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The path stretches out before you like a never ending ribbon in the cast of the moon's light. A valley curves away from the cliffs you stand upon, green grasses swaying slightly to a breeze. Dark shadows of trees bend and sway, their leaves creating a rustling noise that blends with the sound of crickets and an owl. A spring's water lines the path to your right, falling off the face and merging with a small creek that dodges between the granite stones below and seems to flow into the mountian.

Strange coals line the edges of the path in hues of red, orange and gold. They meander down the cliff, leaving you to follow them. A few are embedded into the earth themselves and seem to not be willing to move from their spots. Before the path levels out, you take one more quick glance over the land. In the distance you see the reflection of a lake; a crystal blue that catches the moon in its waves and the snow topped mountians that surround it.

Running along the coal-lined path is a form, its gates matched closely to that of a horse, but its head mantled with horns. Her hooves throw the stones into the air and her mane catches the wind and arches over her neck. The mare slows to a trot as she nears you and the spring-born waterfall. Your path has curved down the cliff and has nearly moved directly under where you were standing just a moment ago. You back against the cool mountian and wait, hoping to not scare the creature.

She stops and lowers her head to drink. You step on a loose patch of shale, causing it to scatter down the path and nearly into her. The mare glances up and smells the air, catching your scent eaisly. Her ears perk and she paws the ground, turning to look up the path at you. "Hello, stranger. Come down from there and follow me."

You slowly move away from the cliff and down onto the path, which curves out in one direction to the open fields, and in another to a small, widened part of the creek where the spring empties its waters from the cliffs above. The mare snorts softly, pulling your attention back to her. She motions her head tward the waterfall. "In here." She steps into the water with ease, her long tuffs flowing downstream with the tug of the current. Quickly, she dissapears behind the curtian of water, the sound of hooves echoing off stone begins as passes through.

You step into the ice cold water, a shiver running up and down your spine with the contatct. Another foot makes it into the creek. As your teeth chatter together, you quickly move under the falling water and into the cave. The water splashes onto the hard ground of the cave. Your eyes begin to adjust to an orange glow. At first you think it is a fire, then you see that it is large versions of the coals you saw outside positioned in the roof of the cavern.

The mare that led you here is standing above a honeycomb pattern in the floor, her long fur ruffling. Her coat is almost dry. You hold out your hand atop one of the holes and feel warm air moving upwards, strong enough to nearly push your hand up. "Its for drying." The mares voice cuts over the sound of the rushing air. "It comes from an underground airpocket that has been there as long as the Clayn elders can remember. It keeps the caverns warm at night. There are a few other excape holes father in. Come." The grey and white mare turns and walks down the lighted halways to where you believe the rest of the Clayn is.

Gathered around a huge bonfire are the members of the Clayn. They all mingle together, talking about the days activities. Off in the shadows are groups of sleeping forms, huddled together for warmth against the cool stone. Feeling you are being watched, you turn to a ledge on the far side of the fire. The lead stallion's cool eyes watch you from her perch. He flicks his ears back, then forward again before speaking. "Ahh, traveler. Welcome to our Clayn." He stands up and gracefully leaps down to the ground, barely missing a running foal. "Let me show you around."