had climbed, or how high the top of the Peak reached, when Valencia paused on a wide outcropping covered with sparse grass. She peered over the edge, where her breath made faint clouds in the cold air, and looked down at the base far below her and the trees in the distance. It was a new, fascinating vantage point.

And there Valencia remained for some time, gazing down contemplatively at the scenery below, enjoying the vaguely light-headed feeling she could sense in the back of her mind. Everywhere else she had ever lived or visited was so flat and boring.

She was in awe and had almost completely forgotten that she was intruding on the Vulcan’s territory.

tell me your secrets and ask me your questions