Licorne

The Last Star of Morning

Caledonia's breathing was ragged, they had tied another rope around her incase she fell. Her hands burned and her muscles ached, she looked down and saw clouds. It was white and fluffy until it turned dark, she shut her eyes and took a break,

"Dia you alright?" Riley asked, he had hung back a little bit to make sure that Caledonia wouldn't fall, although she wouldn't die it would scare her.

She nodded and continued. Morris reached for a root and took hold, he climbed up onto the soil and smiled looking back at his two companions. He saw Caledonia, she seemed to be struggling, her leg slipped and her scream echoed in the vast caverns. Morris reached out as if he could grab her, she held on with one hand. He watched as she pulled herself back up onto the rope and continued to climb. Riley was slacking, making sure that she was alright. Something that Morris should have been doing. Morris sat down and watched, it was midday and a light rain had started. Riley reached him and fell to the earth panting,

"That was a work out sir..." He panted, Morris let out a deep chuckle,

"Aye that it was...how is my flower doing?" He asked, Caledonia was almost there,

"She is doing good seeing that it is her first time." Riley said rolling over and looking up at the clouds.

Caledonia grabbed at the earth, she couldn't reach the root. She wrapped both legs around the rope and let go with her hands hanging upside down like a bat. Morris watched as she started to swing back and forth, she pulled herself up so she was sitting on the rope and then gingerly started to move towards the earth. When she finally reached it Morris walked over to her,

"How are you doing?" He asked helping her up,

"That was terrifying!" She exclaimed looking back at the ship and the ropes, Morris nodded,

"It was, are you alright?" He asked seeing that she was shaking, Caledonia let out a laugh and waved him off,

"Oh yeah...I'm fine." She smiled, Morris nodded and both of them walked back to Riley who was sitting on a rock,

"Hey guys!" He said a broad smiled pasted on his face, Caledonia went to say something but Morris interrupted,

"We aren't gaining daylight we should get going." He said, they all nodded and Morris went in first.

Caledonia followed after him, he reached back grabbing her to make sure the forest didn't separate them. Riley walked close to Caledonia, she could feel that he was afraid. The leaves on the trees were a range of orange and yellow, but for some reason it was unsettling. Caledonia looked around amazed, it looked like her old forest. They passed a pool of water, it glistened in the light.

Caledonia pulled away from the group and walked to the edge of the water. She looked into the water the image of a unicorn reflecting back at her. She tilted her head her horn glistened. She knelt down and touched the water, she felt the water start to crawl up her sleeve. It pulled at her, she bent down lower to the water, her eyes glossed over and she let the water have her. Morris grabbed her waist and pulled her away from the mucky water. She snapped out of it and heard him screaming at her,

"Dia! Dia snap out of it!" He screamed, her eyes met his and she shook her head,

"What happened?" She asked dazed, Morris stepped back,

"You walked over to that mucky swamp," He said pointing to a disgusting looking pool of muddy water, "You stuck your hand in and started to slowly lean in, I knew that you would fall in." He said,

"I was back in my forest..." She whispered, Dia looked around and saw the gnarled branches twisting and turning each one trying to get into her head first. Morris held her hand as they continued.

The walked until night fell