Movement farther down the beach catches the eye of the red mare, and her dusky nares flare in a barely audible whicker of greeting as the worried girl approaches. Kalayani had not accompanied them to the Lagoon, but Siobhan did not begrudge her choice. They had needed some to stay behind to watch out for the remaining foals. Not to mention, the girl had not lived in the Ridge long enough to develop the bonds necessary to drive her into the ocean in search of retribution.

Her honey eyes trace the swell of the mare's stomach and she knows how nervous the girl must be; she could vividly remember the butterflies and the anxiety that had kept her up night after night, and that was even with Diarmaid there with her to soothe and comfort her. What touches Sio's heart, however, is the concern in the young mare's voice as she inquired about the herd and a wan smile ghosts across Siobhan's lips. She was heartsore, but not injured beyond a few bruises.

Siobhan had led the charge against the grullo stallion whose name she still did not know, but his attention had been elsewhere and her herdmates not far behind. "Just bruised, Kalayani. And we are... okay."

The word trails off slightly as her face morphs into a worried frown. Hopefully the bachelors were not tormenting the fierce Queen of the Ridge. "Most everyone returned, but the Queen was taken in the scuffle."

She does not mention the stallion's death. The shame of it burrows deep into her heart and she does not dare unlock this box right now. The red mare had already shown weakness after the princeling's capture and she would not do so again before her herd. Now, even more than before the younger mares needed strong role models to look up. Sio was not sure that she fit this bill, but she would try. "How are you and the child? Do you need anything..."

A sound catches her attention and her words trail off as the patched figure of the Ridge's prince charges from the heavy embrace of the forest and plunges into the ocean. His anguish is written all over his body and her heart lurches in sympathy for him anew. He turns toward them then, and with little other fanfare tucks his head against her neck and sobs.

Warmly the red mare curls around her not-so-little best friend and wraps her neck around him so that she may hold him close. She cannot imagine the pain and the worry that the colt must be dealing with despite his age. From what Siobhan understood, his mother had all but abandoned him to quench her taste for blood, and then very shortly thereafter had been foalnapped to the Lagoon where he had been party to far more than any child should be. Even if the bachelors had treated the foals to a king's welcome, there had been death to free them.

Siobhan had forced the colt to witness death yet again.

Soberly she grimaces at the reminder of the innocence she had taken from him, but does not lessen her cradling of his form. The colt has endured much heartbreak for one so small and even now must once again face the world without his mother. A soft shushing sound murmurs from her lips as he cries until at last he pulls back just enough to whisper to her.

"You are so brave, best friend." She withdraws just far enough so that she may brush the forelock that has grown so much since she had last seen him away from his face. "You kept Isabel safe and you did everything, everything that you were supposed to. I am so proud of you, Sigurdr."

He is not her own. They share no blood relation. But she would die for this tiny prince as though he were her heart child. She meets his gaze frankly, warmth pooling in the tears that gathered but did not fall from her own eyes. "Your mother will be home soon. She is strong, like you. But you can't lose hope, little Prince. She misses you just as you miss her. We have to stay strong until she is back."

With another trail of her lips across his forehead she tucks him in close once more before offering her attention to the buckskin mare. She is surprised to see Poka there, but a genuinely happy expression forms as recognition dawns. As the days passed, she was more and more surprised to see the feisty mare still within the borders of the Ridge; she had witnessed her staring wistfully into the sea without really questioning the mare's motives or behavior. She'd been far too engrossed in her own life and drama to extend the same amount of concern as she had upon meeting the prickly figure and the standoff between herself and Bjorn.

Siobhan keeps close to the spotted colt but inclines her head in greeting to Poka. She wants to ask after Fjodur, to see if the mare has made any progress, but she does not want to inspire further heartache. "How are you, Poka?"