During her winter in the Peak, the spotted mare had felt like as much a prisoner as she was certain that Eve was wherever the vicious stallion had taken her. Though her body had needed the rest to recuperate and heal, it had grated on Iris to remain indolent and idle while her sister might be in grave peril. But she had quickly discovered that the compassion of the black mare who had first brought her to the meadow was not to be mistaken for weakness, or even kindness. Adelheid had remained firm in her refusal to accompany Iris even as far as the Peak’s northernmost shore. And while she had not expressly forbidden the dark brown mare from leaving herself - freedom was the right of every mare who called this place home, whether temporary or permanent - her disapproval of the idea had been so clear that Iris did not attempt to defy her.

Though she could hardly begrudge anyone the health and happiness of their own children, it did pain Iris to watch the filly and colt grow and explore their world. Their antics - even when they provoked a rare smile - served as a reminder of the life that her niece would never know. Sometimes, she caught herself wondering how the two children that the dark mare cared for could remain so bright and carefree despite the stony silences and resigned sighs that seemed to be Adelheid’s primary means of communication. Strangely enough, however, the Vulcan’s wordless companionship was one of the few things that held her back from the yawning chasm of grief into which she might have otherwise plunged. But the Codebreaker had no shortage of other obligations on her time, and so Iris was sometimes left to bear the crushing weight of her burdens alone.

In the beginning, she had thought to visit the clearing where Eve’s nameless child had been buried, but Gnome’s older daughter quickly realized that she would never be able to find the place. As disoriented as she’d been in her grief, Iris had traveled an erratic path to get to the Peak, and could not be certain of the exact direction to go. South was the obvious answer, of course, but everything was south of the Peak. And so - to placate her aching soul - the seal brown mare chose one of the mountain’s smaller glades, and let her hooves carry her there when the pain crested and became overwhelming. At least there, out of sight of the assortment of creatures who called the Peak home, she could allow herself to come to pieces - and even have the luxury of reassembling herself in peace.

It was there that Adelheid found her on one of the first days that truly felt of spring - its warmth more than a passing vow carried on the wind. Most of the snow had melted, turning unyielding earth into a spongy and unstable surface - aided, of course, by the run-off from the mountains themselves. Iris started at the sound of the Codebreaker’s voice, having just risen from her crumpled heap and shaken the detritus of grass, leaves, and dirt from her coat. Twin trails of dampness might have still been observed by the discerning eye - legacy of the tears she’d shed for Eve, and Eve’s daughter, and even for the parents whom she could not return to. Not with the bitter tidings that she would be compelled to share.

At first, Iris appeared incapable of processing what the Vulcan had spoken to her - her brown eyes curiously blank when they met Adelheid’s. The truth seemed to come to her slowly, much as the already-saturated ground was slow to absorb the water that continued to flow down from the thawing mountainside. “Find my - you mean, you would go with me? Today?” As truth - and hope - both penetrated the fog of Iris’s grief, the words tumbled from her quickly and almost incoherently. Her companion had already indicated that she suspected that Eve had been taken to Tinuvel - after all, it was the only island north of the Peak. And while Iris did not dare to hope that they might find her sister, the promise of action - of going to search for her - was better than the purgatory of not knowing.

Of course, she did not pause to consider what the next steps would be if they located Eve - or if they did not. As torturously lonely as the present had been, the thought of an entire future without the company of her sibling was simply unbearable.