Quote:Psyche:

Her breath comes laboured, in shallow gasps and pained moans. She is on the ground, needles and rotting leafs cushioning the obscenely large body. Only vaguely can thoughts transpire within the humming nonsense of her mind; she remembers how this wretched parasite came to be, but only in glimpses: the swirl of fog, how her FrostHeart came to her, pale heavy body against her dark and slender, his seed sowed and later her escape, the late winter air like lead in her lungs as she ran.

Proud, the mare did not want the king of the Edge see her in such an ugly, terrible state, so she had hidden in the commonlands, swelling and swelling until she could barely walk. Pregnancy had not been kind to her, she reflects dulling, muscles twitching as she pushed and pushed, but a union had to be formed between herself and the King, however much she trusted him. But trust is weakness and Psyche is anything but weak.

And with a final gasp, the mare trumpets laboriously, wondering if Mauja will hear her.

The skies are black and the swirling mist is white and the tall trees loom over her fallen body.

---

Mauja:

At first Mauja had worried for the mare that was carrying his foal. Why she had disappeared so shortly after their time in the grove he wondered about. Eventually he stopped worrying about her altogether and began to move on. Perhaps all she had wanted was a foal from him for whatever reason. Mares were curious creatures and never ceased to perplex him. It seemed as though Psyche was no different even if she claimed to be different.

The King's ears twitched at painful cry that was carried on the wind, his head turning in the direction he thought it came from. His tail twitched and he set off to investigate and was surprised when he found the very mare he had been trying to forget about lying on the ground prone. His ears tilted back as he gazed stoically down at her, his blue eyes roaming over the swollen belly.

"Psyche." He finally spoke the mare's name. "So good of you to finally return." Finally he lowered his head and touched his muzzle to her cheek. There was nothing he could say or do to ease the discomfort and pain of her labor so he waited for her to finally give birth to his child.