Someone banging on the chamber door in the late hours of the night was never a good sign, Einar had come to know over the years. Stumbling up from his bed, he made his way to the door. A part of him, the hopeful part that was half asleep and in a dreamlike state, hoped he would open the door and find Henriette on the other side. Instead, however, he found Lukas, looking very concerned. “The bay mare is foaling, something went wrong,” he said, not offering much more as he and Einar took off down the halls to make their way to the stables.
The mare had been part of Einar’s herd for a while now, one of his favorites in the band. It had been his decision to bring her to France with him with the horses he intended to ride in competition, more so because she was getting up in years and he wanted to be around if something went wrong. He had gotten worried when her hind legs had gone off slightly, but had not been able to figure out the source of the off-gait. Dashing down to the stables, he was rapidly realizing that it was something more serious than assumed.
The stables were not as quiet as they normally were for the dead of night. Grooms, and those used to working with ailing horses, crowded around the mare’s stall. The mare lay on her side, occasionally floundering, but clearly weakened. The foals feet where obvious, but one look told Einar something was very amiss, as he recognized the foals hind feet were the ones he saw. Not only that, but the area was spattered in blood, the hay glistening red. It was clear the mare had hemorrhaged, and thus the others in the stable simply hung around the edges, not going to the mares aide. They all knew how this went.
Einar knew how it went too. But in this moment, he did not care. With a strangled shout, he went to rush into the stall, only for Lukas to grab his arm, holding him. “Einar, let her go. There is nothing you can do...” he said trailing off as Einar shoved his arm away, flying into the stall and by the foal, which was not struggling at all.
“Someone do something!” Einar snapped at those watching, as he went to pull the foals legs, only for the mare to squeal in pain, more blood showing. Running his hand through his hair, blood tinted the blonde as Einar tried to figure out what to do. The mare grew weaker, Einar growing more desperate. Sitting with his back at the edge of the stall, looking at the mare, he put his hand to his face as he covered a sob that wracked his body.
