The mud and filth caked her skin, obscuring the striking gold and white that defined her. She was now indistinguishable from the land that trapped her. Each dawn, wisps of fog snaked around her slender legs as she navigated the mire in search of fresh water and the patch of sweet grass that sustained her. Her days were spent in hiding, evading the Lagoon brothers' watchful gaze and sheltering her son from their reach. Time in this place hadn't lessened her loathing for them; it had only deepened her resentment. She desperately tried to suppress the anxieties gnawing at her: Talon was growing increasingly curious about their surroundings... and about his father. She had glimpsed the stallion a few times, but Morgana always swiftly steered them away.

"Talon," she said, turning her sculpted face towards her son, who two tone pelt contrasted the greenery around them. "Yes, mama!" he chirped, kicking his heels with exuberance. With a weary sigh, she pleaded,"Will you stick close?" A playful smile whispers across the yearling's lips as he falls into step with his mother.

His brilliant blue eyes gleamed with mischief as he spotted a frog perched on a mossy log a short distance away. He lowered his head and crept closer to the unsuspecting creature, pausing to position himself, waiting for the perfect opportunity. There! With an excited squeal, he lunged, snapping his teeth in an attempt to snatch the frog from its mossy perch. His teeth clacked together loudly, but he was too late. Disappointed, he watched the frog hop down and vanish into the murky water. With a snort, he pivoted and followed slowly after his mother.

He plopped himself down with a grunt in a pile of moss and watched as his mother grazed quietly a few feet away.