Through her connections to many Archaeologists in Equestria, A. K. Yearling had access to knowledge before anybody else, which she used to venture to places forgotten by time; and she would write all that she experienced there into her books, with nigh anypony knowing that all her stories are true.
So, when a senior Archaeologist reached out to her, and told her of a single tattered page he found far away, she had hoped to read more than a couple of words about danger; but she soon realised not one Pony in Equestria knew of anything like what the author of the fragmented scroll had described.
A wretched and barren valley of rock and stone, where no living things dared to dwell, be it Dragon or Pony, Griffon or Beast, lest whatever foulness that permeated that place takes hold of them; and there was no Green near it, nor its countless caves, nor its dense, reeking, and wholly opaque fog.
A spark flickered to life in Yearling's eyes as a bright, yet mischievous smile grew upon her face, as her heart yearned for another adventure; and she copied all she could from the ancient, tattered scroll, and thanked the Old Archaeologist, who asked her to wait for a moment, before she flew off.
Trying and failing to hide her impatience, Yearling's wings fluttered as she tapped her hoof on the ground as she asked the Old Archaeologist what it was he wanted to tell her; and as he took off his hat and held it to his chest, he told her to be careful, and to remember to keep an eye on the sky.
Not often before had Yearling heard such a polite warning, and she smiled and nodded before wishing him the same, whereafter she set off, promising herself she would his follow his advice; and though it took her a while to make it to the nearest town, it gave her time to start planning her journey.
Back in town, she went back to her room, where she quietly hid the notes she had made of the scroll in her suitcase, before she slightly adjusted her outfit, and headed out again; though the town was small, and not found on many maps of Equestria, it had enough for its citizens to live comfortably.
And since she was still within Equestrian borders, the bits she brought along with her were happily accepted, for which she was especially grateful, as she headed to the small café for a hearty meal; and after her meal, which had grown large enough to feed an entire family, she ordered some coffee.
Ever since she arrived here, she had been desperate for a cup, and although it was nowhere near the brilliant quality she knew from cafés in Canterlot, Manehattan, or the Crystal Empire to the North, the feeling when she tasted it once again was indescribable, and she savoured everything she could.
Eventually, after Yearling had thanked the shopkeepers for her meal, and especially her coffee, she quietly returned to her room at the Inn, and took off her glasses and her cloak; and after she took a brief shower, and had made sure all her notes were still safe in her suitcase, she headed to bed.
But despite her long and exhausting day, she struggled to fall asleep, for she had many ideas about what could be found at this strange valley, from valuable treasure, to never-before-seen artefacts; and whenever she managed to sleep, for reasons she knew not, her dreams were obscured by dense fog.
After Daring woke up sleepy, tired, and exhausted the following morning, she rolled out of her bed, and dressed herself shoddily, appearing downstairs like a resurrected Yearling; and she quietly and grumpily told the innkeeper good morning, she went to the café, and asked for their strongest brew.
As if she had never left her own home, she quickly drank multiple cups of coffee after one another, and only felt poorer for it, just as she expected she would feel; she idly threw a bag of bits onto her table, and was about to leave, when her Old Archaeologist friend entered the café to greet her.
Here, as Yearling laid her head on the table, the Archaeologist quietly talked with the shopkeeper, before they placed an entire bread on the table next to her; and Yearling carelessly started eating the loaf as her friend quietly told her that he would keep her updated on any other pages he found.
Unintentionally staring daggers at her friend, Yearling thanked him for letting her know, promising him that she would let him know as well; after she finished the bread, Yearling thanked her friend, and went back to her room to rest, since she knew she was too exhausted to be of any use right now.
A few days later, after she had rested and roughly planned out the first few steps she figured were best to take, Yearling departed, though not before paying the innkeeper a generous sum as she left; she did not want to repeat her earlier adventures, nor the criticism she had received and deserved.
She made it to the train station outside of the forest, where she had to wait a while for the train to arrive, keeping an eye on her surroundings at all times; for though they had recently come to an agreement, Yearling was still worried about Doctor Caballeron, never fully certain if he was close.
But as she got on the train, and found a quiet cabin to rest, or as quiet as it could be, as it was more a train for cargo than for passengers, she shook her head and would try to ignore her worries; perhaps, it would even be wise to let him know her plans, since she might need to ask him for help.
After a couple of days of excruciatingly slow travel and transferring from train to train countless times, eventually, she found herself on a familiar train; and she closed her eyes for some time, as she knew whither she was headed, and she wanted to sleep some more before she arrived in Canterlot.
Now just the question of where she wanted to head first when she got there.
