Mason’s words made Synder smile, even though she couldn’t give him much of a response. As he seemed to be expecting one, however, she grinned and snorted at the ground as if to say, right here! In these few moments of recognition Synder forgot about how blown-up and heavy she felt. She remembered only the patch of sun they rolled in together on their first meeting, as if the chilly wind were not actually rushing fiercely around the rocks under which they stood now.

Reaching out to him again, Synder sniffed his shoulder questioningly as if to ask where he had been in return. He smelled faintly like the Crossing, but mostly of Lagoon, as if he had explored and returned a while ago. She wondered how she could have missed him, and came up only with her recent distracted habits of eating half the vegetation in the jungle territory. Eating was of course a very consuming activity (she would have proudly presented Mason with that pun had she been able to) and she concluded that she hadn’t paid enough attention to notice just about anybody.

It almost felt like they were missing something as Mason chattered only briefly. Synder remembered her affliction once again and it occurred to the sooty mare that the young stallion must not have known what the deal was with her stomach, as he seemed the type to bring such things up in conversation. She didn’t know how to tell him she was pregnant but decided to find a way; for whatever reason she was suddenly proud of herself and considered her pregnancy an accomplishment. Her small, silent self was carrying a living thing and darn it, it was going to stay alive! Synder looked at Mason and then twisted her neck around to nuzzle her barrel affectionately (it was not difficult to reach; she was fit to burst). Then she glanced back expectantly to see if he understood.