Wise to the labyrinth of rabbit trails etched across the vast, unforgiving wilderness of Helovia, and well aware of the remarkable landmarks which lay scattered throughout, the young horse with a pelt painted sleek with gold and silver made haste towards the very centre; the burning heart of the country in a southerly direction. Method and deliberation cast each of her careful strides through the churned mix of muddy snow. Some magical light did meld through the rough bark of the naked trees along the way, though the darkness of this unforseen, apparently perpetual night, suffocated much of her ability to see the passing landscape around her. Touch, taste, and her finetuned ability to perceive the world through strained, listening ears, had risen to defy any chance of vulnerability.

Cat had shed the nurturing, smothering caress of her mother’s company. With fierce ambition and values that conflicted with the romantic sway of Kanti’s helpless heart, the filly had been able to tolerate such lovesick company any longer. At one year of age, the young mare had soaked up all of the education which childhood had to offer, and had fled the nest; detached from her mother’s tender breast, to engage her skills and developing priorities, and establish herself into the impatient spin of the world.

She was still a good distance from the pit of fire which she knew licked and danced always, churning a thick pillar of choking smoke far into the heavens. Cat could only trust that it had not perished alongside the sun, the moon and the stars- with the Gods, who rumour told, had slipped through a fracture between worlds and vanished forevermore.

Beneath her fleeting tread, tired wasting grass crunched, unable to thrive without the sunlight, and old snow saturated the earth, creating filthy, muddied slush to stain her pumping limbs. But then something happened, something that caught the careful young creature off guard so that she skidded to a sudden halt, and lowered her face towards the ground. Beneath the pale glow of an old, lonely oak not half way through the meadow, a tiny mat of grass was sprouting; barely noticeable at first, but as she watched with widening eyes, the sodden snow covered earth began to thaw a little so that the slight green splinters could breathe and mature before her eyes.

Cat hesitated, famished to say the least and immediately tempted to indulge on the strange occurrence. But she was also suspicious, and lifted her face to all allow all of her remaining senses to scour the near vicinity for sign of life- besides this, miracle. Softly she called also, her voice low and showing no trace of the uncertainty dribbling into her mind.

[ooc: I hope I wrote about the grass appropriately :-S]