K1A1 did not tolerate Dögun’s stubbornness. He refused to move by his own will, and so by sheer force the great blue mare pushed him aside. She stared hard after him as he retreated, making no effort to hide his outrage as he at last turned his back and disappeared into the trees. Dögun was a fool if he thought he could save Shiraz, and if he took responsibility for the colt’s death then it would only make him weaker.

K1A1 kept her large hoof pressed onto Shiraz’s neck as he continued writhing painfully in the dirt. She did not return her gaze to the colt as she shifted the full bearing of her weight forward, ending his short life with a sickening crack.

She moved away from the body, slowly heading back to the herd’s main gathering place. The act of killing had dulled her hatred with solemnity for a moment, but it was only a temporary fix. With each step K1A1 took she could feel the white-hot prickling of another life cultivating in her gut and if there was any doubt of conception before, it disappeared.

As Panzer grew, so did K1A1’s angst.

K1A1