Aquila breathed a sigh and nodded.
"Excellent." She said and then with a sudden burst of giddiness she barked a laugh and winked at the pawed stallion. "Thanks for doing business with me, Conleth." And with that, she walked off towards the hot springs to nurse her wounds.
She kept her ears perked in case, by some odd thought, he decided to follow her, but her mind was in another world as she walked towards the cliff side and to the mountain path. She thought of how, if everything went as she had planned, the foals would be born and out from their baskets by the time they made the travel to the hot springs. By that time, she ought to have chosen a favorite between the two (which as she understood, was the normal number for mares to conceive.) If both foals were undeniable loyal to her and did not wish to go with their father, she would allow for that possibility.
Still, in her hypothetical mind's eye, she assumed that after the hunting lessons, one of them would likely want to explore more with their sire. She just hoped it wouldn't be both of them. She would have to be on her best "motherly" behavior until they met their father so her chances that one of them at least would accompany her after the two parents split.
She was thinking so deeply on this matter that her hooves went on auto-pilot to their last destination. It wasn't until she felt the steam rising from the hot springs on her face that she even realized she had returned so quickly. With an apprehensive look, Aquila raised her wings above her head and descended into one of the warm pools. The hot water stung her wounds and she cursed softly, endeavoring not to draw too much attention to herself from others nearby. Concerned strangers were usually more trouble than they were worth. Eventually, the stinging faded and Aquila got up from one pool and went to soak herself in another. The stings returned, but lessened. Aquila was content to realize that the stinging meant the dirt was being washed out and whatever else had been caught in Conleth's claws. She shuddered at the thought of bits of carcass stuck in her and rubbed her rear against a soft patch of moss growing on a nearby rock. Better moss than flesh that wasn't hers; how did carnivores stand it?
She stayed in the hot springs for the majority of the day after that and stayed in the mountains for the next few days, hoping not to run into Conleth again so soon. As she waited, many thoughts both unpleasant and not slipped into her mind, but she didn't seem to comprehend the most obvious. When all was said and done, Aquila was going to be a mother.
