a light in the darkness.

R I X E N "Another of the Rift's many mysteries..." I said with a sigh that echoed the mare's. My gaze rested steadily on the runes, although by now I had stopped trying to understand them. Who knew how long it would take to figure this place out? It could be years, or maybe even longer than a lifetime. It would be near impossible to have a thorough understanding of any place, but even to have some grasp seemed like attaining such knowledge was unable to be done. Would I ever be comfortable living here? It was not like I had a choice. Either way, I felt unsure that I could ever fully adjust to such an environment that differed so drastically from the one in which I was born. All I could do was try. And if I failed? I knew that failure was not an option. The Rift presented me with two choices: somehow find my place here, learn to understand the creatures, beliefs, and customs of this place - or die trying.  Taivas did not say much beyond answering the questions I asked her, so I found myself struggling to make substantial conversation. Some horses were simply not as talkative as others. At least she thought to elaborate in her responses rather than giving a one word answer, which I appreciated. When the silver pegasus finished speaking, I did not wait for another lapse of silence to fall awkwardly upon us. Instead, I thanked her for what she had told me, knowing it would be useful at some point or another. "Thank you for telling me about your spirits - for showing them to me. In time, I could see myself believing fully in such a thing, now that I have seen a spirit for myself. If anything, this knowledge that you have given me of an existing spiritual world might be beneficial to better understanding my role in this place. I had never seen magic until I arrived here, much less a horse summon spirits before. You seem to know what you're talking about, more capable of understanding Riftian spirits than any horse I've met so far. I'm certain that this connection that you speak of will eventually grow stronger." Realizing that I had been staring at the strange obsidian stones for, a time one could say was far longer than a horse should be staring at a cluster of obsidian stones, I decided it was time I ought to be going. "Anyway, I'm hoping to reach the sea by nightfall so I'd better get going. It was nice meeting you though. Perhaps the answers we seek will eventually become clear. And hopefully we will learn what these runes mean-" I paused to clear my throat before finishing the rest of the sentence, "-and exactly why they were put here." My words were accompanied by a final gesture of my head in the direction of the runes.  With a casual swish of my tail as if I were without a care in the world, I moved away from Taivas, strolling toward the trees with a light swing in my step. Without turning my body around, I swung my antlered head back in the mare's direction a last time as I approached the edge of the sunlit clearing. "So long." I called behind me, before my striped sides were engulfed by the pines. "Talk." they heard me singing and they told me to stop quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock

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