Having a companion was a lot of work. Murtagh loved it, of course, but it was crazy! First there was the whole getting used to having someone in your brain thing - that was like, super weird. And he was never really alone now! Which was pretty great…

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t all that much work.

It was mostly a lot of fun

With Mammina not feeling well, Murtagh had lost one of his most reliable playmates. Which would have REALLY sucked if Sorellina wasn’t around. His bear cub was always up to play whenever he was. Unless he was hungry, but that was okay too because they were usually hungry at the same time!

Soon Lakota would be feeling better and everything would be just perfect again, right?

Unfortunately, the dreaded Tallsun weather was back and putting a serious damper on Murtagh’s perfect life! How could he possibly enjoy himself when it felt like every inch of him was sweating? Parts that he didn’t even know could sweat were just dripping!

At least he was allowed to swim now. Or, well, actually… he might have forgotten to check and see whether he was allowed to swim without supervision now. He was pretty sure it was alright. He was a year and a half now and that meant he was practically all grown up!. He was no longer a baby. Besides, his mothers couldn’t really deny him a cool dip on these disgusting, hot days - right?

While he had waded into the pond until the water was at his chest, his companion did not seem convinced that it was safe. She was standing on the edge of the pond with her front paws in the water and nothing else.

“Sorellina!” He called out to her. “Come on in!” She was probably just roasting in that fur coat of hers but still she did not budge. Instead she growled unhappily from her spot, sad to be parted from Murtagh. The colt responded with a growl of his own and a bright smile to match. He had been practicing the noises of his bear family and was slowly getting the hang of it.

Luckily, Sorellina knew he was trying to be encouraging despite the terrible sounds that were bear growls mimicked by a horse. Still, she stubbornly shook her head and wailed another sad note before sitting down on the soft grass of the shore.

It would seem that they finally found something that they would not do together!

Murtagh’s attention was quickly diverted away from his own bear cub and toward the sound of some bigger forms approaching. Never having learned fear, he waited with anticipation to see what new or old friends were going to come in for a swim today. But, luckily for him, it was neither old or new friends because it was actually family. The smile that lit up Murtagh’s lavender eyes was like  no other upon recognizing the two forms. “SIS!” He called back to her cheerfully and soon after another shout: “Mama!!”

A whinny of delight punctuated these greetings as the colt bucked in the shallow water before prancing through it - leaving no shortage of splashes in his wake - to first greet the mare who had waded in towards him and then the bear. He could hardly not go over and say hello to her, she was his mama after all! It would be rude not to and he had far too many bear and mare parents to get away with being rude.

In another flash of spraying water he was back into the pond with a burst of laughter - not brought up by any joke but the sheer joy that the young colt felt in this moment. Little pieces of his family were with him and that was alright by him!

Sorellina grumbled sadly to Eytan’s encouragements to get her into the water, remaining where she stubbornly sat. Even though the two horses were now in the pond and she trusted her bonded, she wasn't sure she trusted herself or the pond. Murtagh would be dry within moments after emerging but she'd be a sopping wet mess for the rest of the day, if she ever made it out.

After frowning at his companion for fourth time today, Murtagh’s attention finally returned to Ranjiri and he calmed down long enough to be enticed by her ‘guess what’. “What?!”