The quiet and intrinsic magic that possessed the Heart Caves was more enthralling than Uriel could have imagined. The darkness and the sullen wonder of the unknown betwixt the colt, so much so that his thoughts were only trained upon the path ahead, whereon the shadows stood tall and his doubts stood taller. He was uncertain what lurked in those uncertain depths and felt as though his skin had drawn tight across his face as he focused solely on the dimming light. Cleverly, the young prince began to draw on the strings of magic that fluttered from his core.  In truth, Uriel had not yet mastered the extent of his power, but as he urged it outward, he hoped that the spiraling of his wings would cast enough light to soothe his pounding heart. He wanted to feel as though he wasn’t utterly alone despite the sickening truths he kept hidden behind his teeth.

His mother… where was she now?

 

As he again conjured her image, so vibrant and beautiful, the colt glanced down at the tattoo he shared with his sister. The muscle ached there and somehow Uriel was content to hurt for her loss. She’d disappeared with no promise to return and while Uriel was strong-willed, Sariel was the last piece of his heart… and she’d gone.

Yet, as he shook away his sadness and forced himself to task, Uriel couldn’t deny the growing sense of being followed. It was only moments later that clatter of hooves upon the stone caused him to turn and freeze. The warming effects of his magic ran cold and whatever progress he'd made was suddenly ripped from his hands, perished. Fear rippled through his veins and for the first time, Uriel was forced to make a decision on his own. He could run from that which frightened him or face it head-on, unlike his father. However, before he could decide one way or another, a figured emerged from the cavern’s entryway. The colt had never seen such a filly before and nearly stood aside to let her pass, but was taken aback when she pressed toward him, her shoulder grazing his own.

For a time Uriel was stunned and confused, but something deep and unbeknownst to him delighted in her touch. It reminded him of… family- like the one he never truly had. At times he blamed himself for his bad attitude and the suffocating rage instilled by his traitorous father. Why did he have to leave them? Why did he have to break them?

It was only when the girl giggled that Uriel was again at her attention. What did she want of him? Who did she think he was?  With a huff, Uriel leaned back and tilted his head away from the filly until he could fully (and rightfully) assess who she was. Like an awkward boy, he rummaged through the few citizens he knew in the Edge and couldn’t seem to recall seeing her there, but also knew that such a notion wouldn’t mean much considering he hadn’t done much socializing. “Who are you?” he nearly whispered.

Then, without realizing why, Uriel felt embarrassed for the first time in in life. The filly had certainly caught him off guard and suddenly the colt was feeling ashamed of it. Was that all his promises and ambitions had awarded him? Was he just a scared child unable to overcome his fears? After all, what was so frightening about those periwinkle blue eyes? What about her stunning light coat was so terrifying?  As Uriel pondered bemused, he sighed in relief, for there hadn’t been monsters lurking in the cave… just a girl.