Willfur
Minutes - how many? - slip away in unbroken silence at the center of the meadow, the absolute lack of acknowledgement, encouragement, wearing against the mule's restraint and weakening his composure, so strong is his desire to see, to know. He stares into the slate colored fog and the matte black of the forest beyond, his oversized ears straining forward in a desperate attempt to find something, anything, that might excuse his intrusion, in his own mind, at least, if nowhere else, but no such sign is given. No unseen entity reaches out to stroke his sense of decency. It becomes apparent that if he is to make this choice, he must do it for himself, consequences and guilt notwithstanding.
With a sigh, he steps forward.
Insects, birds, and small mammals stir in response. The sounds of wind and water rise through the foliage in quiet symphony. It's almost as if the whole scenario is staged, like he's activated some hidden pressure plate or trip wire to run the cogs and belts of a forest-themed funhouse. There's something - unnatural, artificial - about the feel of it against his senses. Lamplight replaces sun and moon, and the air begins to feel close, cold. Apprehension darkens to paranoia. Was that a hoof-fall? It wasn't in time to his own...
He's just beginning to falter, courage wicking away in waves of heat from his skin, when the fireflies come.
They dance and flicker around him, playful and perfectly ordinary at first, until some unknown command is triggered. Then they begin to organize, coalescing into the shape of a horse standing opposite him, golden and glowing. It waits as the mule stares, trying to blink away his astonishment, then turns, steps away, and dissipates into a loose cloud of fireflies once more, drifting back into the trees.
"W-wait!" He calls, and he thinks the golden form tightens in on itself in response, condensing just enough to make out the shape of head and neck and legs again as it winds its way deeper into the forest, away from the lamplit path.
It's encouragement enough for the mule.
"talk talk talk"
OOC: Willfur follows the fireflies
P.S. Thank you so much for continuing this. <3
@Official Dawn Account
