Beneath the Hidaka Mountains, the Seasons Turn

After seeing off the four who had cut their winter break short to head to Honshu, I picked up a thick sleeping bag and headed for the still-intact northern stable.

The club dormitory had not suffered severe damage, but for safety's sake, the few remaining staff had all gathered in the northern duty room and the stable's storage room for the night.

As for the horses, aside from the elderly retired horses too exhausted to move and Dawn and Little Light, who were still on edge, Starlit World had also returned from the pasture to the stables for her first round of rest. Her original due date had been set for late January.

As for why that arrangement had been made—perhaps the earthquake had frightened her. By the time anyone noticed, Starlit World had already begun showing signs of labor.

If there was anything fortunate about it, it was that she had been bred early enough that even if she delivered prematurely, it would not actually be far from her estimated due date.

Still, this was a birth under extraordinary circumstances, and Starlit World was not a mare known for her robust constitution. There was no room for carelessness—

As I spread my sleeping bag out in the freezing corridor, Rachel Ho's anxious voice suddenly rang out.

"Dober!"

The cry, as though it had come from right beside me, pierced clearly through my ears and into my mind.

The next instant, I abandoned the sleeping bag before I had even finished laying it out and strode toward Dober's stall without hesitation.

Perhaps the earlier earthquake had drained both her strength and spirit. After returning to her stall, Dober had suddenly collapsed onto the bedding and could no longer rise on her own.

By the time I reached her, the bay