Manga decided that today she would give her temporary busboy a break and for once be a well behave little Obertaurer mare. She did not try to run off or stop at random times to look at something she already seen about ten times. Manga was going to be a good girl for Jonathan and make him be both surprised and proud.
After a quick breakfast and morning brush, the mare was turned out with Noob and Daffy to enjoy the nice day that it was. The heavily pregnant mare snuffled happily as she tore mouthful of crisp green grass. She wanted to take a dust bath as well, but due to the extra luggage it wasn't comfy.
When a strange car drove in, the Obertaurers lifted their heads to watch. Manga suddenly went alert. She missed Sile, even though she had been settling in well at Ocotillo stables and had plenty of friends in the staff and horses, Mangabey still longed for Downy Falls, the horses that were there, and her beloved owner. Was Sile back for her now?
The eagerness drew Manga to the fence, her ears pricked, eyes bright. Waiting to see the familiar brunette that had raised her sense she was weaned. The anticipation was killing her.
The outcome ended up ruining her. Manga stared at the pale-haired woman for a long time, her rich brown eyes blinking several times as if she were mistaken, that perhaps she was just seeing things and if she cleared her brain then she would see the sable-brown hair and coffee brown eyes of Silena. But she was not dreaming or seeing things. This woman was not Sile, she didn't know who she was but she did not care.
Mangabey turned and slowly moved away, her sooty brown head dropping as she retreated to the far side of the pasture. There she stayed, ignoring the calls from Jonathan or the other handlers and not reacting to Noob, Daffy, or even little Elsa who tried getting her to play.
The grulla was homesick once more.
The next morning Manga was not in plain view in the pasture. The mare had ignored all attempts to bring her in last night and spent the night outside. It was warm and nice out so there was not much concern, but finding no trace of her had everyone on their toes, did she escape once more?
As Harry was preparing to give instructions to the staff, a brown head appeared from other a small hill in the pasture. The eyes blinked at the people by the fence then the figure slowly surfaced. It was Mangabey. But she was not alone.
A small foal wobbled behind her. Its body was a sooty palomino with sabino markings like Manga had. It was small and obviously still fairly new and as the pair drew closer it was revealed to be a filly.
Manga gazed at her foal, obviously very proud by the life she brought into the world. Her melancholy had vanished, replaced by feelings of love and wonder by the tiny creature that was hers. At first she had been confused to where it had came from, uncertain of how this little animal could come from her. The next part was how odd the little thing was. The coat had been slick with blood and birthing fluids and its legs were thin and folded and when the young horse struggled to her feet her legs wobbled severely which sent her tumbling to the ground. But after the awe and young mother confusions, Manga felt an intense warmth, a feeling to love and nurture the little one.
It was her baby.
Mangabey was back to grazing while her little one clung to her flank, peering around at the world with large eyes and twitching nostrils. The tiny filly was observing the odd new world in which she found herself and she was the first to see the new horses being led into their pasture, suddenly scared, the foal hid under her dam.
Manga lifted her head and pricked her ears. Moving to not hurt her baby, the grulla walked up to her two pasture mates. The first horse she greeted was Nárcisz then down to little Elsa who was looking around from beside her dam. Manga next turned her old friend and touched noses to Noob.
The grulla moved slightly to the side to show odd her new baby. Both mares carefully sniffed the little one over, then gave gentle snuffles of comfort. Elsa raced around the pasture then went up to her new playmate, in awe at how tiny the little one was. Daffy quickly gave her some quick punishment before the new foal got harmed.
As Manga dropped her head back to graze, she felt slightly better. She still missed Sile and Downy Falls, but her new baby had soothe some of that ache. She knew that now that her foal was here, that Sile would be coming for her and soon she would be where she belonged.
All she needed was patience.
