It was as though the idea of her mother's imminent return made young Regina act out the next day. She was late to meet her at the stables, so Regina started riding around the field as she waited. If she had thought back carefully, she might have remembered the day ahead, but then again her mother always came back from her travels and found a reason to be angry with her.

She watched her younger self as she headed into the stables and by the time she had gone around twice, she was no longer alone.

"Race you." Young Regina was smiling as she shouted over.

Regina nudged her horse to follow and increased the speed. She was letting young Regina keep the lead when she finally recognised the horse she was riding.

Songbird. It was a deceptive name. He hadn't been ridden for a long time because he could be mean. He was allowed out into the field on his own, when the other horses weren't around, but no-one was supposed to ride him. Her mother could, of course, using magic to keep him under control. Regina had found that out much later on. She had to stop herself before something bad happened. Using magic to speed up the horse she was riding she caught up to them. Young Regina was beginning to look scared as Songbird failed to answer to any of her commands.

Any moment now and it would try to throw her and Cora would come over the hill and see it. Regina would be held in mid-air, caught in her mothers spell, and banned from riding for two months. It took her that long to get over nearly being thrown from the horse and loosing control of it. She wouldn't be allowed to ride anything other than the slowest, oldest horse they had in the stable for six months, until her mother calmed down again.

She acted without thinking and brought her horse around in front of Songbird, who stopped in surprise at the tactic. Regina reached out to calm the horse using magic and began to berate her younger self for being so foolish. She saw the reaction that meant her mother was watching and paused.

Cora walked into her view, staring between her daughter and guest. Regina wanted to apologise. It was an immediate reaction to her mother's presence, but she knew she couldn't. Her younger self seemed unable to speak but Cora had her words prepared.

"I'm very disappointed in you. You know I don't give you instructions without a good reason. You're not ready to ride Songbird and you could have been seriously injured, maybe even killed. Thank goodness someone was here watching over you and knew what to do."

"Mother, I…"

"No, I have been too lenient with you so far. I love you Regina but I'm your mother and I have to be strict. It's for your own good. Now, get down from there and I'll walk Songbird back to the stables." Cora held out her hand for the reins and took them from Regina.

As her daughter started back to the house, Cora stopped her guest from immediately following. "Thank you for what you did. I don't know what I'd have done if something had happened to her."

"Anyone would have done the same. She was doing well until something spooked the horse."

"She's too impulsive, like her father. She thinks with her heart instead of her head."

Time for flattering her mother, Regina thought. "I thought she was brave…like you. Not many would have finished the ride without tears in their eyes or shaking."

"Somehow you don't strike me as the type of person easily scared either." Cora complimented her.