Lights will lead into the night with me [Zella]

[Oricle]

i counted the stars tonight, i gathered them all

Teeth glisten wet and hungry snapping close enough to her maw that she can smell the rot on its breath. The lower lip drips barely clinging to the blackened gums beneath. The upper lip is completely missing, but before she can look further up the creature, it is gone. The stars come out of nowhere, no. no stars. Her head ducks away, searching the darkness for something else to latch her gaze on. They recede back into the blackness, and in their place something brushes her leg. It’s warm and soft, but the growl says something all together different. A shudder traverses her spine, and her hooves dance away from the warmth.

Huffing into the darkness she loses track of time, what the hell is going on. For all she knows years could be passing her by, or simply seconds. If someone came up and asked her where she had been before the darkness, she wouldn’t be able to say. Foggy green grass starts to outline itself against the horizon of her vision. Mountains stand guard further back, and still further she can see the moon casting its soft gaze on her. Her own gaze flicks back to the grasses below, no temptation; absolutely not. Feathery lashes spill against her cheeks before they crack open to the night sky. Slightly disoriented she stands to her feet each second that passes another part of that old darkness slips away; the unshakeable feeling of being watched however takes a little more time to wear off.

Still sharp from youth her hooves dig into the ground for purchase. This is not the meadow she fell asleep in. Whirling around a snarl crinkles her maw. Who stole her willow tree and little nest she had developed beneath it?! Only once before had she been riled, and that time hadn’t ended to well for anyone. The boy had simply been resting, and she came upon him a gangly terror of a filly. Sending him off in tears. Now it wasn’t even taken, or simply smelling differently, it was in fact gone. Simply and utterly gone. Oh, whoever did this was going to pay. It is her spot, her little nest of a home. Tucked away where few tread, and sheltered from the extremes of the seasons, it had been perfect. Had been, now… now she needed to figure out what to do. Her nostrils flare taking in the scents around her, nothing.

Oricle looks from side of the meadow to the other, its shaped differently. It smells different, the horses are different, and there seems to be more of them. A lot more than she remembered. Disgruntled her fur ruffles and the thick strands of her newly grown tail flips its annoyance. Taking one step then another she steps out from the edge of the forest beginning to take a critical look over those present. Lips press thin in concentration as the bay roan watches them gossip and plot as they always have done. Why do they not see the changes? Are they truly this oblivious to the world around them? Brows furrow as she takes another look around her. She’s pretty sure this isn’t her meadow.

Oricle

so will you hold cause time is cold
but in your soul im standing by

@[Zella]