When a familiar black and white horse stepped out of the trees, I pinned my ears. It was not the small mare I had claimed, but my sister. I pawed the earth and glared at her as she spoke. When would she learn I had nothing to say? When would any of them realize that I had no use for words and even if I could speak, I would not. Voices were annoying. Words, and the emotions carried on them, were not interesting. She spoke the tyrant’s name and I lifted my chin. We were of the same height, but I was heavier and could see out of both eyes. I peeled my lips away from my teeth as I recalled the day I had witnessed my sister confront the black stallion in these very same woods, and I stamped the ground with my left forehoof as if I could kill the bastard again. My sister did not stay long after that, and once she had fled I snorted and turned around to return to my herd.

“Herd” was a generous term. The smaller version of my sister was not in the grove, and I had not seen the too-spotted bitch since its arrival in the Forest. All that remained was the graying draft mare, the hindquarters of whom I caught sight of as it slipped through the trees. I had not seen its stupid foal since I brought them into the herd. So, this was what it had come to: I protected the herd and they dispersed as soon as my back was turned. I rushed forward at a trot, my ears still pinned as my fury mounted. The memories of my past disappeared. All I focused on was catching up to the heavy sabino to corral at least one of the mares, and then— then we would leave. This territory was not suitable for a herd and I needed to collect more mares, strong mares who understood that unity was key and who would stick together instead of wandering on their own. I had no patience left but I did the mare a favor when I caught up to it: I held my anger in.

I bumped my muzzle against its hip to alert it to my presence, if it hadn’t already felt my hooves thundering along behind it or heard me stepping through the wet leaves. Once I was sure I had its attention, I dropped my head and nipped at its heels to coax it to the left. I lifted my head and ears and stepped forward and to the left. My chest would bump into the mare if it hadn’t moved, and if it did not move toward the ocean I would drop my head and start snapping at its hocks. I was done with this Forest. It meant nothing to me now.

We were leaving.