Flare had been standing there waiting for the stranger to do or say something. Nightmist stared at him and he sighed. He realized that he looked just as strange to her as she did to him. He dropped his head and kneeled showing no harm. Nightmist backed up further. He looked up and tossed his forelock out of his eyes.

"Would like to come meet my herd?" He asked his head low and solemn. Nightmist softened a bit and nodded ever so slightly and stood still a winglength away from him.

They were in a grove of trees which were bright and colorful. Before them was a pit of darkness as the forest continued into the deepest parts of the forest which were the dark parts. Flare walked forward and up a small hill where the tree line emerged into a great valley. Nightmist shivered but trotted up and out of the trees and her eyes grew wide. Flare was beside her and smiled. He looked at her expression and nickered. "I bet you've never seen the horse parts," He said knowing what the strange winged steeds called his kind.

Nightmist gulped and nodded. Her expression then became filled with wonder. Flare trotted down into the valley. Nightmist followed and faced a bigger hill. Flare trotted over with grace and stood up on top of the hill. He looked behind himself and saw the mare standing there hestitating to follow.

"Come on! You'll want to see this," He said. Nightmist jolted into awareness and slowly trotted up the hill and started at a walk when she was just over the edge. She gaped and her eyes grew even wider. Flare nickered and looked forward and sighed.

It was a much bigger valley with a lake crested by willow trees on one side. Horses ran in a circle and grazed all around the vally. They were all sorts of colors and quite big. She walked down the hill but hestitated.

"What if....... I don't trust you because they don't trust me," She said pointing to the steeds with her beautiful feathers. Flare nickered. "They won't mind. Infact we have one of your kind living with us here," He said and looked forward. Nightmist looked forward and saw a little blue roan colt with aqua feathers playing with the horse foals and having fun. She gasped and her wings dropped.

( Guess who it is! )

It was a pegasus. One of her kind. She didn't know pegasi lived above ground. Cave Herd should have been the only herd. But maybe there were others.......... She sighed as her thoughts webbed themselves through her mind. Flare trotted into the valley and many greetings and whinnies of honor met his proud arch of his neck. Nightmist warily walked down into the valley. Her wings were clamped to her back and she cantered up to Flare her tounge fumbling in her mouth as horses glanced at her and whispered.

Flare looked at her. "What is your name?" He said his eyes kind.

"My name is Nightmist," She shuddered.

Flare smiled. "That's a beautiful name. I bet you have questions," SHe nodded

"Then alll of them will be answered by morning once you have been alone beside the lake for one night. It is ritual for anyone who stays here. I'm sorry about that," He said his eyes solemn. SHe smiled warily.

"That's fine.\. That's probably a good thing for me since I'm completely new here," She whispered as they trotted to the far side of the valley. Flare smiled at her. Finally, a snesible mare who knows how to handle things. He thought.

( Hope you enjoy this! I took Japser's advice and this is the end of chapter 1! )