As the sun set over Luthien, the young black and white mare grazed quietly away from her peers. A chorus of cricket song echoed around the forest and everything was as it always was; boring. Things were very quiet around the forest lately and Dreadbite was eager to get out and do something different. Not so long ago, she and the two colts she spent most of her time with, had spied on an encounter between her father and a strange sooty stallion. Her father had made the deal that she would only leave the forest with the sooty stallion when the weather improved. She knew that day would come any time now.

While she could hardly wait for that day and remained mostly excited about seeing more of the islands, it also worried her a little. She’d never been far from her family and had only left the forest to explore the prairie once. Everything would be new and strange and she wouldn’t have Gravewolf and Vargr around to tease and explore with. They too would soon be leaving the Luthien for the lagoon. She wondered if that was where she would be going too or if stallion had somewhere more permanent.

Before, she’d often scrapped with Vargr and Gravewolf on the beach, while now she had taken to watching the ocean for some sign that her life was about to change. When the monotony of the herd became too much, she would often find herself wandering subconsciously back to the shore. This was one of those times.

Distant voices drew her attention as she moved toward the beach and her ears leaned forward expectantly. Was it just strangers or had Vaaco finally come to collect on the first part of his deal with her sire. Who would be the second mare, she wondered. Would it be someone she knew or someone Olaf had not found yet?

Mismatched eyes fell upon a familiar figure accompanied by an unknown golden and white mare. Both horses were damp and since the female’s scent was new (and Olaf hadn’t left the forest recently) Dreadbite knew she must have arrived with the sooty male. The overo found this curious and knew she would soon learn why they were together to collect.

As she neared the pair, she nickered a greeting into the night air, “So you are the one who is going to sweep me away to pastures new?” she addressed the male, with a coy smirk on her ashen lips