In the silver moonlight, reflected by both lake and grass, the white mare finds herself lost.

In the past, she might have flown across the Hyaline lake in the winter's full moon light. Now a terrible sickness ate away the land. Now, she could only fly in the daylight hours (though that was long before sickness entered the land). Used to the sight of scarcely anyone grazing in the meadow, she didn't really bother as much as she used to. She had, of course, been happy for the chance to get out of the kingdom when other lands had been visited - so grown into her diplomatic role, it had almost come to her as a surprise that some might not be fully groomed to it; she'd quickly learned, adjusted to things being said. Lepis had been quite a pleasant surprise, and Noah as well.

But diplomats doing their job well also meant they made themselves superfluous. Now, she wondered if she'd reached that point, maybe - the point where others would just as well as she, recruit new members, or steady the relationships of the Sanctuary with other lands. And she wandered the silver reflective Cove, and the reflective starry surface of the pond and the silver edge of the wavy grasses' blades, might not soothe her as much as she'd hoped.