The narrow path was slick and dangerous. Each step was carefully measured as the young stallion eased his way down, nervously eying the looming walls of snow, sleet and ice-covered rock that rose up around him, narrowing as it fell into the earth. He loathed this part, the steep descent into darkness. It reminded him too much of the prison he had once lived in, the polished marble halls where the only light came from his own smoldering embers. He wasn't usually claustrophobic, but that place, and this place, and the feeling of heavy walls closing in above his head... it was enough to steal the breath from any throat.

If he'd had a choice, Cathun wouldn't have gone down this way at all. But the storm was raging with increasing intensity, the winds paired with swirling wet snow enough to choke the air from his lungs and blind him; it was too dangerous to remain without shelter in this weather. His options stood between whiteout and blackout, and though he feared neither it was decidedly easier to endure an out where he could breathe properly.

Besides, the darkness only lasted for so long.

Soon enough the rocky slope planed out into a smooth stone floor and the ceiling rose up high above the youngsters head, enough that he could raise the neck with a sigh of relief. Darkness fell away to nestle in the corners as a warm red glow replaced the light of day, emanating from the quartz wall that separated the cavern from the roiling, writhing mass of lava on the other side. The first time he had entered the cave Cathun had been left standing for hours by the barrier, staring in helpless fascination at the center of the center of the Heart. Now he barely spared it a glance as he shrugged snow and ice from his coat and continued through one of the many openings and emerged into the glowing room filled with a more subdued light and warmth, the sound of dripping water and - most important of all - food.

With ravenous appetite the stallion began to graze from the glimmering grasses, hardly even bothering to look around and see who else was there. This whole system of caverns was a saving grace for everyone who didn't belong to a herd, and while Cathun didn't quite belong he still felt more comfortable with these lawless vagabonds than he did on the red desert island. A golden key still hung braided into his mane, a silent reminder that he could go back if he chose to, but... something kept him away. A gnawing irritation, seething anger stemming from no particular source but set lose by rejection, foul play, perceived injustice.

Anyway, he was trapped below ground for now. Until the storm abated there would be plenty of time to stare at people, exchange life stories and what not. It wasn't like he knew any of them anyway...


@[Nymeria]

Cathun

The firebrand