When the Dawn Breaks [TBAU]

☆ Chapter 27 ☆

Maybe, Gem was starting to think, this was a bad idea.

She spit a leaf out of her mouth and glared back at the bush she'd just pulled herself out of in this ridiculously dense forest she'd found herself in. There had been a path at first, but then it had started to get sketchy, so she'd strayed off of it, forging her own route. Eventually she knew she'd reach something.

It was midday, the sun warming her scalp and a gentle breeze ruffling her coral pink dress. If she didn't reach somewhere by nightfall, she supposed she'd have to hunker down in the woods, preferably somewhere safe from any wild animals.

She'd adventured all this way to find a new life, not to lose the one she had.

At least the adventure had gone fairly well so far, if a bit unsuccessful. The few towns she'd been to already outside her old kingdom hadn't quite fit her vision for a fresh start. Maybe the next one she came across wouldn't be either, but however it went, she got to travel, which was a win in of itself.

Gem's heart had always longed for exploration, for as long as she could remember. It didn't take her until recently to finally give into that urge, pack up her most important belongings, and leave Dawn. She'd been a princess there, but it had really been more of a symbolic role than a political one, so she'd been more than happy to step down and let someone else fill the space. Now she was on the roads, with a huge backpack stocked with traveling necessities and a handheld suitcase of her favorite outfits and objects to accompany her.

Correction, she had been on the roads. Now she was in the middle of a forest. Gem stared at a tree that looked a little too familiar for her liking, before kicking it with the toe of her boot.

She grumbled in frustration, and pain, because now her foot hurt. "I'm going in circles now, aren't I?" She muttered to herself in irritation. Luckily, though, she remembered the key thing she'd been following this whole time: the sun. Rises in the east, sets in the west, clear, cohesive, constant.

Based on the time, the sun was high in the sky, but slowly heading downwards, getting ready to set. Gem turned in the direction of where the sunset would eventually be, and started walking again. She'd been heading west before, away from her kingdom in the east.

With her eyes on the sky above, she continued on. Maybe she was a little roughed up, a little worse for wear compared to when she had started her journey, but her determination hadn't given out. The scenery was enough to keep up her confidence; it was wonderful to be surrounded by the bright greens and soft chirping of birds. Vibrantly colored flowers dotted the ground at her feet, bees and butterflies played in the air, and smoke rose from the treetops in the distance–

Smoke rose in the distance? Clear, controlled smoke- that from a fireplace. That from a building. From people.

Gem's eyes lit up, and a grin warmed her face. She picked up her pace to a swift jog, paying no mind to the branches that brushed past her and left little scratches on her arms and clothes.

The trees started to thin around her, a telltale sign of a town, and she started laughing in happy victory. Gem held her arms out, hands brushing tall grasses. Her jog turned into a run, hooves kicking up dirt. Her breaths became quick and giddy. Her hair whipped around behind her. A squirrel chittered and leaped out of her way as she ran past.

Gem kept running and running until she broke the treeline, where she came to a complete stop with a huge exhale. "WOOO! Civilization!!!" She cheered, eyes laying upon a collection of houses and buildings, each of them quaint and lively.

She took a few steps forward on the hill she'd found herself on, surveying the village as she caught her breath. She'd been traveling a while, and her exhaustion was making itself known in the shake of her knees and the droop of her arms. This village had appeared at the perfect time.