Nuri flicked her bright tail in the dimness of the cloistered forest. She was a beacon in the darkened woods. Her metallic coat caught the glints of sunbeams and scattering the sunshine among the shadows. She nosed around the roots of a towering thick vine-choked tree, eager to find the tell-tale frog-footed leaves of the bleeding heart plant. When her head pulled back at the sound of a rustling of a mane and a friendly nicker.
The shadows coalesced into the form of the fog and midnight mare Asa, her crown of antlers adorning her and her wild eyes of fire opals observing Nuri.
"Asa!" She startled and stepped back. No! She must show courage, a bold heart! She stepped back into the place she started from, her heart thrumming against her ribs as the dark mare nearly towered over the filly.
"Yes! Healing. I can find... Some useful herbs. I was hoping to..." She was being too soft, too cautious too weak. She lifted her young noble head, pushing her fears of being caught so far from the herd aside. "I can be more than just a pretty face, Asa. I can kick and I can use herbs to heal!" She leaned forward, oh no was she being too bold now? She tried her best to hold the shadowed mare's firey gaze but her sapphire eyes couldn't bear the intensity and she looked down at the satchel of bones around the woman's neck. Praying that she won't one day be one of them. She knew some bleeding heart should be around here somewhere! She just had to find it! It can't be that elusive.
