The bug screeched. The sound reverberated around the cabin, so loud and acrid Helissent reared back on instinct. She hated bugs and bats. A giant one was a bit too much. But before she could actually panic over a gigantic millipede a warm body slammed into her. She stomped her hooves down upon the carapace and felt another pair do the same.

“Sergeant,” Theon shouted in her flattened ears. “Keep your eyes on the ground! Dig hooves into carapace cracks- these millipedes are pretty nasty.”

“I have a better idea!” Helissent shouted. She drew a long stretch of rope from her pack- one of guard-issue quality, often used to tie around barrels of unlucky Courses that fell into pits. Once the loop was secure, she drew her head back and tossed it forward. The loop and the end of the rope were lost in the darkness for just a second before they went tight. The loop closed, the rope cracked but did not snap, the millipede screeched and both Roule and Theon bit down on the rope just as it crawled forward at a pace that could only be qualified as illegal.

“What are we doing?!” She shouted at Theon. “Up there, a ledge!” He threw back and Helissent frowned at it. It was on the other side of the cavern. “How are we going to reach it? How are we going to let go in time?”

“Reaper!” The gray Courser shouted in return. The black and white Courser nodded and turned to aim his crossbow. Before Helissent saw what he did the millipede was screeching again. They turned as one, galloping closer to the ledge. She let go of the rope right as they did, galloped to the edge, and leapt. For a heartstopping moment, darkness was the only thing she saw. Then her hooves landed on stone and the three of them fell down with a clatter.

“Let’s hope we don’t have to ride it back.” She panted, and they burst into laughter. “Next time we find a fucking bridge. Ow, everything aches.”

“We’re almost to the spring.” Theon said. He tossed his head back as he caught the map. He pointed to a mark on the paper. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, you know this. I hope the words on the wall haven’t disappeared.”

“They’re carvings.” Reaper scoffed. “They don’t just disappear.”

As the two cousins continued to bicker, Helissent fell back to watch their rear. Hooves clacked against the stone cavern ground as they walked. Both of them had asked her for help. Theon and his cousin, Roule- THE nobles of their little town. Or Thunderstepper and Reaper as they asked to be called in this dungeon. Somehow it worked. It felt a bit odd. Reaper walked before them with a hood and Thunderstepper in full plate, so their coats were difficult to see, but she wondered how they were going to keep up their disguises on the lower levels.

Braying, Helissent shook her head. Here she was being worried about strangers. She does not know Reaper, only Theon. If the bastard is not bothering him to patrol with her, he bothers her to go on strange adventures into the depths. Ever since she had that one unforgettable patrol with him to chase some bandits into a cave with the batty dead end, well. He considers her a friend, somehow.

The Reaper or Roule, on the other hoof, was far more paranoid. Who knew that their local vigilante in the dungeon was a noble horse? Helissent did not. It was laughable to think about and it was the main reason she was keeping silent on the matter. No one would believe her. Many would think her mad. And the one Courser that would believe her was Thunderstepper’s abusive father. 

No. Helissent was not stupid nor cruel. Stern, maybe. Guarded. Maybe a little lonely. Or very. If this trip into the dungeon with Reaper and Thunderstepper has taught her anything it was trust. They took her back. Asked her to come with them. They could have made her come, could have forced her to accompany her. All Theon did was walk up to her and ask. It was so simple, and she did not even have to say yes, but she did.

Not that she was happy. Riding on top of a giant millipede through the cavern tunnels should be far more unusual for Helissent. But it was quickly becoming her new normal. The topside was starting to feel stranger than the dungeon. It disturbed her. In fact, she has to confess that the sooner this trip was over she would be as far from a dungeon as she could possibly get. After the murderers have been caught she will be moving far away from this town. In fact, the further she could be from a dungeon, the happier she would be. Until then, this would be her new normal for the foreseeable future for a single reason.

“Helissent?” Thunderstepper turned to her. She blinked, realizing she was lost in thought. “Are you alright?”

“Lost in thought.” She said, and trotted up beside him. Reaper warily eyed her, then gave a small smile at what he found. “Just…the rope. Do not ask her how many I tugged out of pits with that thing, but I’m going to miss it.”

“Let’s go.” Reaper stated.

She finally had friends.