At first it was a low moaning sound that stirred Eriana from her sleep. The echo of it among the thick trees and still waters was eerie and caused a shiver to crawl down along the pale mare’s spine. But as it grew louder into a wail, the sickly mare rose to her feet from the hiding place Alioth had left her safely tucked in and went to investigate.


Eriana was shocked when she finally discovered the one responsible for the noise. A black and white mare lay haphazardly on her side in the mud, her rotund flank heaving up and down with each panted breath. Only pausing when the next moan would escape her lips. Eriana could see where the mare had been biting at her sides so viciously that the hair had been pulled free and little speckles of blood appeared on the bare skin. Rushing to the mare’s side, Eriana was able to stop her from biting at her side yet again. “What’s happening?” she asked, feeling breathless despite not having done much. The anxiety and fear making sweat dampen her neck and flanks almost instantly.


“It…It’s killing me!” Runa gasped as she looked at the stranger, her blue eyes wild with the pain. “It’s ripping me apart!” Another ripple traveled down along her sides with a heavy contraction, and Runa’s head fell back onto the mud so hard it gave a little splash. Her legs, not for the first time, thrashed helplessly, doing nothing to ease the pain.


“It’ll be okay…. Everything is going to be okay. You just need to relax and calm down.” Eriana tried to soothe, brushing her muzzle along the painted mare’s neck. But Runa wasn’t listening. Another keening sound escaped her as she gave a hard push.


Eriana wasn’t sure how long she stood over the laboring mare, and Runa wasn’t sure how long she had lain there with that demon’s spawn trying to rip her open. But eventually, the little body slipped free of hers and the pain almost immediately subsided. Runa wasn’t able to move at first. Her body was spent from the hours of labor she’d just endured. Thankfully Eriana was there and started to clean the babe.


“Can you stand?” Eriana eventually asked, her eyes lifting from the child to look at the resting mare. “Your son will need to nurse soon.”


Son? Fury almost instantly burned away Runa’s exhaustion, and she lifted her head to look at the spawn that was already trying to stand. His grullo coat almost dry from the stranger’s care. “That is not my son.” She snarled viciously, making Eriana flinch. Runa got to her hooves then, wobbling a bit at first, before turning to look at the colt who was still trying to figure out his body. “The world would be better off without it.” she spat, before lunging forward with bared teeth aiming to kill the colt.


Eriana did not hesitate as she stepped in front of the colt, taking what would have been a killing bite on the side of her neck. She could feel the burn as the painted mare’s teeth broke skin, and could feel the warm liquid quickly begin to roll down her skin. “I’ll take him. You won’t need to ever lay eyes on him again.” Eriana begged, earning a sharp snort from Runa. “So be it.” She growled, before she turned and slunk off into the shadows.


“It will be okay little one.” Eriana cooed to the colt, reaching over to lick at his drying coat a few more times. “I’ll protect you.” But she could not nurse the poor child. Eriana only hope someone else could.