Falls

The moon, a silver coin in the velvet sky, bathed the forest in an ethereal glow. Vesna, a mare of pale silvers and blues, moved with the quiet grace of a shadow, her seeing eye piercing the darkness. Gnarled oaks, ancient sentinels, stood like silent guardians as she walked, her hooves sinking into the damp carpet of fallen leaves. The forest whispered around her, a symphony of rustling leaves and hidden life, a sound that seemed to muffle even her own steps. A cool breeze stirred her mane, a cascade of black silk flowing down her shoulder. She paused, her nostrils twitching, savoring the earthy scent of the forest floor.

Her mother's warnings echoed in her mind: 'Never go to the Crossing during the day.' The Commons, a place of danger, had been forbidden since Vesna's return to the Isles. She had chosen the sanctuary of shadows, the nocturnal company of creatures who thrived under the cloak of night. The darkness felt like a haven, a place where she was truly at home.

Emerging from the dense foliage, she moved cautiously, her large head swiveling, her seeing eye scanning for danger. The sweet scent of the bubbling creek ahead drew her forward, her nostrils flaring. She lowered her whiskered muzzle to the water, lapping up the cool, sweet liquid. Her hooves sank into the mud, the rhythmic sound a quiet counterpoint to the forest's hushed symphony.

Quenching her thirst, she lifted her gaze towards the radiant heavens above. A gentle smile graced her whiskered muzzle as she gazed upon the familiar stars of Artemis, the huntress. "I pray you guide me that I might find the way. I pray you strengthen me that I might persevere along it." With her eyes closed, she finished the prayer her mother had taught her long ago.

Opening her eyes, her gaze then wandered to distant constellations, their shimmering brilliance beckoning her to etch their names into her memory.