Time had passed, and her body had grown once more to accommodate new life. It was a sensation both familiar and strange, accompanied by changes more subtle than the rounding of her belly. Emotions had mellowed and she had become quieter, more at peace with herself. Time was spent enjoying the mellow warmth of the Orangemoon sun, the gentle patter of rain upon her hide. Thoughts focused on the future, making plans and contemplating, instead of lingering on what was done and gone.

But all must pass, and her quiet interlude was interrupted by pains that became gradually stronger. In the night she stood and waited, patient for the time to grow nearer and this new life to demand entrance to the world. Amused, she contemplated the last time she'd waited out a night with labor pains. Just over a turning of the seasons past, that. A time where the expectant joy of motherhood was almost outweighed by her fear of what waited in the night. Tonight, she had nothing to fear. Though she was alone, standing in the shelter of one of the Meadow's solitary oaks, watched over only by the jade eyes of the ever-present Zaffre, she was calm.

The night was almost over when the contractions came close enough together to drive her to her knees. Laying prone made it more tolerable as her body strived to expel the child she'd carried. Even so, time blurred as her attention turned inward. Focusing on each push, each breath, the changing feel of where her child lay. Until it was done, and she heaved herself to her feet.

The golden glow of the dawn greeted her eyes and the child she'd borne. The song of birds was muted by the humming of the blue sprawled on the tree limb above her. While weary, her concern was for the tiny pale filly laying in the grass. Her dark muzzle lowered to sniff one intricately patterned wing, a low whicker escaping her in soft greeting. "Israfel, my Israfel. Daughter of the sun, so fitting for you to enter the world at the dawning of a new day."

Warm affection lit her eyes. It was too much hassle to bother with dark thoughts concerning this little filly's sire and the havoc he'd wreaked. He was not here, and there was all the time in the world to teach this innocent mind. So she busied herself with cleaning the so-pale coat of her new daughter, paler than even her first-born had been. Strange how she was reminded of both her elder children by her youngest.

An ear was kept ever tilted, however. Those near to her would know of how close to her time she'd been, would likely be drawn by her dragon's heralding of new life. Absently she wondered who would come. Mirage, her brothers? Kimber or Ricochet? Perhaps some others from Qian or Foothills? Impossible to guess, really. Time would tell.