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The day was young, the birds were singing and the clouds hung low and appeared fluffy to the eye. Buzzing with excitement and pride Nokomis was gazing fondly at the three bundles of joy Arden and her had brought into the world. The nights leading up to her birthing had been hard, pains and resting was often and she struggled to get where they were now. Her memories were faded, contractions had caused some kind of lapse in time. But they were fortunate, they had survived and made the cave where they had first met, their new home.

Sounds were beginning to dim down, the fluffy began to grow and the sky began to turn a foul blue-grey. The sign was very clear and Noko hoped for Ardens sake he find somewhere dry, a storm was approaching. She glanced at her precious bundles once more before leaving the cave to seek out some thick branches, all the while whispering thanks to the trees that would be providing a warm bedding to put below the baskets so that the water, though it would not damage the temporary home, would simply not make it cold.

To her unknowing, she chose the absolute wrong time to leave, though she wasn't far and her eyes were quick to glance back every few seconds at her new borns. The sky had forecast more than just bad weather, but would introduce bad company.

Nokomis was completely distracted and that left the baskets utterly unprotected. Unfortunately that meant the skinwalker that swooped in had a free go at the three young ones.

The basket shuffled and made soft noises to the new voice, but could not defend itself. The voice was almost soothing and it warmed the noises the basket made.

Nokomis had not been gone all that long, or so she thought. Upon returning to their home a wrack of shivers took over her body. One... Two... The third basket, it was missing! Her heart instantly dropped, eye's began to cloud over and she wanted to buckle. She paused, staying completely silent, there was no noise. Nothing to suggest who had taken it.

"Perhaps the little one got curious?" She said, playing the hopefully Mother tones, a slight ring of crazy slipping in briefly before she could get ahold of herself. Given the circumstances she put herself right over top of the baskets and began to stare intently at the entrance of the broad cave. Nokomis instantly began rethinking what was going on.

A thought struck her, if she wasn't gone long, perhaps the thief was still nearby. She stared lovingly at the still remaining baskets, scared as all heck that they might be next. With those little mind bombs floating about in her brain she began to slowly break down, the shivers started it, her hooves seemed glued to the cave floor. There was no way she'd be able to save one and risk these two.

She let her hope slip in, hoping that Arden would come in the knick of time, but she had a dreadful feeling he wouldn't. None of that would be his fault, but she felt even worse knowing he might feel that way, or equally as worse.. blame her.

Arden had enjoyed his first respite in days since the birthing of the foals. They were nestled comfortably in their baskets after all the pain that Nokomis had gone through. She had asked him to take a break, he supposed she wanted a moment alone with them--a moment just to rest to be weak. He'd not left her side for days since they were born. They did need some things...

He had nipped at her neck and moved off gently into the forest, only intending being gone for a few moments. His took a deep breath and stretched out his long muscles. He'd been weary from so much waiting and watching--and he'd do it all over again.


Taking a few more moments than necessary, he gathered up the sweet grass that Nokomis had been craving the entire pregnancy and a few berries and fruits that she'd grown to love. He was eager to see her glowing face, so transformed by motherhood that she was ten times more radiant than he had never realized before.

Moving back amiably, he sensed somethign wrong as her head snapped up at the cave. Her face was drawn--her eyes wild. All the contents of his bags fell out without a thought, "What's wrong?" He could feel his heart sinking through his hooves.

The words didn't sink in. The feeling just wasn't right. This was a nightmare and he would wake up.

But he didn't. The first tangible word that came to mind was--Voodoo. Somehow, this was Voodoo's fault. He knew it.

"Stay here," he ordered Nokomis though he knew she wouldn't leave.

His hooves dug into the deep earth, and he flew fast as he could to the softer earth a little further out, attempting to follow the footsteps of whoever had taken their child.

Arden's eyes shot back and forth. He could barely find any traces. Maybe it had flown away? What or who had taken it? He could feel his heart pulsing so loud in his head, his mouth dry as if he was going to hit the floor. But there--way in the distance he saw movement that he knew he couldn't reach.

A skinwalker.

It wasn't Voodoo--at least not Voodoo directly. But he could feel the pain in his chest. He could chase after the walker, fight for the basket if he could even reach it. But there might be others around...And then Nokomis...the others...He coudln't leave, but how could he stay? How could he let the one go?

But it was too far away...And he was too weak.

Turning, he went back to face Nokomis.

Arden wanted to run after her, to take back his child--but he could not risk the others. But...Nokomis, she might not understand that as much as he wanted to go after her--to get their baby back, that he had to think of the rest of them.

His heart thudded dully as he moved back to her, as he wove his way back to Nokomis. His voice choked up, "Nokomis..."