The stallion could not help it. As he watched his family reunite, the grin on his face spread past his cheeks. For so long he had seen the tear streaks on his daughter’s faces as they gazed out over the crashing waves. Too many times he had listened to them crying or screaming out into the sky and cursing strangers on distant shores. He had watched and waited as their salt flowed to swell the sea around them. Keeping his own counsel, he had waited. He had continued to wait. He had even hoped until his patience had dissipated. It seemed as though no amount of tears would have pleased whatever had driven others to break apart their family, but now they stood together and the golden knight was finally at peace.

Besides him, Saoirse wiggled between his body and that of her twin, who was all but asleep on her hooves and leaning against both of them. Grinning, he ran his soft lips over both of the girls, crooning words to assure them of how strong and brave they had been, and proud their parents were of them. While Siobhan took her time to embrace her children she had been missing, Ailill tended to the twins. He knew eventually he would have time to hold his lover close and whisper an entirely different kind of sweet nothings into the red mare’s ears.

As Siobhan pulled just away from her older daughters, and Naenia nearly fell over once, Ailill shifted to quietly bring them all back. I can take these two to bed, if you want some time. He offered with a smile. His desire to stay close to Siobhan was near overpowering. If only to assure himself she was really back. His eyes lingered on her to solidify that she was truly there and this was not a dream he had woken up into. We can also all go to the clearing. The flowers are still in bloom, and Roisin’s might need to be switched out soon.