Despite the hour of the day (whatever hour it was), a thin layer of fog still hung in the trees, an ominous feeling present in the woods. It was eerie, almost as if the trees themselves could detect trouble within their boundaries.

If trees could move, and see, they would. A white blur raced through the fog as fast as it's legs could carry it, the creature appearing to be nothing more than a streak as its color helped it blend in with the fog. Said creature had been running for some time now, its body lathered in sweat as it continued to push itself.

The frantic pace continued for a while before the creature felt it was safe enough to finally slow down. Coming to a stop, the creature looked around warily, its blue eyes scanning the forest for any signs of trouble it perceived to be following it. When nothing appeared, a heavy sigh escaped the creature's lungs, its rapid breathing taking over to replenish the oxygen it had lost on that run.

A dim ray of sunlight cut through the thickness of the trees, illuminating the darkness of the forest for a moment. The creature, like most of the others around here but who it had yet to see, was a horse, colored of the purest white with offset brown markings on its ears, chest, flank, and barrel. Her body was lathered in a thick layer of sweat, her chest heaving with each breath she took. Her blue eyes were wild with fright, her nostrils flared, ears pinned as she tried to regain a hold of her composure.

The mare couldn't exactly explain why she had reacted the way she did at the edge of the forest when she'd first awoken. All she could remember before she started running was waking up among the trees, her head sore and her body covered in small cuts and bruises. None were a threat to a creature of her stature, but the small red cuts marred the otherwise bright colored fur she had.

A branch snapped behind her, and the mare wheeled around, facing the trees, rearing up on her hind legs. Her nerves were tense as she waited for something to appear, but when nothing did, she allowed her body to relax again. While she still remained alert, on edge even, the threat, for now, had passed, so she would rest and let her body regain its strength.

Spotting a small pond of water, which she saw led to a lake once she rounded a row of bush blocking her view, the mare wobbled to the bed, her legs tired after her exertion. She lowered her head, taking a long, refreshing drink before she stepped away from the water and folded her front legs, lowering her body to the ground.

Her legs screamed with relief at not having to support her weight anymore. The mare's eyes called for sleep, but she could not, not yet anyway. She still felt something nearby, an ominous edge to this forest. She'd allow herself a nap, but she'd remain alert, not wanting to get caught off guard again and start running from whatever it was that had scared her before.