The next morning, Theora woke up long before dawn. She was glad she had a full and eventful previous day, because despite going to bed early after dinner, she hadn't had any issue falling asleep, and she was able to get ready for her run quickly. Admittedly, she was also feeling strangely excited at the prospect of seeing Mischief again. As Theora launched herself into the still dark streets of the Capital, she was trying to convince herself her excitement had nothing to do with the horse's caretaker, only the mount.
Theora began running, taking in the more quiet than usual streets. It was so early that the sun had yet to appear behind the building, its first lights hitting the sky but still overshadowed by the dying lights of the lampposts. It still felt more like night than morning, an
