Over time they all became accustomed to the flickering of phantom shadows against the old stone walls. Everywhere they went, those sourceless, dancing lights seemed to follow. After three or four days the foals had stopped commenting on them. Started chattering endlessly about other things-- the stories Mouse told them when they curled up to rest each night, of the countless haunting things they had witnessed while wandering in their guardian's wake. From what Mouse gathered they had glimpsed ghosts and mimics, tentacled things clinging to stalactites overhead and great colonies of bats in a thousand shades of vibrant red-gold. Kelpie insisted there had been some swirling, glowing thing in the waters through which they travelled two nights before. 

Styx, though... Styx remained wary. Watchful. Mouse could hear the other two sleeping-- slow breaths weighted down with dreams-- but Styx had not settled. He sat where he had all evening. Head up, rigid, staring at the wall. Mouse knew that Styx was special, of course. The rattling bones of a long-dead something followed him now, wherever they wandered, never more than a couple shaky steps from the colt's hip. Kelpie and Daybreak had taken to calling it Bones. Styx never used to the name, nor any other. The skeletal thing simply was, and it was his. 

Those dancing lights, though, bothered Styx the way dead things should have. 

"You should sleep," Mouse murmured, for all the good it would do. Energy sloughed off of Styx like water.

"So should you," Styx pointed out. Mouse's ears switched in irritation. 

"I was sleeping," Mouse grumbled. "You're making me nervous." 

Styx didn't answer immediately. Contemplating, as he did. The child never seemed to speak without thinking it through quite thoroughly. 

"They're watching us," he finally sighed, and Mouse heard him shift a little closer on their bed of stone. "The lights... making sure we're being good." 

Mouse hadn't a clue what the child meant, of course, but the thought sent shivers down his spine. 

"Then it's a good thing we're being good," Mouse leaned over and rested his muzzle briefly on top of Styx's head. "Now go to sleep..."