Wearily, Mouse turned away from Styrke and trudged up the mountainside. Her belly seemed heavier than ever as she made her slow way home, but she was determined to be nearer to the top when she delivered. It did not initially cross her mind that the painted male might follow her, but follow he did. Annoyance at this, as well as the pain beginning to shoot through her abdomen caused her ears to lie against her mane. Pain was not something she had considered when it became apparent she was pregnant. It didn’t surprise her, now that she thought about it, but it didn’t mean that she couldn’t be disgruntled about it.

Her going was so slow that she had barely made it halfway to her destination before she made herself rest. The area she had chosen was wide and flat enough for her to lay on her side and deliver, and as the pain was becoming too sharp for any other physical exertion she decided to settle here. She paced in circles, occasionally glaring in the direction from which she’d come in case Styrke got any notion that coming closer would be a good idea.

Not too much later, she finally laid down upon the earth and began to push. As she did so, more memories came to her. It seemed that they arrived every time she went through a remotely stressful situation, and she had thus far dreaded these flashbacks. But this one did not cause her too much distress, as it had to do with happy times. She learned, as she strained, that in her former home she had birthed a child. A sense of calm washed over her as she realized that she was perfectly prepared to raise one, though she wished to know more of her previous foal, its father, and their whereabouts now.

Now was not the time to think of such things, however, for she felt the last of her newborn exit her body. Her head lifted and she turned it to look at the wet foal with alert ears. Whickering softly, she looked over the tiny mass, wondering if all newborns were so small. She also noted that the child looked like her in coloring, save for a few splashes of white. It turned its little face towards her with eyes wide open, and a jolt went through her. Of course, it had to have his eyes. Their piercing amber stared into her with an awareness she felt was not common amongst those who had not even gotten to their feet.

Mouse lifted herself from the chilly ground, eager to get the babe dry in the air that still held a bit of winter’s bite. Her tongue ran rhythmically over its back, and it emitted small squeaks of protest, but she continued, discovering along the way that she had a daughter. Lifting her head and looking slightly downhill to where she was almost sure Styrke lurked, keeping an eye on them. ”It’s a girl. You may go now.” While she spoke, the filly was struggling to use her spindly legs, tottering slightly but remaining on her hooves. Mouse was surprised to see such spirit in the girl, but it pleased her all the same. As the painted grulla filly nudged her way along her side to nurse, her mother observed that one of the splashes of white looked oddly like a bird of prey. Given the girl’s coloring and her piercing eyes, Mouse knew instantly what to name her. ”Osprey,” she whispered as she nudged the filly’s backside and gave her the final push to nourishment.