Atlantis was hot. The inky mare’s coat shone darkly with sweat, even dripping in some places like beneath her heavy mane. Her breath came coarsely from her throat and her chest ached with the effort of the steep uphill trek, but Compass was grateful for it. The work took her mind away from Rosa. The filly had haunted her since the day she was born; even in her brief time alive she had plagued the black mare with nightmares. Compass dared not consider what Warsaw might have done had he found them before she ended it all herself.

It was a while before she reached any sort of peak, but her mind kindly did not wander far from the present during that time. Only when her small hooves stopped digging into the ground to pull her forward did Compass allow herself to lift her eyes.

Having not bothered to wait around for reception and instead just darting for the trees as soon as she reached the shore, Compass found herself now somewhere in the heart of the Ridge. The bugs were mad and the birds even more so, but their buzzing and shrieking created sort of a white noise for the inky mare as she climbed. They continued to do so now that she was stopped, softening the edges of her mind and occupying the dreaded space so that the dark thoughts didn’t flood back in and spread. She peered around her rather calmly (though her breathing was still unsteady) and admired the scenery while she rested. Hot as it was, the land was truly splendid, and the wind was generous this high up. The ground was fairly rocky up here as well, and the foliage not so dense, so Compass had an easy enough time navigating with her slender legs and small hooves. It was all certainly better than snow.

After a while, when her breath began to slow and her eyes grow a bit heavy, the white noise became not enough to keep her thoughts under control. She began moving again, not so urgent this time, but still with a purpose: find Kasabian, or any other Ridge inhabitant. The sun was sinking, and no doubt the carnivorous beasts found this land to be just as welcome as any equine did.