Asrire Field

The trail ends in a large field, at least seventy yards square. The field is bordered on three sides by the trees you have just left, and the fourth side is half defined by a steep hill with one tree growing on it. The rest is left open, and you can see through the opening rolling hills. The breeze is warm, and leaves rustle in the trees. For a fleeting moment, you wonder if this place ever has winter...
"No, human, it does not," a voice says.

You turn to see a tall unicorn stallion, spiral-horned and steel grey. His beard is long and so is his red & blue mane and tail, the colors seeming to shimmer.
"I am Steel Dancer. Asrire stallion," says the unicorn. He trots over to you, moving like liquid metal, and picks a wildflower with his teeth. He lays it in your hands. "Here, seasons are not quite so harsh as they are in your realm. Mostly, the reason is that we inhabitants of Remember Meadows will the weather to stay mild. At times we can force it into season stasis."
You examine the flower. It is red and blue, just like Steel Dancer's mane.
"This is not to say that the weather does not change," he continues. "Snow and ice are not unknown to the Meadows. But it mostly comes in the normal winter months, when even the most determined creature could not will the Goddess to change the weather for the fair."
"Lecturing another traveler, Steel Dancer?"

Steel Dancer seems a little ruffled by this, but you turn to look anyway. Walking up to you is another unicorn, this one a mare, with a purple and blue coat and golden mane that catches the sunlight.
"Sun Water," she says, nodding to you with her horn. "What Steel Dancer tells you is true, by the way. The weather is affected by the creatures in the Meadows."
She lays down in the tall grass.
"But what he didn't tell you was that it is also affecting by factors outside the Meadows. Take the psi-factor of humans, for example. Most are nil or just above it. Some are in mid-range, and others, like the dragon riders, have very high psi-factors. By their will and thought alone, sometimes they can move clouds, thus influencing the weather."
You absorb this silently and look out into the trees. Wait! Was that a flash of red? Steel Dancer noticed the look on your face and sighs.
"Hatty, if you please?"

"Steel Dancer, you're no fun," pouts the mare that walks out. She has a fire-red mane and green fur, with white socks on her forefeet.
"That would be Hide Among The Trees - Hatty for short," says Sun Water.
"I can talk for myself, Sunny," grins Hatty.
"My name is Sun Water," snorts the other mare.
Hatty is about to reply, but Steel Dancer taps a hoof in warning. You bite your lip to keep from giggling at the scene. All is silent for a moment, and then there's more movement in the brush.
"Stepper's with you?" Steel Dancer asks Hatty. Hatty nods, then glances at you worriedly before looking at Steel Dancer again. "The traveler presents no harm to her."
"Mum? Da?" comes an Irish-accented voice from the trees. Hatty nickers in its direction, and out steps a young mare.

This one is also green with white socks, but has Steel Dancer's peculiar red & blue mane. She looks at you shyly before moving to stand near Sun Water.
"And this," says Steel Dancer, voice bursting with pride, "is my daughter, Jungle Stepper."
She tosses her head self-conciously.
"Hello," she says, again with that Irish accent. Apparently, she is much more reserved than her mother, and less open than her father. Hatty whuffles Stepper's mane affectionately.
"The second generation is always differentf rom the first in some way," says Sun Water. "Stepper was born in the midst of an Irish strain of wyldmagic, so she has an Irish accent. She's just a little shy...."
Stepper walks towards you uncertainly, then, once she's close enough, noses your pocket.
"I smell fruit," she tells you, and noses you again. The apple Denia' gave you!
Quickly as you can, you pull the apple out of your pocket and hold it out for her to inspect. She sniffs it, then looks at you carefully.
"May I have it?"
You nod, and she takes to apple from you. She then places it on a tree stump and makes a high-pitched whinnying sound.

After a minute, a small white rabbit appears and climbs up on the stump. You notice that this rabbit has a pale pink shell on a string around its neck; presumably marked so that Stepper could easily identify it again. The rabbit squeals in delight upon seeing the apple and looks at Stepper with wide black eyes. Stpeer smiles and nods. The rabbit immediately starts eating the apple, only pausing to pull the shell necklace off with a foot.
"She was hungry," says Stepper, as if that will explain everything. She picks up the shell and deposits it, string and all, in your hand. "This is yours now. Da blessed it for me, to keep Snowy safe from predators til she grew up."
Snowy must be the rabbit, who has almost finished the apple. After a minute, Snowy stands up straight, cocking her long whtie ears, then suddenly dashes off into the long grass. Stepper looks off, then walks back into the forest.
"I will never understand that filly," Sun Water shakes her head, as she and they others follow Stepper into the woods. Soon the field is empty of Asrires.

What now, brave adventurer? You could go towards the rolling hills, and you can always head back along the trail. Or, you can be the proverbial Alice, and decide to follow the white rabbit....

Name	Steel Dancer	Sun Water	Hide Among The Trees	Jungle Stepper
Gender	Stallion	Mare	Mare	Mare
Sire	???	???	???	Steel Dancer
Dam	???	???	???	Hide Among The Trees
Type	Asrire Unicorn

Tárakyna (C) me, Jessica Dragontamer. Critters (C) their respective creators. Background courtesy of ABTA.