The golden child had grown to be quite the adventurous type. Always constantly asking me if we could go exploring and seeing new places. While I admired his love for everything beyond, it quickly grew tiresome seeing as he wanted to visit every nook and cranny of every place. It did well to quickly burn off all the fat gained from carrying the child, yet consistently continued to allow my joints to grow tired and worn. Yet, today we found ourselves in the Threshold. A beautiful mix of canopy trees and scents from everywhere. And so, Rein seemed quite content to look around and get to see what it was like here, though I was careful to try and make sure he didn’t make his way out of Helovia. So I paused, then, willing him to drink with me and happily he obliged. However as it often went his little belly could only carry so much whilst mine could carry much more. So the colt had to wait a few moments longer as I managed to drink to my own fill.

When I had finished, I turned to see where exactly Rein wanted to go to next, but a problem quickly rose and flurried within my chest. The golden child was gone. it didn’t take long before I grew frantic, calling his name every now and then and searching behind all the trees in case he decided he wanted to play a random game of hide and seek. My heart beat rapidly, like drums as they pounded in a march until I managed to calm myself enough to catch the Basin scent from the colt, and follow it briefly in the hopes of finding where the explorer had gone.

I was slower than I wanted to be, knowing that perhaps if I moved too quickly that my son would be gone from my nares again. Until finally, I spot the golden child through the thick of a bush prancing around a couple of stallions. Stallions of which were blurred to me in my hawk vision on my child. So I rushed forth, gold and cream pelt dashing out from greens and browns while I aimed for my son. I reached the child and quickly wrapped my head around his chest, pulling him back toward me away from the stallions. “Rein, don’t you ever run from me again.” I nearly pleaded to him within my fright, blue eyes watching him with a stern gaze. “I didn’t know what happened to you. You frightened me terribly, my son.” My voice landed on the golden colt as I then lifted my head, spotting the dark striped that appeared to be more feminine if I hadn’t heard his voice. Dipping my head to him gently, I turned my gaze to land on the other stallion.

“Tembovu…” I breathed quietly, golden chains from his gift sliding across my face in the movement. I shook my head briefly, tossing the reminders of his rage and glowing orange chest from my memories as I turned to address the two of them. “Thank you for keeping him distracted long enough for me to find him.” My voice called out with a hint of respect and yet past knowledge of the Elephant King and his soft spot for children. I glanced to him briefly before lowering my head back down to my child, pressing my cream face filled with the same exotic stripes my child bore into a gentle embrace to my son, thankful that he had stopped and allowed me to catch up.

"Talk."

— got to sleep,

spent the whole night running.