I'm really really sorry for not being on in such a long time! I've been so swamped with stuff!
So, I'm going to post a LOT of information to make up for it.
The 100th Anniversary & Trail's End
Sigga Rolanddotter loved horses so much, that she chose North of North as her world to protect. Sara was overjoyed by Sigga's choice and gave her a huge stretch of beautiful land that had originally belonged to Sara's parents. Sigga built a magnificent castle overlooking the land and began filling its stables with wonderous, magical horses. Caring for the horses reminded her of her childhood when she and Sara worked with the horses on her farm. Sigga decided to create a welcoming haven for both people and horses and named her estate Trail's End.
The years passed quickly and soon it was time to mark the 100th anniversary of the Valkyrie Sisterhood. A grand celebration at Trail's End was hosted by Sigga. All of the Valkyries were invited and people from all over North of North gathered in the beautiful valley. The greatest herd of horses that had ever assembled congregated in and around the castle and its estate. The air was filled with magic, excitement and a strange energy. Everyone felt as if something magnificent was about to take place.
As a tribute to Sara, Sigga had an artist sculpt two monuments of Bella and Bello into the faces of the giant mountain pass that overlooked Trail's End. The presentation of the Bella and Bella monuments was the day's crowning glory for Sigga. However, for four yearling horses, a far grander event was in store for them. An event that would shape the world to come.
Horses of Legend
Gathered at Trail's End to celebrate the 100th anniversary, Fiona, Jewel, Thunder and Nike met by chance at Teardrop Lake. As they made acquaintances, a young girl entered the garden and knelt to read the inscription on the memorial fountain that stood by the waters. '
Every tear is a memory of a love shared.'
The horses noticed a reflection in the lake and looked up to see a regal white mare, Bella, walking across the lake's surface. As Bella approached the girl, the four horses recognized her as Sara, the goddess of horses. Sara turned to Jewel, Thunder, Nike and Fiona, and greeted them all by name. However, at that moment, an image shimmered on to the lake's surface: a picture of a woman weaving in front of a magnificent tapestry. Upon looking closer, the horses saw the tapestry showed all of them, with Bella rearing in the centre. It was then that the horses sensed that their meeting had been no coincidence. They shared a magical bond and their destinies would be united forever in a grand and epic cause.
I'll have to repost a bit of information here (Fable and Patchwork), just so the history flows properly.
Fable and the Patchwork
Sara told Nike, Fiona, Thunder and Jewel that the woman in the image was Fable, the immortal storyteller. The goddess had met her once before, when Fable had given her a magical book called the Patchwork. In this book, the stories of the past, present and future are written. Sara had read part of her own story and learned that it was her destiny to bring hope and wisdom to those struggling against evil and misfortune. Later on, Sara used pages from the Patchwork to create Ballads for the Valkyries to they could add their own experiences to the great stories.
When Sara finished her tale, Fable looked up from her weaving and smiled, beckoning her and the horses to look at the changing images in her tapestry. First, they saw Sigga Rolanddotter gazing into the eyes of a knightly prince, then they saw her rushing into battle to rescue the prince from giant wolves. After that they saw Sigga and the prince in a fire lit room, both their faces filled with sadness. The images began to speed up: the prince captive in a dark castle, an aging Sigga walking alone down an unfamiliar road, and Trail's End neglected.
Sara and the horses were horrified by these images, and when they were able to look at the tapestry again, they saw that all hope was not lost. Sara saw that she would watch over North of North for Sigga until the arrival of a girl on wings, who could set things right again. As for Bella, Nike, Fiona, Thunder and Jewel, they saw that they would all become legendary horses and that Sara and the girl would need their help to right the wrongs, and heal the wounds the tapestry revealed.
Sigga Rolanddotter and Prince Archer
Sigga, as an immortal Valkyrie, was forbidden to interfere in the natural course of life and death. As with the other Valkyries, she had sworn to Alfather, the king of the gods, that she would help mortal heroes fulfill their potential and meet their fates. However, Sigga fell in love with Prince Archer and could not bear to see him die, especially at the jaws of Feral's wolves. So she swooped down to rescue him, interfering with his mortal destiny. Alfather brought his wrath down upon the House of Rolandotter, changing its future forever.
Alfather declared that Sigga and Prince Archer could be married and live together for one year. But, after that, they must part forever. Prince Archer would become immortal, but be locked away in a far-away castle while Sigga would become mortal and be banished to Earth, never to see her prince again. If that wasn't bad enough, Alfather commanded that the Sigga line would produce only sons, with no daughter to take her place among the Valkyrie Sisterhood. Only one small sliver of hope remained: one day a girl would be born to Sigga's line, and she would change everything.