Ulna was never the adventurous type. Born with a head twice as large, and legs thrice as knobbly, his constant overthinking and unsteady gait meant he spent most days hiding under the belly of his dam as a foal. His sire would often comment on his son’s shyness joking that, “If not for the natures themselves, he would’av surely stayed planted within your stomach.” Despite that, his dam never seemed to mind. Even as time went by, and Ulna’s body grew to fit his own head, she didn’t raise a complaint to her son’s closeness. Things would have likely stayed that way, if not for his twin brothers who were born on the cusp of Ulna’s adulthood.

His brothers, both a bright chestnut like their sire, were absolutely nothing like Ulna during his days as a foal. Energetic, loud, and extremely social, the two were prone to trotting off and getting into trouble. Perhaps they simply fed off of each other’s chaotic nature as they—at least from Unla’s perspective—surely couldn’t have gotten such energy from their mild-mannered dam or their disciplined sire. Regardless of the reason, the outcome tended to be the same as their older brother would have to run after them. Speaking to unfamiliar horses, traveling unsteady terrain, or navigating unfamiliar areas all due to the twins' antics became commonplace. Despite his inherent fear of what could happen to him if he dared take a hoof forward, the thought of what would befall his siblings if he didn’t leave his comfort zone to chase them scared him more. It was only because of the twins that he had the push to develop and face the world out there.

Thus, it’s fitting that even now such a thing remains true. With nothing but his glasses, a satchel with some supplies, and a map at his disposal, Ulna stood at the entrance of the Overgrown Caverns. Poking his head in to eye the dim interior nervously, he’d give a whinny and stumble away when a single droplet from the ceiling *plopped* the top of his nose. All things considered, he logically knows that the caverns are safe… relatively speaking. Horses far braver and doubly as experienced spoke of this area as if it was a simple stroll through the fields. Besides, he asked plenty of such horses and managed to get a pretty detailed set of directions that should be doable, even with his poor eyesight. Alright, you’re fine. Just… in and out! Come on, you got this. For the twins. He’d tell himself, before steeling his already shaken nerves to enter the caverns alone.

For the next hour of what could have been a fifteen minute canter, Ulna made his way through the caverns with no small amount of difficulty. Ears constantly swiveling and hackles raised, he gave more than a couple of startled snorts at uneven droplets and ambient sounds then he’d like to admit. A few times, when it got too dark for him to properly see, he’d paw at the ground with his hoof—his heart pounding at the thought that there could be a cliff’s edge right in front of him—before realizing it was still just solid ground and continuing on. Progress was slow, but by the time he reached some sort of depression in the caverns, Ulna felt that now was better a time than any to take a small break. Any more, and he feared that maybe his heart would jump out of his chest and kill him right then and there. Then how would he collect what his brothers desperately needed?

With shaky legs, Ulna would trot in search of somewhere to properly rest.Yet, with each hoof-step, the clear plonk-plonk-plonk of water beneath him wouldn’t lessen. Actually, if he listened over the sound of blood rushing through his veins… yes, that’s the sound of running water! Oh stars. Did I perhaps go the wrong way? I don’t remember the path saying anything about an underground river. What if it begins to storm and I get swept away? He’d begin to worry. Such worries would prove to be unfounded though as he found the source of the sound. Here, it was a bit brighter, and squinting through his glasses it was clear what he had stumbled upon. A brook!

And what a beautiful brook it was indeed. Somehow, despite the low levels of light, various forms of small flora grew along the water’s edge. Its surface glimmers with an almost ethereal look as each gentle wave shimmered with a subtle rainbow effect. And the air, rather than being stuffy and smelling like soil as most of the cavern did, there was a sweetness that had even the ever cautious Ulna lifting his nose and trotting over curiously. Lowering his head, he sniffed at its surface and stared into his reflection. He could see the doubt in his own eyes despite knowing that, if the words of those who traveled before him were true, the water here tends to be drinkable. But has such water ever been described to look like this, to smell so sweet? With a huff, he’d shake his head and back away from the water's surface. No, I don’t remember something like this being mentioned. What if it’s poisoned! Or- or- maybe there is some sort of parasite living in the water that would scramble my brain! I can't risk getting sick out here. Besides, there is plenty of other water in this cavern, right? I can always drink some of that.

Even if he had left the comfort of home in search of his brother’s cure, he could not build up the courage to simply take a drink of what could have been an above average brook. Even if he changed in some ways for the twins, in this way, he simply could not. Thus, like the coward he is, Ulna turns away and continues deeper into the caverns. There would be no rest for him here.