Olaf hadn’t batted an eyelid when Xina had usurped his daughter for the position of boss mare. Had Xina not been so distant when she first arrived in the Dunes, he might have even expected it to happen. Although she was strong, Jörmungandr was young and relatively inexperienced while Xina was older, fiercer and he assumed more experienced. The loss of the dunes and the inaction from Warsong had really seemed to put the fire under Xina which pleased the smoky stallion. While he was happy enough to tolerate Jörmungandr remaining in the herd, he was not so keen on her taking a leadership position and had hoped she might migrate to another herd eventually. It was not normal for a daughter to remain with her sire’s herd.

While Xina was not in direct sight, Olaf knew exactly where she and the other mares were, except Freya who had disappeared as quickly as she had returned. Jörmungandr had left Luthien with the yearlings and would probably return soon which left only Xina, Chianti and Jökulrós for him to watch over. With the changing of the seasons, he was growing more protective and possessive of the herd and as Xina’s call broke the silence of the early morning, it was clear she was beginning to match his sentiments.