Darkness blanketed the cavern, a thick wall of shadow- unbroken but for the soft shaft of light, the echo of the entrance yards behind. Silence reigns, interrupted variably by the sharp drip drip dripping of water further into the blackness. Castalla’s eyes gleam, like a lion when you come across them in the night, piercing the dark. Were her powers at full strength she might have shifted into a bat, or some other creature accustomed to such gloom. But as it was, the Wolf still possessed preternatural vision within the darkness, something that served her well here.

The princess was no fool however. Wandering unprepared into winding caves and confusing tunnels would surely get anyone lost- no matter how good their vision or sense of direction was. Instead, a piece of string was tied around her leg and knotted to a rock at the entrance. Should she lose track of the twists and turns, she need only follow her make-shift guide back to the light.

Among the silence and the shadows the minutes seemed to slow- a world absent from the flow of time without the sun to read it. Castalla had no idea how long she’d spent among the sharp rocks and craggy ledges, wandering further and further, deeper and deeper. At times she could have sworn the sound of hooves upon rock pierced the eerie calm, but she could neither scent or nor another living equine. Her own hooves were as quiet as she could make them upon the rock and earthen floor- the trademark of an assassin. She side-stepped bones from all manner of creatures (equine included), her senses on high alert. Exhilaration filtered through her, that wild sense of joy and excitement she felt when danger was just around the corner. It turned to surprise though when she felt the whole world jolt, as though the earth had shaken all of a sudden. Her heart leapt to her mouth when the string around her leg tightened and snapped. “Fuck.” She growled under her breath, lips pulled back in a snarl as she glanced around. And suddenly she was pitching forward, guided by some unknown forces as the ground beneath her hooves steadily moved.

When at last the ground stopped moving the air had grown colder, damper- the walls different to the ones she’d left behind. Clearly this cave system was alive in some way. A flash of light erupted from a gap in the craggy wall, flickering to life. Castalla hissed, her eyes adjusting violently to the sudden illumination. Her night vision may be magical but her eyes adjusted to light just like anyone else’s. Never one to back down from danger, and presented with few other options, Castalla rounded the corner.

“Why hello,” she purred, though her voice was edged with irritation as the reality of her situation set in. “Nice of you to slide on by.” Though her words were dry and her smile was strained, her blue eyes gleamed with mirth. A stallion was illuminated by a flame that hovered by his side, the shadows dancing across his coat. Clearly someone, or something, was toying with them.