Milky sunlight filtered through the canopy, and Faolain stirred. She had watched Siobhan return home and reunite with Ailill, and had seen the advanced state of her pregnancy from afar. She had not intruded, opting instead to keep her distance and give them space. Now, tucked away in her own little clearing with Rivaini and Hades, Siobhan’s scent found the black mare’s nose. With it drifted the scents of childbirth, and Faolain thought the red mare must have wandered a bit closer to deliver. As quietly as she could, the ‘Teke rose, careful not to disturb her sleeping partner and child, and followed the scent.

She did not come close enough to see much, but she could hear Siobhan near by. Faolain lingered, feeling out of place, guilty to be lurking so close like a predator but unwilling to approach. She considered herself undeserving. At the same time, she was rather paranoid - Nyimara had come for Siobhan twice now. Who was to say when the silver bay would next show up? So Faolain lingered, waiting for Nyimara or even the loathsome stallion she served to materialize and disrupt the Ridge’s inhabitants even further.

But no one came. At least, no outsiders. Faolain’s ears cupped forward and her heart pounded for a moment when she heard Ailill’s footsteps, but his scent reached her shortly after and she relaxed once again, letting out a quiet sigh. Still, she hung back, though she was less afraid of sudden disaster while the golden stallion was present. Would she ever work up the courage to stop walking on eggshells around Siobhan? She had never really cared about the opinions of others before, though things changed when they were living with you. So far, she had done nothing to make Siobhan’s life any easier, and did not want to admit to herself that she feared resentment from the red mare, but it was the truth.

As she stood by, listening to the little noises of the infant colt and his parents welcoming him to the world, Faolain sighed. Her fear of Siobhan’s rejection was doing nothing but harm to herself and surely also the red mare. She could not prove herself a worthy member of the Ridge - let alone a leader - if she continued to avoid her insecurities. Her ears turned attentively towards the family, and she picked up the colt’s angry little sounds as Ailill stepped close. She chuckled quietly, thinking the foal was certainly a more fearsome protector than herself, and stepped towards the trio before she could convince herself not to.

As she came into view, she nickered quietly to the three of them, her eyes glancing across Siobhan’s tired face and the colt’s determined one. Ailill had his back to her, but she could feel the fierceness rolling off of him in waves as he looked at his partner and the pale child. For a brief second, an odd sort of pride filled the black mare’s throat, and she thought she was very lucky that the golden stallion had decided to stay. He was a good man.

Faolain did not know what to say, and so she said nothing. She stepped around Ailill so that she could see both of them, and then stopped, approaching no further. She dipped her head to the tired mother, and though she kept her face carefully masked, she could not help but smile at the defiant little colt. She did not know much about Siobhan’s time on Tinuvel, but it wasn’t hard to piece together the essentials. She waited for the chestnut mare to either send her away or let her remain and join Ailill in standing guard over them.

faolain

mare // 6 // EE aa // 14hh