FOR days Jökulrós had been whining and pestering her mother to take her to the crossing. At first, Jörmungandr had ignored the tricolour filly but eventually, when she realised the girl would be more than capable of making the swim, she relented. Joukahainen was a yearling now and needed to break out on his own. He had no more to learn from her and he was mostly just getting in the way in the forest. It’s not that she didn’t want him around; she just didn’t want him to rely on her or the forest herd too much. He needed to start his own leave which meant he had to leave. He was too young to be starting a herd but so the lagoon would serve its purpose until he was older (if he ever wanted a herd). Nipping at the smoky cream boy’s hip, she drove him towards the shore of the forest, the red marked filly towing closely behind.

WHEN the trio reached the crossing, they immediately headed for the lagoon. Jörmungandr was the type of mare who didn’t beat around the bush, she didn’t waste time. Joukahainen wondered why his mother didn’t seem scared. He’d heard stories that the lagoon was a terrible place for mares but she had dismissed those concerns when he brought them up. The buckskin mare had no fear of the lagoon; she could take care of herself and never believed the stories. He aunt had lived there once, and possibly still did for all she knew, so it couldn’t be that bad.

REACHING the border, the pale yearling cast his mother a mortified glance as she marched past it and into the heart of the lagoon. ”Móðir, I can go in alone” he called as he trotted after all, embarrassed that his mother was accompanying in front of the men. ”I am not a little boy anymore”. The buckskin mare snorted and nipped her son’s shoulder, ”This is not just about you, Jouka”. She wanted to see the lagoon for herself and if Zhenya was still confined to it (and if she was, how she felt about that). It had been some time since she had last seen the mare and she still was not pleased with how such a situation came about.

WITH a summoning whinny, she looked out across the lagoon and then dipped her head to lip at the fuzzy, pale mane of her filly. The girl seemed tired but still curious about the new surroundings.