As his loving parents watched on and fussed about him, the colt began to struggle to his feet. He was unsteady at first, but soon found his balance and allowed curiosity to guide him toward the tall figures watching over him. The child stumbled toward his father with determination strong enough to make up for his instability. His long, thin legs and tiny hooves struggled to find purchase on the damp soil and pillowy moss beneath his feet, but he persevered until he stood quite still and his movements became more fluid and natural. Murdock extended his muzzle toward the boy as he stepped slowly closer, the large rounded bridge of his nose gently bumping against his son’s tiny face.
 
After a moment of searching his father’s silky forelock and sharp cheekbones with his tiny nose, the child decided he was no longer of interest and wobbled on to better things. He slipped beneath his parents’ bodies, muzzle bumping along the underside of their bellies until he found the wealth of warm milk he was searching for. There, he was content for some time as he drew the nurturing liquid into his small belly, his dark tuft of a tail wagging in delight.
 
Gradually he felt Chernobyl’s weight become heavier against his shoulder, and he glanced down at her drooping head to see her eyes shut, her slow and even breaths becoming faintly visible in the cool dawn air. He wrapped his wing tightly about her body, holding her firmly against his side as she rested. In the time that she slept, the sun rose higher into the sky, casting a warm amber glow down through gaps in the canopy overhead and painting wisps of fog in shades of rose and gold. Eventually the child moved from beneath them and settled at their feet, curling up upon the bed of moss to rest.
 
When finally she awoke to the song of birds and a fresh warmth in the air, she sought out his muzzle with hers. He leaned back into her touch, his lips curling into a smile against hers. “Yes, let us move,” he replied to her question, stepping away from her side as his feathers slid across her back with the sound of silk unfurling. He could have stood in this peaceful grove for hours more to enjoy his new family, but he had begun to grow weary and wanted them all to be in a safe place before he succumbed to his tiredness. “Come, child,” he coaxed in a low voice as he bent his head to nudge the colt’s hindquarters, who was once again nursing beneath his mother. “Lead the way, my dear.”



"talk talk talk"