Skylar had spent many days lost in the Ridge. Never before had she been to Atlantis, but Lyden’s scent had told her she had made it to the right place. Since then she had traveled and seen every nook and cranny of the place, making it her own for the time being. As her stomach grew with life a deep panic began to seize the mare but never once would she let it show. Many times she had thought of running back to the Peak, to hide away and stay as close to Mouse as possible with the oncoming child but as she ventured to the crashing waters she had always changed her mind. Despite the making of the babe, Skylar wanted whatever it was to have a father. Each needed a man in their life and despite his flaws; Skylar had seen something else there in Lyden. He reminded her a lot of her father, of the darkness that plagued him. But unlike the dark brute, Skylar thought that maybe Lyden could be saved. For now she would try but once the child was old enough to be on its own, the roan woman would return to her rightful home.


A soft sigh escaped Skylar’s ebony lips as she shifted her weight from one hoof to another. Today she had felt restless; her golden eyes watching as the sun came up and nearly setting now and not once had she left the spot she stood now. Usually her days were spent wandering and grazing, enjoying the warmth of the sand beneath her hooves as she watches the crashing waves and gaze upon the distant spot that would be the Crossing where the Peak lay.


Heavy eyelids closing and then being forced open, Skylar finally moved to bend her knees and lay down. A content noise escaped her and then she lay over onto her side. Sleep washed over the mare but she hadn’t lay there long when her eyes slowly fluttered open. Something had disturbed her, a soft frown crossing her face and making her rise up to peer back at her flank. Confusion was obvious on the mare and just as she was about to lay back down it came again. Ripples rolled across her flank and a grunt of pain pushed through her black trimmed nostrils. Contractions had started and that deep panic flared brighter than it ever had been before. She wished now she had gone back to the Peak, to have Mouse by her side and couch her through this. But many mares had done this before and Skylar knew she could handle this too.


Laying over, Skylar began to push with each contraction and long after the sun had sat the paint mare was still in the same place. Sweat dampened her neck and flank, her eyes closed and nostrils flared to drag in air. Exhaustion had long taken over the mare as time had passed, her chest throbbing with pain from the stress of the labor. A groan escaped the woman and with one last effort she pushed for all she was worth.


Finally the child came into the world and for a moment Skylar did not move. Slowly she rose up and peered back at the wet bundle before breaking the sac and beginning to clean the nose and ears. Instinct gave the mare the knowledge she needed to take care of the babe and despite the pain and fatigue, Skylar rose to her hooves. Peering down at the buckskin and white child, the woman already knew it was a girl. A soft smile graced her lips as already the filly was raising her head and trying to look around despite being so wobbly. Giving an encouraging nudge to try and get her to stand the filly followed suit and stretched out her long legs and tried to pull up. Front end collapsing it left her hindquarters standing, swaying back and forth and new muscles tried to figure out how to work. Again the babe tried and leaning against Skylar’s back legs managed to stay standing this time.


Reaching back, Skylar began to clean the filly once more, drying her and ridding her of the blood while soft lips brushed against her belly trying to follow the scent of milk. Once the girl found the source she latched onto the teat and began nursing while Skylar rested and kept watch wondering if Lyden would find them from the scent of birth upon the soft breeze.