Xarame went completely stiff at Frozen's touch, a look of utter terror briefly filling her eyes; Arzeroth's treatment had left it's mark. "Please! Don't! I-" After a moment she recovered a little, but was still pretty uncomfortable. "I apologise; I know you mean well, but I have suffered things, things I wish not to tell." She coughed, then added sadly; "My homeland would probably now seem more familiar to you than to I; I've always dreamed of returning, but now I wonder why."
Frozen nodded understandingly and lowered his hooves, "I am sorry," he said, "that was insensitive of me." He considered what she had said carefully, "You would be welcome to travel with me, if you so chose. I have no home either."
A half smile settled on Xarame's face. "Perhaps, if we do manage to break free; I doubt I'd have anywhere else to be." She paused, then asked about something else that had been on her mind. "I'm curious, you and Discord; how did you come to be with the Chaos Lord?"
"We were staying in the same house, if you can believe that, when we met. Princess Luna was staying there as well, with her husband. Discord entered my room as I slept, and read obe of my books on dark magiks, sending us here. However, considering your situation, I am glad we have come."
"The Princess Luna and Discord? That sounds like an interesting place to board." Xarame said, looking a little bewildered. She stood up and looked out the window at the courtyard below. "It's amazing what you've managed in such a short time here; you've brought about the end of much fear."
"Strange things happen in this place." She turned from the window to look at Frozen. "And somehow you don't strike me as typical of your race..."
Frozen shook his head, "That's what every pony tells me anyway. I don't know why I am, or what caused it, but I am."
"I do not believe it do be a bad thing," Xarame said, softly. "I know of no other Windigo that would have brought the hope you bring." She sighed. "Now, unless there was something else you wanted to discuss, the souls out there will shortly need us." She walked to the door, heading down to help Met set up the clinic.
Frozen nodded. He swallowed the lump in his throat and put on a brave face. They did need him, and he intended to help them. He slowly arose and followed the Zebra down to the courtyard.
Discord was up on the wall, walking among the Unicorns, when they arrived in the courtyard. "No no no! Only attack the targets in your area!" He complained; He'd set up straw dummies out side the walls as target practice, but getting the unicorns to act as a unit was an uphill battle. Met had started setting up a makeshift triage centre in the ground floor of the tower, and Xarame went over to assist her.
Discord turned and flew down to Frozen. "They can fight, but only on their own terms; they seem to have the same view on organization as I do. Maybe you could talk to them?" He cocked his head. "Are you ok? You look... tired."
Discord looked at Frozen with concern. "I'm sorry to hear that, we'll have to discuss it later; if we live that long. For now though, yes; I think the whole cooperation spiel would be better coming from a slightly less hypocritical source."
Frozen climbed upon the wall, until he was standing among the unicorns, "My name is Frozen Heart," he said as he walked among them, "Each Mare and Stallion here is the leader of his or herself, I am merely here to guide you. This is your fight, your chance at freedom to be among the living again. I promise to help you get there, if you will stand with me?"
The unicorns muttered disjointed approval at Frozen's speech, mostly sticking in groups of two or three, seemingly half afraid of their neighbours.
Whatever you were before today," he said, "You're brothers and sisters. You fight for a common goal, freedom."
As the unicorns looked uncertainly at each other, a war horn blew in the distance. "There's a whole column! Twice our number at least!" Announced a mortified looking Pegasus, hovering above the courtyard. Discord flew up next to him to see for himself; he wasn't lying. He nodded at Frozen. The counter-attack was almost upon them.
Frozen used his magic to reinfotce the walls, spikes of magic shooting a mile into the sky and making a protective cage.
