Leaving the forest she’d stumbled upon behind, Ree had begun the next phase of her journey with the winged mare, Cassiopeia, to guide her. Another page turned in her novel, leaving the blanks open and welcoming, beckoning for their lined to be filled with words and images and stories of this new life that whispered in her ear, a tiny voice on the wind as they traveled. The lingering sense of unease and foreboding despair that she had carried with her the near entire time of her wayfaring had slowly started to fall behind, bits and pieces breaking off like forgotten baggage on the side of a long, lonely road.

With each day that passed, the load got lighter.

The bay mare was tired; the distance she and Cass had managed to cover the past eight days had been a mighty feet to be certain. The trek from the winter woodland to this desert oasis had sent them through a myriad of geographical areas that were stunning and brilliant, each place able to overwhelm the senses with vibrant bright colors and the exotic wildlife that filled them. Things that Ree never would have dreamed of seeing. Things her wildest imagination could never have conjured up. She knew they were drawing closer to reaching their true destination when the desert began to stretch and roll away beneath their hooves, as far as the horizon could see, a sepia saturated world, painted in gentle hues of the setting sun.

Ree made sure to pay careful attention to the details the winged mare gave her of Helovia and its land as they passed through it. At the mention of Helovia’s Heart she paused and turned her golden-eyed gaze toward the rising Colum of smoke in the distance, winding and climbing and reaching its way up toward the heavens like an outstretched arm. She marveled at what it must look like, how searing the heat must be, as if it might have radiated from the very core of the earth itself, and again Ree’s thoughts lingered on the Gods, and who they were, or might be. She was fascinated by it all, and it shown in the way she stared and peered and gaped at everything around her, and pestered Cassiopeia with questions as they went.

She nodded in affirmation as the blue roan took to the sky in order to navigate the labyrinth of rock and stone, as old as time itself, that had rose up out of the desert to meet them. There was something awe inspiring about the ancient, archaic looking structures as they rose into the dark of the night. Ree kept her eyes narrowed on her new friend, so as not to lose sight of her; little did she know that the constellation Cassiopeia called forth would be so bright. In fact Ree had no idea of any sort that the winged mare had possessed such powers, and she watched in astonishment as the radiant figure of the constellation seemed to fall out of the heavens, hovering close to the winged mare and guiding their way with its incandescent lights.

Ree trotted after Cassiopeia, only hearing her instructions just slightly, for she was so busy watching the magnificent show of stars that she had forgotten they were doing anything else at all. The reflection of the constellation danced and twirled in the bay mare’s eyes, a brilliant, beautiful image of gold beneath twisted, tangled black tendrils of hair. Ree was so fascinated that she couldn’t help but trot briskly after Cassiopeia’s gliding form quickly, her questions again ringing against the cool, stillness of the night air, as they had done for the majority of the trip.

"How… did you do that?"

[OOC: So sorry for the wait!]

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