Snow clings to the fringes of the forest in wet piles of slush. Spring is in the air, removing the chill to let the forest bloom once more. The winter had passed smoothly, less harsh than the last and the wolves had stayed firmly away from their borders. Jörmangandr is glad to have been granted a reprieve from the drama, even if it is short lived (which she hopes it is not). Although, they had not been entirely drama free. Kasabian had made a second attempt at gaining Caesisus, this time through thievery but was ultimately unsuccessful. Jörmungandr knows she needs to speak with the perlino soon and there was a nagging feeling that she may need to tackle the buckskin stallion as well.

Another thing which has passed smoothly is Jörmungandr's second pregnancy. While Joukahainen had tossed and turned relentlessly in her womb (leading to a near fatal ending for them both), her current foal has been much more subdued. She had worried that she would have to endure the same pain she had with Joukahainen everytime but has been pleasantly surprised by the easy time she has had this time around. Sure, she felt tired and fat and hungry most of the time in the latter stages of the pregnancy but even that was welcomed in comparison.

During the darkness of the night that will soon give way to the twilight before sunrise, she slips away from the herd to find some privacy. She passes a slumbering Joukahainen on the way, giving him a silent, contemplative  look. Now a yearling, he will be leaving to make it on his own soon.  She wonders where he will go and what he will do. Will he wander alone for a time? Will he join the bachelors? Or will he try and start a herd soon. It is a strange thought that, somewhere in the near future, she will not see her son everyday.

She can feel the slight twinges of impending labour and finds a secluded spot amongst the trees to give birth. As with the pregnancy itself, the birth is also much easier this time and she is soon looking over her shoulder at a squirming body on the ground behind her. Bright red over the foal's face and chest causes her heart to gain speed, it looks like a lot of blood - too much against the paleness of the foal's coat.

The few minutes that need to pass before she can rise and break the umbilical cord are excruciating. Her instincts keep her lying on her side but her heart and mind scream at her to get up and check on the foal who is now murmuring and clicking quietly as it attempts to rise. This gives her temporary relief. It must be strong, so why all the blood? When she feels strong enough to rise, she rolls onto her knees and pushes upwards. Turning to what she can now tell is a filly, she begins to diligently clean the girl. She begins with the bloody face and neck, frowning, but never stopping, when she realises that it is not blood but instead a chestnut marking on an otherwise palomino foal (excluding the partially bald face on her left and four white stockings).

The filly is soon on her feet, instinctively moving to feed with little guidance from Jörmungandr. While the girl feeds happily, stubby white tail flicking back and forth rapidly, Jörmungandr continues to clean her. She reflects on the ease in which the filly came into the world, so different to Joukahainen. She had not planned on having another foal so soon after Joukahainen, off put by the pain and discomfort she had felt to do it all again so soon. Ultimately, she had let hormones get the better of her though and she is glad of it. She now has a beautiful daughter and will not fear her next pregnancy.

Once the pair are well rested, Jörmungandr gives the girl a gentle nudge in the direction of where she had left the herd. She takes her normal place to watch over them, the filly curling up beneath her as the sun begins to rise.