Blue eyes scanned the ivy stag before me, remembering my feather he had gifted me as it sat displayed in my dual toned mane for everyone to see. I faded back to that day, the upset that had taken over me that day only to have joy brought back to me by the wonderful encounter of Ilios. The thought sparked a little light in my eye as I seemed to blatantly stare at him. His voice returned me back to the meadow, after Brisa had received the egg and everyone seemed to move on with their lives. Here we were, exchanging catch up like old ladies over tea. Things took an interesting turn however, as I nodded to respond to the strength he found in me. ‘If only I felt the same strength now.’ My grumbly thoughts met my mind before he moved on, talking about the child.

I smiled to him, wanting to know curiously everything about this baby. As he spoke her name, blue eyes shifted to catch his gaze. “That’s a beautiful name, Ilios. I must meet her one day.” I offered him a playful wink with the same smile placed on my lips. Ears twitching to listen as the birds sung around us and he continued. He said the mare’s name was Eden and my ears pointed straight at him with almost a shocked look. “Eden?! That’s wonderful.” I exclaimed, shifting my weight before expressing a small laugh. “You should know that I’m the one who brought her to the Basin with me.” I offered him another small wink. “She was a very timid mare when I met her. I assured her she could find a home and life in the Basin. I’m both happy and proud to know that you’re the one that’s given her a family.” I spoke gently, the excitement billowing up in my face like a light even more so now.

Extending my neck out to him, I wished to reach his muzzle gently with my pale one. A gentle moment of innocent intimacy to show him that I was full of eternal happiness for him. “She sounds absolutely beautiful. Don’t worry about being too young, dear. I was only two and a half, I think it was, when I had my child. As long as you have the maturity to back it up, age is just a number. As it should be. I hope to be just as playful when I’m old as I am now. I think that’s everyone’s goal. And if it isn’t, then they don’t know what they’re missing.” I laughed to him, enlightening my experience with the child I had just spoken so sadly about. If you couldn’t make happiness from a sad situation, I felt as though there was no future to be seen. You needed to move on with your life, take your sadness and turn it into something productive. Which as time went on, I realized I did more and more. I returned my head to its previous place and watched him contently.

“You’re coming to the Basin? Perhaps we’ll be neighbors. I demand you come and visit instead of us just coming across each other coincidentally.” I grinned to him, tossing my head to him almost as if to act as though I was a selfish creature. Deep down, I was, but he didn’t need to know that. Ears perked to him in the curiosity of his reaction to how well I knew Eden. I was excited to see this child, excited to see Ilios become a father. It was a life altering experience and I hoped that deep down he was prepared for it.

"Talk."

— got to sleep,

spent the whole night running.