She wondered briefly how her son - the embodiment of sunshine and purity itself, in her eyes and even in others - could be so horribly obsessed with something as cold and dangerous as snow. For a moment it hurt her heart, twisted it into something blackened and foul, to recall the shadows that lingered in her brother's eyes whenever the powder first graced the land. Maybe it was a way of rebuilding what had been broken - a karmic twist of fate, that her only son would so dearly love snow when her brother had been tortured by its existence, and was still haunted by it to this day. 

But the day was not for somber thoughts and sorrowful contemplation, and her child's effervescent smile chased away the shadows in her heart. They would never leave her. They were tattooed permanently into her soul. But they faded, blurred, and receded beneath her son's unconditional love. Just another way that he brightened her daily life and gave her hope for the bleak future that lay before her - a winding, exhausting path. 

He leaned trustingly into her, and she bore his weight like it was a kiss from a celestial being. And while Lakota wished she could freeze time and linger in the moment, her child would not stand for such foolish notions. She was off and jogging into the thin snow without much prompting, and his gleeful words called back at her, springing a laugh from her throat. Violet eyes glanced over her shoulder to watch him twist and corkscrew in delight as he hurried after her. It was almost like he was trying to run but his body wouldn't listen to him, adamant in displaying his excitement physically regardless of what Murtagh wanted. It was fucking adorable.

Lakota let him get close to her skin, enough for him to tag her back, but the elements had quite another idea in mind for the rambunctious colt. He went down in a spray of snow and a yelp of surprise, and Aodaun was already halfway towards him in instinctive protection before either of them realized what had happened. When they did, both mare and bear chortled out laughter at the cub's dazed words. He knew them well to cry out the fact that he was okay before anything else. 

Lakota and Aodaun flopped gracelessly into the snow beside him, Lakota positioning herself to gaze calmly into his eyes. "We do fall, but not nearly as often. You'll grow into your legs, il mio amore," she crooned comfortingly as her tail flicked idly in the snow. Eyes twinkled merrily with restrained laughter for a moment. "I bet you'll even be taller than I am!" She chortled happily. It was almost impossible for her to imagine her precious boy all grown up. It seemed to her that he would remain a child forever, and in her eyes, he always would regardless. The man he would grow to be...what would he be? A warrior? A crafter? A nomad? "What would you like to be when you grow up, bambino?" she whispered, gently knocking one of her dark hooves against one of his. 

Lakota