“Mm,” she hummed lightly under her breath, but accepted Róisín’s claim all the same. She hadn’t actually expected that walking up and talking to her would magically open all these doors that had quite oddly slammed shut. After such a promising start to the beginning of their relationship, things had only soured, and then soured further. At times Oswin found herself wishing for the bright-eyed curiosity of the dun mare who spoke up to her two elders, so she could ask her what she thought of the current state of things.

“Yes, I think this little one will arrive at the end of spring.” Big, but not as big as their brother, if Oswin had to guess. She worried over the coming birth, but the Peak General was no one Oswin could confide in about such things. Oswald’s birth had been the most difficult she’d ever undergone and she had a worrying suspicion this one would be too. She would be doing all she could to avoid Tyr’s company the following fall, lest she cave to the inexplicable allure she felt to the large stallion and gave him a third unplanned child.

Oswin smiled as Róisín asked after Oswald. Despite any tenseness between the pair of them, just as mentioning Oswald could soften Róisín, it did the same for Oswin. She wouldn’t want to pick favorites between her children, and maybe it was just because it had been so long since she’d had Klara and Maia as foals at her side, but she’d greatly enjoyed raising him. “He’s doing good,” Oswin paused. This was wrong to use this moment to bring this up but, carefully she added in what seemed like an offhand comment- “He’s thinking of going to live with his father next year for a little while to see if he’d prefer the Lagoon to the Peak. He hasn’t made up his mind yet, but he has some time to decide.”

While true, Oswin had mainly said it to try and gauge Róisín’s reaction to mentioning Tyr and Oswald leaving the Peak to go and live in the Lagoon with him.

oswin
this is as brave as I know how to be.
I know it’s gonna hurt you, but please… be a little proud of me.