The sound of a rock falling echoed through the dungeon and Verdandi opened her eyes after a brief and unfulfilling nap. In front of her was a small campfire and at her side were the herbs and mushrooms she had found. She groaned and looked at her pitiful findings, feeling that this was not what she had set out to acquire in the dungeons.

“I miss home,” she thought, “this has been my new one for long enough. No more sleeping on the rock floor and eating weird plants.”

The Weld Palomino mare had been in the dungeon long enough to have learnt most of the twists and turns and headed toward the fastest way out. While walking, Verdandi thought about the birch forest which she had lived in all her life; there she had always felt safe but it was that safety which had eventually bored her. Now, in the middle of a dark dungeon, that feeling of calm and peace didn’t feel tiresome any longer.

Eventually reaching the dungeon opening, Verdandi peeked her head out and looked around before emerging into the surface world. Verdandi stepped into the cool night air, damp earth and moss filling her nostrils. She hesitated for a moment, savouring the stillness, the dungeon’s weight was already beginning to lift from her shoulders.

With a deep breath, she began her journey back to the birch forest, each step bringing her closer to the rustling green leaves and the silver-white branches. The terrain shifted beneath her hooves and the closer she got, the more familiar the world around her became.

As she climbed a hill, the birch forest and the soft pink glow of the rising sun came into view. The pale birch trunks gleamed in the morning light and Verdandi paused, her heart swelling with an emotion she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time.

She entered the forest slowly, her hooves barely making a sound on the thick grass. The quiet serenity wrapped around her like a long-lost friend, the air was fresh, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers. Verdandi found a small clearing where the sunlight shone through the branches, forming pools of red light on the forest floor. She lowered herself onto a bed of soft ferns, feeling the tension in her muscles finally ease. The weariness of her journey faded, replaced by a deep sense of belonging.

As she closed her eyes, the sounds of the forest lulled her into a peaceful sleep. Verdandi smiled faintly, knowing she was home at last.