---

**Set right after the block of Tyr’s escape**

The rose-colored woman could not help it. Since the Lagoon stallions' blatant disregard of the protection of their borders, Khar’pern found herself on edge more than more. Of course, it did not help that now she, like many of the other mares, had a young child to protect. The Peaks offered its own set of threats, from hunting mountain cats to massive brown bears that lumber through the lower fields and conifer forests without the mothers needing to worry about bachelor mutts appearing when they least expected it. Not on her watch.

Khar’pern left her patchwork colt napping in a nearby clearing. Ryvar had long since taken up her own patrols of the upper meadows but Khar felt certain the filly would not be gone long. She seemed enamored of her little brother in a way that Khar could not quite understand. By the gods she dreaded the conversation she would need to have with the girl of her plan to send the colt to his father to wean. No doubt THAT would start a chain reaction she was not about to face. Not when there were more pressing matters to address.

The Lagoon stallions presence so deep in the Peak territory set off alarm bells in the rose-gray mare’s head. Despite the lingering desire to spend her afternoons grazing in the warm rays of sunlight while her newborn napped or laughed at his youthful antics, now was not the time for that. Not when the threat was still so palpable. She would never forget the shock in the voices that chased her fleeing form when the general fell. The anger and acusation, the proud turn of Marceline’s head when they returned to the relative safety of the Peaks… she had been proud. Despite what she said, despite the fact that it had indeed been an accident, Marceline had no quams with allowing the lie to fester across the islands. That, more than anything else, had been the final straw for her. The factor that screamed regardless of her own opinions of the mare, Khar’pern could never follow her lead. Not now.

The sound of distant laughter draws her attention back to the present and away from the distant thoughts and worries of yesterday and tomorrow. Dark brows furrow in concentration as the rose-hued mare pauses mid-stride to listen, doing her best to place the voice. She has made a point to meet as many of the horses who call the peak home but there is a distinct possibility that the voice belongs to one she has missed. What does concern her however is the fact that a mother and foal would be so far away from the protection the deeper meadows and high hillocks had to offer. Especially considering the most recent mutt invasion.

Momentarily forgetting her mission to patrol the borders, the exotic mare turns to follow the sound, picking her way easily through the tangle of heather and thickets of young conifers. Lagoon. The scent hits her like a ton of bricks and sends a prickle of anxiety racing down her spine. Had the bastards returned in retaliation for their interference earlier? Like hell she would turn a blind eye to a possible abduction, especially of a mother and foal!

There is a quickening to her steps now, lean muscles tense beneath her dappled coat as the mare moves with renewed purpose. Raven-tipped ears disappear beneath the cascading layers of her salt and pepper mane. Ash dusted lips press firmly together as her gait slows, silence suddenly permeating the area. There is no sound of songbirds or buzzing insects over the steady splash of melting ice over rock walls. How unlike the Lagoon bachelors. Usually they were all bullheaded and brash action. Rarely did they go through any effort to remain hidden or secretive when they entered the Peak. Khar’pern had no doubt that they were more than a little cocky over their superior numbers.

Yet the silence adds a whole new level to her curiosity as the lithe mare ducks beneath the dense overhang of fir branches and through the dense leaves of fresh blueberry growth. Instinctively, her crystalline gaze scans the open expanse of heather and knee-high summer grasses that took up every inch of spare space among the rocks and boulders of granite. No signs of disturbance, no tell-tale scuffle marks in the earth, nothing…. Until her gaze finds the dark form still stretched out on the bank of the winding river.

For a moment, her gaze is as apprehensive as the frosted girl whose sky-blue eyes stare back at her. Dark lashes blink slowly as Khar’pern inhales a fluttering breath and exhales silently. Finely chiseled crown tilts curiously. What was a girl so young doing out here on her own? And the Lagoon…. The odor of those mutts permeated the area. Were they lurking in the shadows nearby? Was this a trap? A ploy?

More cautious than usual, the rose-gray mare closes the distance between herself and the inky girl, her gaze shifting back and forth from the child to the shadows around them in search of hidden dangers. Only when she is sure that her voice can be clearly distinguished above the trickling of water over rocks does she stop, her hooves shifting uneasily beneath her. ”It is not safe to be out here alone….” she begins, her voice drifting as once more she searches the forestline for potential threats. ”The Lagoon stallions would just to find you here alone. You would do better in the safety the rest of the mares have to offer.” she finishes, tilting her head to study the unfamiliar face closer. A single brow arches. ”I don’t recognize you…” the statement more of a question than accusation.

---