The horse's gallop carried me further than I thought. The cool air cut against my cheeks, and with each breath the scent of pine and damp earth mingled with the sweetness of the apples I carried in my bag. I didn't stop until the noise of the castle was left behind, barely a distant memory covered by the whispers of the forest.
The hooves resonated against the grass and soft earth, until the path began to narrow between the trees. The horse, imposing and nervous at first, now seemed to guide me, as if it knew exactly where it wanted to take me. Its ears moved restlessly, listening to sounds I couldn't yet perceive.
And then I saw it.
The forest opened into a clearing, as if the trees had decided to bow and part to protect a secret. Before me, an ancient cabin rose beside a crystal-clear lake, fed by the silvery fall of a waterfall. The sun broke through the high leaves, pouring beams of golden light that made the water sparkle like shattered diamonds.
