Her devotion to Tyr was as night to the day that her love for Ironclad had been. But with nothing left of the grey stallion to cling to, Kvothe gave herself willingly to an eternity of twilight. And though it wasn’t the life that she had dreamed of for herself, this new chapter in the Lagoon wasn’t entirely unwelcome. After a year spent haunting the loneliest reaches of the crossing, the slender mare savored the hum of activity that pervaded the bachelors’ homeland. Relished the multitude of eyes that saw and watched her, even if they also sent a shiver of dread down her spine. And cherished the moments that she stole with the spotted General, despite their rarity and brevity. Though she might have slipped away in the days of solitude that inevitably followed, the red Friesian was content to remain where she was. She might not have loved him the way that she’d once loved, but Tyr was still something to cling to.

And something was better than nothing at all.

Having yielded unthinkingly to the stallion’s plea for a child, Kvothe came to regret her decision in the seasons that followed as her belly swelled. The instinctive fear was even stronger this time, after witnessing firsthand how fragile the life of a child could truly be. But with a drive and determination that mirrored his father’s, the red boy fought his way into the world. And though she could never forget her sweet lion-cub, the chestnut Friesian’s grief was quickly buried by her awe over this boy’s courage and strength. As much as her own bravery and tenacity had grown, they were only a candle to his flame. And as fiercely as she strove to protect him, Frey was fiercer. Bolder, and more headstrong. A trial for his soft-hearted and sorrowful mother, but one no less welcomed or loved.

For the first seasons of his life, Kvothe held her little fire as close as she could, all but crushing the colt to her. Time was inevitable, though, and began to claim him in ways that she could not. Frey grew taller and broader and more independent with each day, until the rose-colored woman was all but chasing him throughout the Lagoon. He also grew to rely on her less, nursing only infrequently by the time autumn was reaching its end. When Tyr's summons came, she answered it alone, and lingered in the small clearing for a long time after the spotted dun left. Torn between the half of herself that wanted to hold Frey close… and the half that wanted to keep him safe no matter what the cost. Until then, Kvothe had thought these two halves to be one and the same. But facing the prospect of herding her son into the sea, she felt them break apart.

Felt herself break apart.

Aching throughout the hollow of her chest, the tall red mare pulled her body from the waves’ grasp, feeling heavy with the burden of her decision. Not far down the beach, the lithe Teke woman and her son watched her expectantly, as well as a stallion whose strangely-marked coat probed at a memory buried deep in her mind. But Kvothe, feeling the burn of tears mingle with the sting of saltwater, did not run to meet them. Instead, she turned about slowly to face the sea, her eyes staring fixedly in the direction from which they’d come. As if she could see across the miles of endless blue and back into the Lagoon.

As if she could peer through the tangles of its roots and branches to find the boy she’d left behind for the hope of keeping him safe.