The mare padded along a soft earthen path, a slight incline taking her lazily up the mountain. It had been some time since she had returned to these mountains where she grew up and she marveled at the new surroundings created by the passage of time. The trees had grown thicker, the forest more dense as they matured. What was once a small trickle of a creek now flowed as a broad and steady stream alongside her path. In places, the familiar trail had been cut off by the new directional flow of the stream, and now curved to follow the newly formed banks.
She followed one of these false paths as it lead directly down to the water, a worn offshoot from the main path, and lowered her head to drink. After she had taken her fill, Nituna lowered herself to the ground to take a short rest. Her white mane and tail were a stark contrast to the forest surroundings as she laid on the damp ground. She closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar aromas of her childhood home as a light smile spread across her face. It was good to be back here. Their true home was further up the path, closer to the top of the mountain, but she was content to take her time on her way up. She hoped that maybe her parents were still atop the mountain, and perhaps her sister as well. She dearly missed her family and hoped to find them soon.
