I hadn’t been doing anything really, grazing in a small patch of sunlight on the young plants. The cold season had been harder on me and not just for the chill - I was unaccustomed to searching for food beneath snow and had wandered south in search of something edible. The lines of my bones were faint but noticeable beneath my cream coat and now that there was more food available I was incredibly self-conscious of it. I wanted to eat the Basin bare to return the soft swell to my sides and remove the harsh edges to my hips.

An unrealistic goal, but I ate like the snow was going to come back any second and cover up what there was.

I saw him before I heard his approach - the mountain-sized stallion was easy to spot and I whickered a soft greeting to him as he approached. I felt a bond to him - grown only stronger since I had fallen asleep curled into his side on a bitterly cold night. I had heard some of his story and had fallen asleep to the soothing sound of his voice, weaving pictures for me so that I dreamed about it - only now I wasn’t sure what was part of the dream and what had been truth.

His words and chuckle inspired a rolling of my eyes and a shake of my head. “Oh sure, it’s funny to you! You’re practically a mountain goat with that coat.” I snap back at him but it was without any malice or real effort and the grin in my golden eyes negated any harsh edge to it anyway. I avoid his question about whether I was well, because I honestly was trying to figure that out myself. The chaos of that herd meeting still had me unsettled and I had been avoiding many of our herd mates since - unwilling to tether myself to such a volatile group. But my isolation brought further uncertainty into the mix - how could I expect protection from this herd if I did not immerse myself into the group?

As kind as Calder had been so far, I did not think to burden him with the true answer to his question. So instead I smiled gently. “But I have been thawing out, slowly. It’s good to feel the sun bring warmth again. Although the nights are still cool.” Quickly, my eyes look away from him and I felt the rush of heat in my face. I had been too embarrassed to come find him again after that one night, as tempting as the heat of his body had been, because I had not wanted to be a burden on him - invading his private space night after night and demanding he be my own personal heater.

Quickly though, I move on and turn the subject back to him. “I trust you’ve been keeping well and warm?”