For the most part, Lyden had always spoken well of Skylar. There had been times when his emotions ran high, when he couldn’t understand why she had taken his daughters away from him at such an important age but generally, he did not speak badly of her. It is Jörmungandr’s own experiences and beliefs that formed the bulk of her opinion and that was difficult to do accurately without knowing the mare personally. When Lyden spoke kindly of Skylar, Jörmungandr often wondered if he was lying or being blinded by her. Now she can find out for herself.

The buckskin glances to her side before she questions the roan, following her gaze over the scenery. She wonders if any part of Skylar misses the forest and if she does, that makes the question of why she left all the more important. She purports that she was not eager to abandon them and Jörmungandr holds back a snort, letting her continue. She nods slowly, ears swivelling indecisively as she tries to process the information she has been given. She can understand and sympathise with parts of it but it still seemed selfish to have stayed such a short time – yes, her sisters needed her, but she could have let Lyden bond with his daughters just of a few days. Still, with emotions high and post-pregnancy hormones in the mix, Jörmungandr can forgive the hastiness of the decision. Skylar had not seen the hurt in Lyden’s eyes though.

”I think you were more needed then than you might realise and in ways you did not know” she offers with a small, contemplative smile. In the early days, Jörmungandr had hoped for Skylar’s return – continuing even when the resentment for being abandoned had begun to sink in. She had never understood why Lyden had not gone out to bring Skylar back sooner – why he let her disappear for so long.