(To keep the timeline straight this happens in fall before the Tinuvel Leadership battle and after the found corpse.)

He had spent an entire day looking for Kvothe which resulted in a few rash decisions. His defeated self (and more of his softer side) had allowed Chalice to regain her freedom. The mare might be his type attraction wise, but she was on a far different intellectual plain. He would miss seeing her beautiful face around his frozen tundra, but perhaps what she said was true. Chalice was just a good-looking face that he would never be able to touch. She has already given herself away to some stranger she hasn’t met because of some prophecy. He couldn’t understand, but when he told Brunhild she seemed to understand somewhat. His sister was into that kind of talk. After Chalice left the thought did cross his mind that he could demand her back by force. He could cage her like a pretty bird and force himself on her if he must. These thoughts were too much like his father.

He owed it to Chalice to allow her to have her freedom. She had never done anything to disrespect him and she stayed until she got his permission to leave. Chalice earned her freedom through respect which is the type of relationships he had wished to build with his herd. Love and respect were how he wanted to rule in the beginning, but certain things in his life were causing a new future to occur. How things played out with Xiomara…the death of his father and the fact that his twin and mother left his side. The disappearance of siblings, herd mates, and finding the mauled body of Aine. The way his sister was driving into her Nordic religion and trying to guide his path. Then Kvothe disappeared around the same time an intruder began stalking their borders (even entering their home a few times). He had feared so much for her safety that he spent all his energy looking for her.

Ironclad’s frustrations brought him to meet Skadi whom he mistakenly took out all his anger on. He knew nothing of the mare and she had not deserved that. Once things with Kvothe were settled he would need to seek Skadi out to apologize and find out if she now carried his child. It was so wrong of him! He beat himself up for it this whole time he laid around sick the past few days. There were a few times he wanted to die, but the thought of little Pike and Lakota kept him going. They needed their father alive. Just like he needed his own, but Warsaw was never coming back. Ironclad had watched his father run himself into the ground trying to keep their family legacy alive. He could not just give up so easily. The inlet was theirs to thrive on and one day it would be passed on to his own children to rule as they saw fit.

Ocean blue eyes open to the sun shining brightly upon him. His dark grey coat was beginning to lighten even with the haze of winter. He wonders if he would one day be a reflection of his own sire with his white grey coat. Brunhild already sports a lighter coat so he assumes his genetics were bound to the grey. Ironclad stretches out his legs before bringing them underneath his body and rising up on all fours. He already felt so much better than yesterday and the day before so he assumes it was time to resume his normal duties as lead stallion. The first order of business was catching up to Kvothe and settling his mind that she was okay. He had seen her at a distance the other day, which had been a great relief because he could have killed himself searching for her while deathly ill, but he had not approached. He did not want to risk anyone’s health as even Brunhild was staying away from him. Knowing she was back safely at home gave him some peace to lay down and rest away from the rest of the herd. Medusa seemed to be handling the extra duty just fine anyway.