The sun was setting, casting an orange glow around the cave as Moth stirred from his slumber. Luckily for the pair, night would cool the climate considerably, leaving them without the danger of overheating in the air. Escaping from the dim lit cave with the last of the day’s rays, Onni and Moth were left to drink from the stream in the early night, prepare to leave, and set a course southward for the Dragon’s Throat. Lyhty, thrilled to see his bonded come back unharmed from the dark gash of the mountain, greeted the pair with a cheerful trill before setting down on the mare’s back, between her wings.

Knowing of Moth’s less than adept skill of earthbound travel, Onni decided his body would be less stressed in flight. More natural for him than walking, he was likely to be more comfortable once again in the air. Giving him one more quick sweep with her eyes in the dying orange glows of the setting sun, the healer ascertains that he is, in fact, well enough to fly now with a few hours of precious sleep under his belt. “Are you ready?” she asks him, a faint smile playing across her lips as own wings unfold, preparing for the lift off. Lyhty bounces up off her back in attention, fluttering closely beside the mare before she begins to canter swiftly down the riverbed, gaining up momentum to pull her gently into the air, veering upward with a powerful push of her chocolate colored wings.

A pale face, like the moon rising above, glances over her shoulder to watch Moth’s lift carefully, looking for any signs of weakness that may still plague his body. A triumphant smile plays across her features as he rises almost as easily as she recalls in her memory - perhaps she had painted him larger than life in her reverie. Still, she had a feeling it was due to the stress placed on his body recently and not any overblown image of him in her head. Tugging on the invisible reins of the wind, Onni gives the pair a gentle, soft push toward the south. Time to return to her home.

Helovia shrunk below the pair of pegasus and the songbird as they flew easily on the wind, rising slightly in altitude for easier cruising. The tobiano felt no need to keep an ever watchful eye on Moth in the sky, as his movement was still fine, but she dare not drift far enough to miss sharp falls that could be disastrous for her recently recovered friend. Their pace was steady, slow enough for the small wings of Lythy to easily keep pace with the pair, who flew side by side under an expanse of darkness lit by the twinkling of stars far above. “We should make it before sunrise,” Onni says absently, almost as those she was talking more to herself than to the stallion at her side.

[ insert time lapse here ]

As the moon falls closer toward the horizon, the yellowed grass and trees begin to fade from the ground below, revealing soft orange sand and red rocks. Tilting her wings, Onni makes for a soft lowering of altitude, gliding easily downward from their vantage point in the early morning, now racing the sun to the Dragon’s Throat. The ground seemed to rush underneath the painted body of Onni, even as she made her way forward toward the center of the land - the Oasis. Lyhty clings to her mane, sitting idly behind her neck, perched comfortably on her back to avoid be pulled off during the landing. With a soft thud, her hooves hit the dirt not far away from the dark patches of green in the distance.

Dancing easily on her hooves, Onni turns to watch the landing of Moth, something she had not had the pleasure of witnessing for quite some time. Excitement bubbled in her face, pulling her lips naturally to a smile. She was excited to show him her new home - their new home, if he would stay. “Welcome to the Throat,” she says happily, even as the sun begins to peek out from the eastern horizon, sending pale yellow tones to light up the purple night sky.
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