Her father was gone, and her mother had vanished into the night.

It would be a vast understatement to say that her mother had been devastated after witnessing her father's death on the pine-covered forest floor. The haunting image of crimson blood pooling beneath his lifeless body and the vacant stare in his once-warm eyes lingered in her mind. Her heart tightened at the vivid recollection that flickered through her thoughts.

"Mother?" she called softly, her voice trembling. She squinted her brilliant blue eyes against the fading light. Deep down, she knew she should retreat to the safety of the herd, but her need to find her mother was overpowering. Her tiny nostrils flared as her heart raced in her chest while she strained to see into the encroaching darkness. The filly stepped hesitantly into the thick underbrush, moving away from the Cove and into the vast unknown that lay ahead.

Beneath the drooping pine branches, the dun tobiano filly advanced warily, her head lowered and ears flicking atop her crown. As she ventured further, the scent of other horses intensified, and with each step, her anxiety swelled. What would she encounter? Would they be of help? Would they guide her toward the direction her mother had taken?

She abruptly stopped as a branch snapped to her left. Lifting her head, her ears perked up, each muscle in her body tensed and ready to spring into action, propelling her through the thick foliage and toward the safety of the Cove.