Whispers filled Arianwen’s ears again. 

It was a beautiful sunny day, a gentle breeze stirring her pale mane. There was another wind that rose from below, a low whistle echoing through the rock and stone. Water dripped from the mossy overhang, finding a home in the puddles that formed by her hooves. 

She stood at the precipice, staring down into the tunnel leading into the caverns. Her ears were trained forward, every muscle in her body frozen. Time could only tell how long she stood there before the tension released, and she stepped forward. Soft, springy grass gave way to cold stone, her hooves finding the groove where a thousand Coursers’ hooves had imprinted before. Sunlight faded quickly the further she wandered down, the warmth of the day soon replaced by the cool temperature of the rock walls. Arianwen had been down this path several times before. Each time, she was further drawn in. Each time, she got a little closer to what lay in the dark. 

“Arianwen!”

Her name was called on the wind, a beckoning echo from the deep. She paused, assessing the source of the voice. Ears swiveled back and forth, picking up every sound bouncing off the stone. Distant hoofbeats drummed behind her, but she shrugged it off as some passerby, and so she carried on. Each step leading further down the stony path enveloped her in a sense of warmth, despite the temperature inching down. Familiarity soothed what ache of anxiety might ail other first time dungeoneers - it was that which set her down the corridor with complete confidence. 

“Arianwen!” The voice came again, this time closer and much clearer. The hoofbeats grew louder, clapping like thunder all around her. Arianwen’s slow and steady pace was abruptly interrupted as a pale figure swerved directly in her path. Blinking quickly, her eyes adjusted in the darkness to recognize the stranger in front of her. 

“Alaster…” His name was a mere whisper on her lips, a dreamy expression falling on her face as she gazed at her beloved. The stallion’s sides were heaving as he fought to catch his breath, his golden locks falling askew over his face. He appeared panicked, eyes practically bulging from his skull. Arianwen stood perplexed, a flush of concern pulling her ears back. 

“What in the world are you doing? Your grandmother will flay us both if she found out you were here,” Alaster’s voice mirrored the worry ingrained in his expression as he pranced closer, practically herding her back towards the surface. “Not to mention, whatever beasts call home down here.” His head tossed nervously back towards the creeping darkness, Arianwen feeling the shudder in his shoulder as they touched. 

“But there’s nothing to fear here,” she soothed, rubbing her nose against his withers.

“There’s everything to fear down here!” He protested sharply, jerking back. She stared at him, eyes widening in shock. The sound of his shout bounced off the walls, echoing for what seemed to be an eternity after.

He must have noticed the confused expression on her face from his outburst, even in the dimly lit corridor, for he sighed heavy in defeat. Gently, he arched his neck and bowed his head. An invitation, Arianwen knew, to mold the slopes of their faces together and breathe each other in. And so she did, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead to his. Their noses touched, a moment of silence passing as they absorbed each other’s scent. His breath was hot and heavy against her nostrils, though each shared breath between the two calmed him. 

“I wish you would not wander down here, at least alone.” Alaster confessed, his voice carrying the weight of a certain emotion Arianwen couldn’t describe. “Why must you disappear here so often? What could possibly be so important as to risk your neck?”

The question stunned her. Why did she find herself within the caverns so often? Green eyes focused just past Alaster’s head, once more peering into the darkness. Like many things in this world, she didn’t have an answer for it. Just a feeling. Whispers in her head to follow. Whispers that couldn’t be explained. 

Her silence was enough of an answer for Alaster though. Another deep sigh escaped his chest before he nudged her shoulder, turning her around towards the bright light welcoming them home. Ari followed obediently, although she kept glancing back over her shoulder. 

She’d return again, following what called to her, that was for sure.