Their hooves clatter endlessly as they escape the remains of the Mage's ancient library and the searing painful slices of the enchanted defenses with their enforced parchment and leather spines, the walls echo with their heavy, or in some cases easy, breath. Nightwing presses his head into his thick neck with thought, head heavier than the air that punched from his throat and sawed his chest; Nightwing while he wasn't the only Courser seeming to struggle with the intense pace set by Kestrel in place of Peregrine's normal positioning, he was most certainly the reason they were set at such a slow trot. One such as his that undertakes fits of mental exploration tended not to match their physical prowess, each if he could sprint... short distances.

Kestrel stretched her neck side to side as her ears caught small and hidden evidence of unstable pathways, monster crossings, and dens; Her mind was being strained underneath her length-eating pace and she wouldn't be able to keep up with it for much longer before needing a rest, and at that thought a memory clues her in.

Sitting upon the worn woven hay pads of the academy before their teacher for the day, Kestrel stared deep into the distance; half at the instructions and the long coiling maps provided for the exercise, and the other on mental driving herself far, far away from the classroom. She was the type to do, not read, and the long hours that the Dungeon Charters had them endure were getting to her that day.

"...Now remember if you are listening to the air currents and the sound changes from high and sharp to low and whoosh-y... What does that mean, class?" The aged and raspy voice of the Instructor sounds in her memory's ears, dragging her attention back to them and the class as a whole.

"Oh! It's an empty cavernous space! Or enclosed room." Came the response from another student next to her, their long legs curled beneath them and head bouncing in excitement on their corded neck.

Shaking herself to the present, Kestrel begins to slow their progression, hooves thudding rather than clicking against stone from the speed of their legs, "We are approaching another room, I would guess. The air pressure and intonation have changed." She offers to them, her short mane with its fine strands jostled by the whipping winds from their run.

Peregrine nods his appreciation from the back of the group, never having run out of breath and positioned to cover them from further attacks that may occur; they had been concerned with the flight capabilities that the tomes had displayed that they would have pursued and struck them from behind.

Aquilo, breath whistling behind his teeth, grins wildly and prances in step, "I would hope that whatever we are approaching will be... much less confrontation and still holds as much intrigue as the last." Long silver mane, the hint of his rich oils and florals wafting in their space as it covered the scent of mold and moss, flutters prettily over a sharp shoulder.

Nightwing only wheezes his agreement, legs quivering and a hint of exhaustion present within his eyes. He would love both of those things and a place to rest his body before continuing on, who knew that he would be in flight so soon after reaching the levels they did?

Kestrel chuckles, the rich sound sweet and uplifting in the tight quarters, "Don't we all, Prince? Let me scout ahead and secure our resting point." She swings her head from Aquilo to Peregrine, as if to say that they must be on extra alert, especially given the roan's current state.

Peregrine huffs and moves to the side, both ears trained in different directions, he was placing himself in the best position to react to another from either side of the corridor, "Acknowledged. Bellow if we are needed." There is a strain of amusement in his dark rumbling voice, responding in kind to say that he figured the Bay would scream no matter what she encountered. 

Kestrel narrows her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him, she has yet to be surprised enough to shout her concerns to the Kingdom and she doubted she would here in this instance either.

Tossing her head back, short mane and tail flicking her temporary farewells to the party she trotted forth into the darkness, incidentally taking the light with her as her Wisp follows along. It may not be the stealthiest approach that one could make, but it was better that she see where she steps and any signs of traps or creatures that may make the next area their domain. She wouldn't like to encounter some of the more violent types by herself if she could afford to.

Kestrel breaches into the cave space... well the wooden room within a few spaces, the wide corridor lined with smaller... rooms? She was very obviously confused by the design of the space, the smaller spaces had doors that only reached half way up to the ceiling and barely had room for two Coursers, maybe a third if it were a Foal, standing let alone laying. 

"It is safe, continue on three kilometers and turn right." She calls out, voice pitched lower so it may travel further without distorting the soundwave as it travels the length of the Dungeon tunnel.

The three others join her fairly quickly after, various degrees of confusion and concern on their faces and in their eyes.

"Oh! Its a tomb...?" Nightwing cries not too long after they began to explore together, having found rather quickly the remains of an ancient Courser's skeleton within the chambers.

"There is more over here, as well!" Cried Aquilo, unlatching the rusted metal keeping the doors closed and rooms locked.

Peregrine shifts uneasily, "They don't look to have been moved before their deaths... it's as they fell and died within them." His voice is as unsettled as his feet.

Kestrel blinks, pausing in the pathway before she turns to look into the opened chamber; Peregrine was right. There were even signs that they had struggled to get out despite the door being of height to jump over, what possibly could have kept them here? More flying creatures that struck out if they attempted to jump? A trap? Were they chained to these rooms? Whatever had occurred here, she no longer wished to rest within its walls, lest they fall victim to the curse that dealt the death of these ancient ones.

"... I think we must move on. Find a different cavern space to rest. I don't trust whatever had left or led these Coursers to their deaths to not target us." She prompts quickly, kicking up long lain dust on the floor.

Reluctantly, Aquilo and Nightwing agree, and the four of them are gone. Wind sweeping the disturbed dust back over their hoof prints, one single stall door open to expose the remains within.