As night had rolled in over the inlet, the grulla mare had stood on the shore, russet eyes cast upwards at what remained of the ledge she used to stand sentry upon. The storm, which she and Dögun had weathered in one of the mountain caves, had washed most of it away like water down a sink. When the darkness rolled on with no end in sight, she took herself further inland, lingering on the outskirts of the herd as she often did. It was here, beside a moss covered boulder that sheltered her from the cold breeze that blew in off the ocean, that she chose to rest. Her back hoof was cocked and her ears drooped lazily as sleep took hold.

At some point, she became aware of noise, an unfamiliar scent and a sense of foreboding. Her head had snapped upwards, eyes opening to reveal odd shapes coming at her in the dark. The sleep still in her eyes, she only saw the jagged white markings glinting in the moonlight and two sinister yellow eyes. For a moment, she thought perhaps she was dreaming of Hati, the wolf that chases the moon, but alas the beast was upon her. She saw the darkness in his coat then, and perhaps the darkness in his heart.

With a squeal and a throw of her head, she had backed up in surprise. ”Ekki snerta mig!” she had barked in a gruff voice which was ultimately ignored. Whether this was because he didn’t understand her or just because he didn’t care, she didn’t know but she suspected the latter. While it was a first for her on the islands, it was not the first time a stallion had tried to herd her away with him. She had responded with the same warning kicks, flashes of her teeth and surprise bucks and rears but ultimately was pushed forwards with every one of them.

By the time they made it to the shore of the crossing she was exhausted and heaving for breath. All her days spent eating and growing fat around the inlet did not make the swim as easy as it had been on the journey to get there. Snapping her tail over her hind legs in agitation with her head low, she gave the stallion her best defensive stance but her heart was barely in it anymore. She’d barely recovered her breath when he was on her again, pressing her further into whatever territory he called home.

Deciding that she had gone far enough she put on the brakes, ignoring any more attempts to move her onwards. She turned on him, russet eyes glowing with rage, ”Fáviti” she growled and snapped her jaws together in his direction, hoping to find flesh. She would go no further.