One guarded step after another, a young Yvaine cautiously climbed further up the steps that were ahead of her. Where could these possibly lead? With Dabih perched gracefully upon her croup, she was gentle with her steps, making sure not to sway too much so as to disrupt the old underground fortress, or even hurl Dabih from her hindquarters.

As time passed - and more and more steps did so too - Yvaine foolishly lost herself to her thoughts. "What if I'm not strong enough to do this?" A meek voice echoed on for what felt like forever.

Quickly snatching her back from her self-pitiful thoughts, Dabih pounced atop her forelock, peering down into those big, pale cerulean painted eyes as if waiting on a response from her.

"What is it you want now?" She scoffed, pulling a face that would stay the same if the wind were to change. The osprey let out a loud croak, echoing further than Yvaine's little voice did once before. "Are you telling me off? I haven't done anything wrong, I've just been climbing these damn steps for hours!" She paused, stomping a hoof clean on the step it landed on.

Silence - and then a crack.

A little stone began to skip down the steps behind her. The filly peered, following the stone all the way down as far as her eyes would allow, almost frightened to look.

The bird let out another croak, this time softer on the ears, and almost inquisitive in tone. "Please do not question my courage. It is simply a stone, Dabih!" Letting her short-fused temper get ahold of her yet again, she turned and quickly stormed each hoof over the steps; getting quicker in pace, huffing and heaving as she skipped and near cantered her way up; panting and marching and -

A shriek escaped the hawk. Frantically, Dabih swooped down in front of the little courser to bring her to a stop. The two locked eyes.

But this time, Yvaine didn't protest. No more "What now's" or "What do you want's". She knew something was off. The ground began to hum as it rumbled and shook below her, causing her to become unsteady on those little hooves. Shifting her weight to stay afoot, she looked to Dabih, who seemed just as puzzled with peering ember eyes on a wild chase around the chamber to find a cause - and to first and foremost, protect his companion.

"LITTLE COURSER." An unappealing voice tore into the ears. 

Frightened to move, the filly froze in place. Breathing shallow and silently, as to not make a sound.

As her little mind raced and whizzed with adrenaline, her eyes made their way to the steps she had been climbing for the past, however long. Letting her pupils adjust to the darkness below her, she suddenly realised. Those are a pair of gigantic knees.

Startled, she quickly snapped her head up to meet with the osprey still in front of her. Though, something else caught her eye. A benign face became clear, towering over the two that now seemed so tiny and insignificant in comparison.

"WHERE IS YOUR KNIGHT?" The deep voice trembled the underground chamber, causing rocks in the distance to snap and fall, much like the dainty stone that the equally small courser sent tumbling down to the depths before.

"Come again?" The minute sound escaped the filly's mouth.

With a sharp "tssk", the face morphed back into the rock it once appeared from, causing the osprey to turn to Yvaine and scan his weary eyes over her; searching for an emotion, a reaction - something.

The filly simply blinked, stood up straight, and continued on her path, gently pushing Dabih to one side. Aloof, but simply a faithfully devoted companion, he swiftly followed, and placed himself back upon her croup without question.

Perhaps she really did have the courage?