Veslorurn checked on his mate once more before heading out. He watched the blue mare cuddled protectively around “her” basket from the doorway for a moment. Charn had become an utterly devoted mother as if she’d birthed the foal inside that basket; although he knew she hadn’t. He knew she would love whole-heartedly any foal that came out of that basket. Despite his worries though, no soq had stepped forward to claim their wayward basket. Veslo had patrolled the area around where they found the basket nearly constantly for the first few days. Nothing. No one. He couldn’t explain it. Who would just leave a basket in the middle of the forest?
He nodded to his mate when she glanced at him. With her nod, he withdrew to go about his business. His trips into the forest were short now, and he tried not to travel too far for too long. Charn said the basket would hatch, and foal would pop free any day now. In truth, he was nervous and trying to work off energy. What kind of foal would come out? He only hoped it wasn’t another purewalker.
(190)
Charnette had devoted herself to the basket she’d found. She rarely left it, and when she did Veslo was there to guard it. The blue mare was utterly convinced that the spirits from the Wishing Star had blessed her and her mate with the foal they’ve always wanted. Why else would they find a basket randomly alone in the woods? Plus her mate had even admitted that he’d searched for signs another had left it there, and there had been none.
She laid her head down next to the basket. Over the past week, she could hear more and more sounds coming from within it. That told her the time of its hatching would be soon. She’d asked her mate to keep his forays into the forest short lest the foal hatch while he was away. When he peeked in, she gave him a nod; letting him know it was ok for another short outing. Her gaze turned back to the basket.
(162)
He left the teepee and headed out into the forest. Veslo pursed his lips. His thoughts turned to the unusual circumstances he found himself in not long ago. A purewalker had come to his home, his graveyard. In the end, he’d learned the creature wasn’t a total monster. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Then had come a second purewalker, daughter of the first, who was a terror.
She still roamed the woods around the graveyard. Could she have run off the parents? He’d noted Runa was rather territorial. But there still would have been signs, tracks of the encounter. There was nothing; as if the basket had simply….. appeared there. Veslo gave a deep sigh. He simply couldn’t explain it away. There was nothing he could do now, except accept the basket had been destined for them. He raised his eyes to the sky, his words soft, “thank you for our precious gift.”
(156)
As she rested quietly, the mare could hear the little foal moving. Over the past few days, she’d heard more and more movement coming from within the basket. Charn even thought that a time or two she had heard the foal muttering softly to itself. The time was very close now. She lifted her head and watched the basket. When she heard movement, she could see a spot the whicker of the basket bulged slightly where the foal pressed against it.
The basket gave a sudden jump. Charn surged to her hooves. It was time! She stuck her head out the door and called, “Veslo!” In the few minutes it took to call her mate in, the basket had shifted from its original position. Charn steadied it with her tail as the blood red stallion entered. “It’s time,” she said unnecessarily.
(141)
Veslo had started back when he heard his mate calling for him. There could only be one reason. He broke into a gallop and soon arrived at their home. He entered and watched the basket. Yes the creature inside was moving vigorously now. The stallion moved closer to his mate and nuzzled her affectionately. “Our wish is finally coming true.”
“Come little one. It’s time for you to join your family.” He encouraged the foal within. It was tempting to try to help, but he knew he must not. This was the first hurdle a foal must pass to enter the world. It was a dangerous world and the foal needed to be strong.
(114)
Charn nodded as she felt tears welling up. She pushed them back with effort, it was supposed to be a happy moment! The mare leaned into her mate for a moment, then knelt down beside her basket. “Yes, it is time for you to join us. Come break free!” She continued to murmur encouragement to the foal within.
It was an exciting moment. Soon they’d be parents for their own foal. It had been a delight to help Tove and her brother and his mate raise their foals, but this one would truly be theirs. Charn couldn’t wait to see her baby. Tears again filled her eyes.
(107)
From within the basket, the foal could hear the voices he’d been listening to for some time now. They sounded…… well he wasn’t sure, but he liked it nonetheless. His basket had grown increasingly small and uncomfortable. He shifted several times trying to find a spot that was still marginally comfortable. It wasn’t meant to be. He wasn’t happy in here anymore. With that final thought, he set about to breaking his way free.
He could feel the basket shifting and it started to crack and groan. Sensing a weak spot forming, he put an extra effort. The basket crumbled around him and he lifted his head free of the pieces, shaking them free from his horns. His golden eyes took in the beautiful owners of those voices he’d been hearing and he smiled.
(134)
It seemed in no time at all, the little foal, colt Veslo could now see, broke his way through the wicker and into the world. His markings were striking in the same way his and Charn’s were. He felt an instant fondness for their new colt. Veslo also noted the foal had horns like Charn. In fact he seemed to take a great deal after the stallion’s mate.
However he also noted the unusual aspects of the colt. Scales along his back and spines from his crest and down his spine, were not part of either traits that he knew of. That didn’t stop him from greeting his new son, “be welcomed little one.”
(114)
Charn was beyond excited as her foal revealed himself at last and looked up at them to smile. “Welcome my precious one.” She wrapped her tail about him and nuzzled him affectionately. Finally her family was whole. The mare couldn’t be happier. She looked at her mate with joy in her eyes as he greeted the new arrival.
“I can’t wait for Tove, Kinak, and Nash to see him! Oh, and we must find a good name for him. Mustn’t we?” She added the last to the colt who was already trying to rise to his cloven hooves.
(98 )
His parents were standing and he wanted to too! The colt lifted his rear and flicked his tail. He looked pretty silly, but he didn’t realize it as he was focused on finding his hooves and lifting himself free of the remains of his basket. With his rear steady, he moved to raise the front half of himself. After a few tries he found himself braced up and took a look around at new vantage.
He gave a burble of laughter as the mare nuzzled him and leaned into her. He felt steadier and steadier with every moment he was up. Slowly he took several steps toward the crimson stallion. “Ga?” His new legs weren’t up to the task of holding him up for very long yet. The colt wobbled and started to fall.
(134)
They were a family. Yes, it felt good and right. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them. Veslo wondered how their adopted family would take to the new arrival.
His mate’s enthusiasm was wearing off on him. Velso grinned like a fool as the colt stood up. Everything would be fine. The crimson stallion lowered his nose to greet his ‘first’ son. “I name you Bakkhos.”
(66)