She could feel it coming on. She had had so many good days in a row, where the body only ached slightly, and she was able to eat a decent amount without nausea swirling in her stomach. But all good things must come to an end.  There was a fatigue washing over her, slight waves of dizziness every so often. But it wasn't enough yet to keep her down, she wanted to see as much of Novus as she could first.  She wandered through the swamp for a time, exploring the parts she had yet to see. Picoro was not with her, as he had gone on his own journey through the branches. The swamp was good for him.

After an hour or so she began to hear the bubble of water through rocks, and she stumbled upon a creek. The scene before her was stunning. shallow water twisted and weaved through rocks that poked just above the surface. Moss lined each side, creating a soft cushion beneath her hooves. Bird song rose above it all, and together it was a symphony of nature ringing through her ears.  As she stood listening she was hit by a sudden wave of fatigue and dizziness. She dropped her head, waiting for it to pass.  She lowered herself gently onto the soft moss, partially wondering if her walk had been a bad idea. 

She lay quietly for a few moments letting the afternoon sun warm her pelt. Eventually, her eyes began to flutter shut, and she felt herself drifting into sleep. The dream was pleasant at first. She walked through a field filled with willow trees, flowers falling behind her, the petals forming in her mane. Her mother and father walked behind her,  talking quietly about kingdom affairs. Incoming shipments, trade with some other far off kingdom. The standard day to day nuances of holding the throne. She could see Herstial up ahead, blurred against the horizon.  Petals stopped coming from her mane as entered the shadow of a tunnel. As she emerged, she was struck with horror. Flames danced before her eyes, great billowing puffs of smoke rose up into the air, burning her eyes, her lungs. In the midst of it all, a great black monster made of shadow loomed over the terror below.  She ran towards the flames,  the sounds of screams and thundering hooves filling her head. Fire seared her skin as leapt into the flames. 

She woke up breathing hard, pain searing through her head. She should have gone back to the swamp sooner. She lay still for a few moments with her eyes closed, still reeling from the nightmare. It had been nearly six years, and yet she still dreamed so vividly about that one day. A film of sweat covered her skin, though she shivered. Slowly she opened her eyes doing her best to ignore the pain that accompanied the action. She was surprised and dismayed to see that the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. Turning her head, through bleary eyes she saw a figure in the near distance. She hauled herself to her feet through labored breaths. She didn't know who this was, what their intentions were, and she had no intention of letting them see her sunken on the ground.  Her body shook with the effort, and she did her best to still it, and look poised. She drew her head up as much as she could manage, trying to appear as normal as she could, though the effort was rather futile. 

@Mesnyi