Jetta

Jetta awoke to a cool afternoon that smelled of rain, and peered upwards through the gaps in the trees to stare in disbelief at how low the sun already was. She had not intended on rising so late, but her night had been restless, full of feverish thoughts and fitful dreams. Exhausted as she was from her return journey, which had been delayed and complicated by vicious summer storms, she had been unsettled ever since her illuminating trip to Atlantis. The knowledge that her friend Macabre was out there somewhere, having her safety and happiness threatened, weighed heavily on Jetta's mind. She knew that she would not have a sound night's sleep again until Macabre was no longer in danger.

First she needed to find her mother.

With a cavernous yawn, the young mare stretched the sleep from her limbs and departed the shelter of her forest shade, snatching a few mouthfuls of breakfast as she went. Once out in the open, she peered up towards the smooth foothills that crowded around the peak, still green with fresh grass despite the waning season. Her mother had always favored those hills, for they were prime sunbathing territory and weren't too high for her to manage with her aging joints. But today Inka was nowhere to be seen. There was nobody to be seen, in fact. Jetta let out a heavy exhale and was beginning to wonder if there would be anyone at the river when her eyes caught a flash of gold high up on the cliffs.

She lifted her chin to watch the horse climb higher. They were too far away to call out to, but they were apparently the only one around, and so Jetta followed them. She climbed the peak at her own pace, not worrying if she lost sight of the horse, for on this side of the mountain, there was only one direction to go: up.

The mare felt hot and shaky by the time she reached the top, but only momentarily did she regret the strenuous effort the climb had taken her. Finally she could have a good look at the horse she had followed. She could see now that it was no one she knew, although there was something vaguely familiar about her. Jetta whickered as she approached the stranger, her interest piqued when she saw that the mare was close to her own age. "Hello," she said, and smiled meekly. "I hope you don't mind that I followed you up. I just arrived last night and you're the first horse I've seen so far."