She had heard him, but that nicker only drove her into the greenery more quickly. She'd done well to avoid the vast majority of the Lagoonies ever since she'd been driven into this hellish swamp and she had no intention of getting to know any of them well. The logical side of her brain argued that there simply had to be decent men among these ranks, that a herd could not be entirely composed of monsters, but the rest of her brain disagreed.

The red mare whirled at the sound of heavy footsteps behind her, her hackles raised and teeth bared in a wild grimace. The sight that greeted her as she turned did not put her any more at ease, as she had neither the distance nor wherewithal to notice the way time had softened the golden stallion. For her, he was still the villain that had undercut her self-confidence and forced her into a swamp for no other reason. If it had been because he'd wanted her, she thought she might have at least understood, but he'd left no illusions there. He'd locked her up solely because he could, as if she were just a number.

"What d'ye want?" She all but spit out as she turned toward the massive stallion, her hide quivering despite the fierce display on her face. She backed away a step, tail lashing uneasily across her haunches as she glared at the man who had made her captive and then disappeared. "I dinna need anything from you." Isla assured him, ears flattened tight against her poll. She hadn't seen him in months. The fact that she knew this, that she had taken note of how long it had been since she'd spotted his golden shoulders, annoyed her more than she could put into words.