we built this city on broken glass

He had anticipated Nadya's argument in that plan. His efforts to dissuade her for most of the morning falling on deaf ears. He could not deny the sense in having them both together and yet by equal portion if they were to both find themselves destroyed there would be no parent to return to her children nor leader to take over that pack they had left behind. Neither plan was truly sound and yet, in the end, he had finally agreed to her own terms to let her remain with him despite his better judgement upon the matter. They would be a target all the same. Together or alone. It had hardly taken long, after the breakfast, for Frost to take up that illusion once more to make Nadya and himself appear as if they were members of that Hunter unit and head for those gates. How effortlessly Nadya fell into that roll of a Hunter woman, Frost content to play her loyal steed as she informed each of those Hunters they passed off the party to be held at the bar tonight. That vast majority seeming distinctly interested. Frost led the way down that trail then and back towards the center of 'town' to make his way towards those main, doubled gates, only for Nadya to insist she needed them open tonight at exactly nine o'clock so she could ride directly out. That guard assuring her they would leave them open for ten minutes and no more. Those gates taking a decent five minutes to properly close all the same. They would have only minutes to get that herd out. As soon as they saw them coming they would begin closing them and yet- if they intended to give chase after any of them those gates would need to open again all the same. So much of that plan depending upon those mares being brave enough to continue running. This set to be the most significant test off his leadership yet.

They made their way back to that compound then to wait out the rest of that day. Mother and Gaeska having spent the better part of the morning rallying those other horses while insisting they carried on that day as normal. Frost content to og over that plan again and again with Nadya and several others. The War horse content to choose those other leaders from among the group with Gaeska assuring him of just who would be the better choice and why. It was well after the sun had set that it began to snow once more. The snow softening that earth and stilling the air. That snow would do well to cover the sound of their hooves and yet another other sounds would permeate and echo. That temperature dropping low and quickly. Ice already beginning to form on the earth again. How much was set against them tonight and yet they could wait no longer. The midnight sun would rise in the next few days making that task next to impossible. It was just before eight o'clock in the evening that Nadya and himself moved towards that gate. The Hunters having left merely one guard on duty as they had anticipated- the others having attended that party. It was a simple matter to have Nadya attract the Hunter's attention, his own affinity for temperature sending that chill to the mans very brain and inducing that collapse mere seconds later. Frost taking that opportunity then to shift back to his equine form. That towering stallion, upon his hind legs, a veritable ladder for Nadya to climb up and into that guard station and work those controls to open that first gate. Frost keeping his eyes upon that moon above and the time that was rapidly passing.

Nadya had no sooner slid back onto his back then Frost turned to face those other horses, the entirety of that herd gathered now behind him, at least, those who had chosen to come. No more than a handful lingering still up and beside those huts with that refusal to leave. Ebony and his own son amongst them. Some, it seemed, could not be convinced otherwise and yet he so hardly had the time to try and make them see sense. Not when so many others relied upon him. That nervous energy seeming to ripple through that entire herd of mares and foals several hundred strong. Frost's own form turned then, breaking into that motion to trot along that front line with those last minute instructions. They needed to stampede. Nothing short of chaos would see them escape this place tonight. A number of them standing to be caught all the same and yet that goal was simple, to charge through that town, reach that main gate and break into several smaller herds led by those horses Frost himself had chosen. His Mother instructed to go alone the moment she could. Nadya and himself planning to sprint in that opposite direction in an effort to make the Hunters choose what and who they would follow- those smaller herds, one lone mare or Frost and Nadya themselves.

"Are you ready, Naja?"

Those words were offered to the mind off his mate alone as Frost returned to that head of that hundreds strong herd. Nadya felt....secure upon his back and yet they had done very little galloping, let alone sharp turns or swift movements. His short, white fur was slippery without a saddle. That risk of Nadya falling decidedly real and yet he could do little short of prey to whichever God might choose to listen that she did not. How easily they all might meet their very end this night. That single, sharp inhalation of air was the only single Frost truly gave off his intention before he swung to face that gate, the cold air near biting at his lungs as he quickened that pace from trot to canter in an effort to afford Nadya every chance to become used to that motion before that pace increased again to an outright gallop. How fortunate that vast majority of those who followed had....military training. Those mares forming ready lines and ranks. That speed increasing as Frosts own did until that sound of those hundreds of galloping hooves was akin to near thunder- that snow flying up in every direction as they poured through that first gate and toward the center of that 'town'. The sounds of that party in full swing already echoing amid the thunder of hooves.

That silence was almost eerie at first, nothing save for pounding hooves echoing on that snow and yet- just as he had anticipated it so hardly took long for the first cry of alarm to echo. Followed by another and another. God he could only prey some of them were damn well drunk. The moment they hit that town the panic seemed to expand and unfold like an entity all its own. Hunters came from every directions, that command to close the main gate racing up the street near as fast as the horses came.

"Can you blow those hinges?"

Those words reached to Nadya's mind alone as Frost's pace increased again, bringing that snowy stallion to the very head of that herd- just as that first gun blast was fired and something- or someone- crashed to the ground behind them. They were shooting. Shit. Nadya, surely, had the sense to lie low against his neck. A rider by far a more notable target and something to aim for. Several more of those bullets flying past his head then and exploding in that snow. He could hear other hooves then, those ridden horses with Hunter's aboard taking chase, several ropes flying through the air then in an effort to recapture some of those horses or break apart that herd and yet.....even those Hunters were hardly foolish enough to get in the way of that stampede. A sudden explosion of snow mere inches from Frost himself saw the stallion veer wildly, that herd veering in turn, Nadya, somehow, still entirely upon his back as Frost shifted course again to keep heading for that gate they were rapidly trying to close.

Something solid collide heavily with his own right shoulder then, Frost so unable to see just who was on his right side and yet he could near scent that other horse and rider all the same. That bay stallion keeping pace with him now, its rider reaching for Nadya in some effort to pull her off, that stallion lunging at Frost's shoulder within its own teeth. Christ. Frost's own ears layered back once more his own mouth parting to lunge right back at that other horse in some effort to fight it off and assure Nadya remained on board all the same, that gate decidedly close now.....

FrosT