A muted pink color spread across the expanse of the horizon, casting a dull glow on the land below. The sun was rising, signaling yet another day to begin. The air was calm and quiet; despite the birds who felt the need to scream. They didn't bother her too much. Calista, the lone unicorn, raised her head in unison with the rising of the sun. She stood on the hillside. It was a strategic spot that granted her the ability to look out over the unknown terrain before her. Her baby blue eyes scanned the surrounding area while her charcoal ears flicked to-and-fro, trying to catch any sign of movement that was not normal. As light began to seep through the dense wood, the mare yawned, and shook out her coat and mane. It wasn't likely that many other beasts were awake yet, so traveling now would be ideal. With a snort, she trotted her way down into the valley. 

Wandering alone, there wasn't much protection offered to her besides what she could provide for herself. Perhaps that was the reason why Calista hardly slept. She didn't need to. That night she had finally wandered across the border, stepping away from everything she knew and into this unknown land. The mare was adamant that she would not look back upon the place that had scathed her. Nevertheless, she was careful to stay in the shadows. Some herds were more accepting than others. Still, she wasn't going to chance it. The black painted creature grazed hastily on whatever fresh green she could find, which wasn't much.  Why she ventured into this territory in particular, she wasn't quite sure. Surely it was safer than what she'd left behind. The unicorn had heard stories of the four herds that ruled this wild world. Yet she hadn't an idea where to go from here. She could go any way she desired. And if she wished, she might even travel past and keep going on her own without a glance at any of the holding. Calista hardly knew if her traveling through would even be accepted and the young mare had no particular want to join a herd. She only wanted to see for herself the many places this earth had to offer. Where to start? Again she snorted in annoyance at her own thoughts.

It seemed like forever that the lady had traveled these lands, but it had been mere weeks. Weeks that she had searched high and low for a hearth, to no avail. Her heart was becoming weary with the stress of it all, her spirits dampened. She stopped again, looked over her shoulder at the edge of the forest, where the trees turned to rolling, verdant hills. She watched. Calista had the same feeling in her gut when she first left her homeland, except she had been exuberant about leaving. Now, it was different. She was torn between her love for her sister and her love for herself. She could only choose one. She couldn't help the feeling inside that drove her to run away. She hated herself for abandoning her kin, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. Here, a newfound feeling of independence washed over the unicorn. That was enough to draw her forward. The last several suns had been probably the hardest for Calista emotionally since her father, Eglerion, went mad and sister’s capture. She couldn’t believe that the place she was once fond of would be so heartless, so ruthless, in wanting to claim another herd's lands, spilling innocent blood in doing so. A herd with foals that shouldn’t have been moved from their birthplace so soon. A kingdom that was still hurting from their losses of a leader. Calista barely escaped with her own life. Thus, she was anxious to step ahead. It was one of many occurrences in which she told herself to perservere. She kept going backward, replaying the scene, then forcing the violent images away. She was stuck by her lonesome with nobody to consult except for herself. With this fresh in her mind, Calista found herself in a rather gloomy and exasperated mood. Oh, it would be a long day.