Something in you is yearning,
for where all the wild things went,

It hadn’t been long since Aelfwine’s encounter with the tiny pony from the Falls. And not long before that she had spoken with Arah with memories swirling around her antlered head of the pristine ivory woman – the woman of which didn’t seem to remember her at all, or perhaps her history with the dappled doe’s own brother. But that was in the past now, as Aelfwine continually let her emerald gaze dance along the compass she wore around her neck. Once, it would point in the direction of the thing she wanted most. A gift from their mother when she’d be out all night and get lost. All she had to do was think about what she wanted the most and the compass would always lead her there.

Now, the compass was dead. It didn’t point North like a normal compass either. It simply just swirled and moved only to stop in any random direction with each movement. Disheartening to the young mare, but she still had hope. A sigh escaped her lips as she shot a glance around the moonlit forest around her. Her sense of direction totally lost on how to return to the Falls, but instead she focused mainly on keeping to the trails. If anything, they’d lead her one place or another. Perhaps that place being where her brother was.

But as she continued moving through, she began to notice a shadow creeping in and out of her eyesight. A creature made of ebony that slipped in her vision and without, so she hid in the trees for a moment – the moon casting dappled light on her already dappled pelt, blending in with an illuminated tree just as the marking on her back as she watched. The beast moved within the trees as a dark shadow, wounds fresh and oozing as he moved. But the strangest thing happened that the mare couldn’t figure out – when he stepped into the moonlight, even just briefly, the fresh wounds turned into scars and ceased their bleeding until he returned to the cloudy hidden abyss. Of course the doe had to investigate.

She moved swiftly on cloven hooves, stretching her long limbs over the dirt and tree roots in the intent on facing the creature. “Hello?” She called out to him, emerald orbs searching the tree line for the shadow. Her voice was charming, light, and curious as she pressed further on, the movements causing the compass he held so very dearly to bounce along her chest. She flicked an ashen tail against her hocks when she finally came to a stop, hoping that the beast would make yet another appearance as the moon began to break across the path.

"Talk."

a daisy in the cracks —

amidst a world made of cement.

aelfwine