Things were settling back into place. A portion of the guilt-weight which rested on Nephilim’s shoulders had been somewhat absolved when he informed Maziel she would lead the Bay in his place. In the interim, as his nightmares had all but left him, Nephilim was now able to sleep fairly soundly through the night and eat; he knew it was important to eat what of the thick, summer foliage there was available in the forested area of inland Tinuvel. When winter came there would be very, very little to eat in order to maintain a healthy weight.

Nephilim and his two daughters, Mariael and Maziel, grazed by riverside further inland, past the wispy stalks of yellow grass and into the thick groves of trees native to the island. They nibbled stalks of vitamin rich spring-grown grass as the stream bubbled by, the wind blocked by the trees and offering a fairly comfortable summer day. Birds chirped as they flew from branch to branch, the chittering of a squirrel often following.

Then they heard the voices. Mariael and Nephilim’s head’s jerked up, ears pointed forward and muscles tense beneath their coats. Maziel’s head lifted more slowly – she was not a vigilant protector of the Bay’s herd, but rather protected by her fiercer sister and her father. She pointed her ears forward curiously anyways, blind eyes showing nothing but darkness as it always had since her birth (in spite of this she could paint herself a picture of the world through other senses).

Nephilim frowned as the mares voice drifted through the trees. She sounded familiar, but not enough that he knew her immediately. Regardless, Nephilim began to walk forward and with soundless unity his daughters followed suit (Mariael walked side-by-side with him while Maziel trailed them both). He stopped short the moment he saw her - Aubrey - and his eyes widened in surprise.

Mariael had just stepped an inch more forward with her head raised, clearly ready to ask if the strangers needed shelter for the night or what they were searching for in the Bay, when Nephilim interrupted her. “Aubrey?” He asked, incredulity mixed with pleasantness in his tone. Mariael flicked her ear and glanced her father, frowning before looking back at the pair. Clearly these were connections to her father. She glanced at the stallion – around her age – and wondered on his coat, the same pearly pink cream hue as hers interrupted by white just as hers was. Though where his sometimes speckled (like the mare he stood by and her father’s gold-flecked coat), hers remained solid.

There seemed something oddly familiar about him although Mariael was certain she’d never before met him.

Nephilim too, was looking at the young stallion. He’d initially thought the colt was a traveling companion of Aubrey’s but the moment he looked at him - truly looked at him – was the moment he remembered the night of intimate passion he and Aubrey had shared. The surprise he felt was thus interwoven with a joy like he hadn’t felt in such a long time, for Nephilim loved to be a father and to know his children were safe. After losing all his children spare Mariael and Maziel, it was of utmost importance to him.

His gold eyes glanced to Aubrey. “Is this…?” She would know what he was asking, especially in the breathless tone which he asked.