"No no no!" the black-winged mare laughed as water splashed high into the air, glittering jewels that sparkled in the evenings golden light. "Not so hard, not so fast! Like this, "like you want to stir the water. Slow, steady, unyielding!"

"Like... like this?" Panting slightly from the continued effort of moving her waterlogged wings the filly frowned in concentration and tried to imitate her mothers graceful motion. Pushing the wings down, forward, up and round, the point of the exercise was to build muscles and practice the movements that would one day allow her to fly freely across the sky. For the better part of an hour she had been splashing around in the water, grateful for the shade of the trees and the cool liquid that staved off the worst of the afternoon's heat, all as frustration mounted. It was hard to get the move just right, so that she didn't splash or wobble or plunge beneath the surface. Her shoulders burned like cold fire, breathing was made even harder by the constant coughs and snivels as the black lung disease kept sapping her strength. Yet the child refused to stop even when Mother began to look concerned. It had taken her days to convince the tired, sickly mare to give her a lesson, and she wouldn't stop until she did this thing right.

Straining to control the aching wings Erthë gave it another try. Down, forward, up and...

"Good!"
"I did it mom!"
"VERY good, my dove!"

Shadow's voice was warm and dark, serious face split into a wide smile, more brilliant and beautiful than even the rays of light that filtered down through the dense canopy. Erthë beamed back at her, and at a sign from the mare that she was allowed to rest she let herself collapse back into the water, sinking deep into the murky depths to savor the triumph. Once she drifted back up the the surface however the mother was making her way out of the pool, water rushing from coat and wings onto the soft moss. The filly groaned in disappointment - it had been great to spend so much time with the blackbird, she didn't want it to end!

"Do you have to go?" she mumbled, watching morosely as the grown mare shook herself, spraying water all around like a fine mist.
"I'm not going far" Shadow replied, though upon looking back at the filly and noticing the sad expression on her face she smiled and sighed resignedly.
"I am just going to graze, Erthë, don't look at me like that. I am tired and hungry and I need a break. So do you."
"You promise? You're not disappearing somewhere again?"

The girl couldn't help the prickling worry - it wouldn't be the first time the mother left and was gone for hours, even days at a time. It wasn't unusual. Shadow had been doing that for as long as the filly could remember, but as she grew older it became harder to understand why. Why she left, where she went, why she didn't bring Erthë along... She wanted to ask so badly, but she had yet to pluck up the courage to do so.

"Yes, I promise" the mother laughed. "You are welcome to join me, you know. You are so skinny, it would do you well to - "

"I'll stay here" Erthë cut in, rather hurriedly. "I want to swim some more... it's so hot still." There it was again, the nagging. Eat more, practice hard, do as I say, little dove... Even though Erthë just wanted to play in the cool shade as the days grew longer and hotter. Even now as she bobbed about in the forest pool the water felt lukewarm against her icy skin, soothing but without the chilly bite she really preferred.

"... Alright" Shadow sighed, giving the child a lingering look that was equal parts sad and knowing and scolding - it was rude to interrupt people when they were talking. "I won't be far. If anything happens... "

"I know. I'll scream as loud as I can and run away."
"Exactly. Don't stay there too long, or your feathers might rot... Love you, precious."

"Love you too mom... wait, really?" She stood up rather hastily and looked at her small wings in alarm. But the shadow mare just left with a mysterious laugh, ignoring the angry, worried glares of her daughter that stabbed her back until she had disappeared in the underbrush.

Muttering to herself, unable to completely shake off the threat as a lie, the filly slowly sunk back into the cool liquid. She would only stay a little longer then, float around and listen to the world and her own heartbeat. Everything sounded so funny when she dipped the head below the surface, muffled yet amplified at the same time. It was peaceful too, now that the splashing and laughing and instructions had died down. With the setting sun the shadows deepened and grew longer, fireflies emerged and began to dance across the rippling surface. She felt tired where she floated about, limbs heavy and aching - but it was a good pain, and it was such a treat to be able to close the eyes and just drift, bob about in the waves and let the thoughts drift.

Little did she reflect over how she might appear where she dozed, unmoving and limp in the pool with the curls spread about her like a pale halo. Like a ghost of ancient pasts, a spirit of children drowned and lost. If one believed in such things.