How the young filly had managed to get out of the Throat without being seen was a very strange situation, but one that she did not dwell on. She was happy to be out exploring. In her opinion she didn't get to do it nearly enough and on the rare occasions when she did get to go out she was under constant supervision. It it wasn't her parents it was her mother's bird that never seemed to be able to keep his beak shut and his talons from pinching her skin. She needed to figure out exactly how she'd managed to sneak out so she could do it again. All she knew for sure was that it involved someone walking in front of her so the bridge came out.

Mordecai's tiny hooves carried her away from her home and toward the Heart. It was a few months before that her real mother had birthed her there, though those memories were fading and being replaced by much more pleasant ones involving Megaera and Einarr. Still, she was drawn to the heart and could feel that it had some kind of significance, though she couldn't figure it out. Around and around she walked, her small head dipping and sniffing at scruffy brushes and rocks that littered the ground.

Then she saw the dark entrance that lead down into the earth.

The black filly's head jerked upward and she walked quickly toward it, peering down into the darkness. There was a small instinctual response to leave it well enough alone and go back toward the Throat, but Mordecai rebelled against her instinct and began the descent into the caves. Rocks slid under her tiny cloven hooves and she slipped and slid down, down, down, until the ground evened out and she was able to stand firmly in place. She blinked her dark eyes, trying to adjust to the lack of light before moving on.

There were many rooms, some of them small and some of them very large with a lot of places for her to explore. It occurred to her as she moved deeper into the cave, the sound of the waterfall she'd found fading into the background, that maybe she should have left herself a trail to follow to get out. She peeked into a room that seemed to glow, but it didn't interest her enough to explore it right away, so she continued on until she could go no farther.

The final room that Mordecai found herself in was covered in crystals that looked like they were glowing. The glowing rocks were certainly more interesting than the glowing moss. The young girl walked, her eyes wide as she looked at one crystal then another, all the while wondering if she could remove one to bring back to her mother as a gift and proof that she could explore on her own. But how would she remove one? And how would she carry it out? Mordecai turned, wondering if there might be something she could use in the mossy room to carry one of the rocks, but when she turned all she saw was more crystals.

Wait.

She turned again, frowning and becoming more disoriented as she continued to turn. Wait. Which way had she come in? How did she get out? She sucked in a breath, panic building in her chest as she did so. How was she going to get home? She was going to be stuck in the caves forever and die. Or worse. She could turn into an ugly old troll. "Rhellaya!" She screamed because she didn't want to turn into an old troll, let alone an ugly one.

"."

Translation:
Rhellaya - Help!