The winter had been long and cold.

Jola had been thoroughly enjoying herself. Which was to be expected, of course. She was the one who wanted to hole up in a cave with strangers and Mariael. Jusket, on the other hand, was much too excited to get off this damned island. Getting out of the cramped cave was just the first step, however. Jola still wanted to stay by the herd even though she hadn't had any fulfilling conversations with them. They still had yet to learn anyone's name aside from Mariael's. Still, he had been polite to any horse that happened to talk to him. Which hadn't been many. He suspected they could tell how displeased he was and decided to keep a safe distance away.

Not that he was complaining. He hoped the lack of friends he made would encourage Jola to leave the herd and find somewhere better to settle. If he had to spend another winter in that damned cave, on this shithole of an island, he would have to turn to drastic measures. Jola interrupted his menacing thoughts by nosing his neck and snorting gently. He sighed heavily and turned to groom her mane, nibbling on the pale strands as he surveyed the rest of the herd. It was one of those rare times the sun was up. He hadn't been ready for the darkness of winter. He feared summer, wondering if the days would be just as never-ending.

He and Jola would leave by then.

The pink mare groomed him distractedly. She seemed to be more focused on the herd than him, and he wondered if she was starting to realize this was her last shot to make friends before they left. "Maybe we should visit the island we met Kikka and Trell on. I'd like to see if they're still around."

The blue stallion snorted, half surprised and half confused. "You want to see Trell again?" He itched to ask why she wanted to leave the Bay, but he didn't want to press his luck. She continued to groom him until he wasn't sure if she would answer. The silence stretched between them. He flicked his ear towards the mundane sounds of the herd, wondering if any of them were eavesdropping.

"No," she said suddenly, "but I want to convince Kikka to come back with us."

"Come back with us?"

"Yes." She didn't elaborate. Jusket's heart sunk to think she was planning on staying even longer. Delivering Kikka here was one thing, but knowing Jola, she would want to stay another season to make sure their friend settled in.

The blue stallion sighed and pulled away from her. "Are you sure you want to? I know he wasn't the most... pleasant conversationalist, but he is her brother. I know it's hard for you to understand, but siblings have this sort of bond that makes it easy to–"

"Just because I don't know my siblings doesn't mean I don't understand bonds." The pink mare spat, and stepped apart from him. He shivered as the chill of winter bit into his now-exposed side. He wasn't sure what to say to her. She didn't meet his eyes, but instead kept observing the herd.

Jusket shifted awkwardly. Apologizing was not his area of expertise, but he knew it needed to be done. He chewed on the words and wondered if it would matter. She would still be mad even if he apologized, and besides, she hadn't apologized for keeping him on this island for longer than they agreed. He snorted, pawed at the snow, and lowered his head to start nosing around for grass. If they left to find the bay twins, they weren't coming back here. That was certain.