To some degree, Siobhan had hoped to see Faolain. Not out of any great love for the usurping mare, but because the matter of her future here had yet to be discussed. The red mare had resolved to stay, but she had not yet discussed this with the new leadership. If truth be told, a part of her had contemplated risking a challenge for the Ridge in the Fall, when the girls would be strong enough to survive without her if the worst were to happen. It went against much of her personality, and she did not relish the idea of fighting a soul who had come here peaceably, but she felt increasingly lost amongst the dense jungle.

Her anchor point to these Isles had changed. It was not Bjorn that kept her here, but Roisin and Aislinn. And she needed to keep their best interests in mind. As much as she believed that Faolain meant them no harm, she also could not yet trust the mare to protect them. From what little she had seen, the young mare was more worried about making friends and having fun than she was about securing the land or bringing in new residents. The land was alien-quiet and she hated it.

Siobhan was not certain that she could be a better ruler, but she was certain that she could make the territory more vibrant... with help. More and more she had begun to rely on Ailill. It had come to a point where she could no longer draw the boundaries between them as she had done so clearly in the beginning. Ailill, ever the gentleman, had been sure to keep a respectful distance between them but it was hard not to fall for a stallion that doted over children that were not his own as much as the golden male did. Her vulnerability after losing Bjorn had not helped either, but she did her best to keep these thoughts to herself. The last thing she needed complicating her life was to get tangled up in a new romantic attachment. It would be unfair to both Ailill and to Bjorn, if he ever returned.

She couldn't help but consider how easy the transition would be for Roisin, however.

The girl had barely met her father before he'd gone distant from the herd. For the most part, her days were filled with playing with Aislinn and her Uncle A, and it was to them that she looked for comfort when Siobhan was not available.

Pushing these selfish thoughts to the side, Sio let her gaze follow Roisin's gamboling around the meadow until the glimmering figure of Ailill stepped from the foliage. Abashed at the direction of her thoughts, the red mare wiped her face neutral before stepping forward to meet him with a bob of her head in response to his greeting. The smile on his face did much to soothe her frazzled thoughts and she settled herself companionably near to him.

There is a pause before she replies to his secondary question, as she spends time mulling over her response. Roisin, slower to notice 'Uncle A's' arrival, finds herself torn between the bird that had just flitted into almost touching range and his familiar face. For a moment the bird wins, and even though she shoots him a beaming grin, the filly continues to stalk her feathered prey.

"I don't know what else to do." Siobhan offers simply, a sigh fluttering her nares. Staying was uncomfortable, but at least the Ridge was home. Leaving meant starting over, throwing the girl's future into the uncertain winds and she couldn't stomach the thought. She knew Ailill would be there to protect them, but asking him to change his ways and become a territory leader so that he may lay claim to her made her gut twist in unfamiliar ways. It was a selfish thought and she knew it.

"This is my home and I keep thinking that he'll come back. If not for me," her voice cracks on the last word, but she soldiers on. "Then for her, at least."

Roisin, with impeccable timing, saves her mother from further embarrassment and by bounding over with a wide smile. Her new friend was already well into the dense canopy above. "Hi! Where have you been? I was chasing a bird, didja see it? It was so pritty."

Inwardly thankful, Siobhan's expression clears for the time being, though she keeps and ear cocked toward Ailill for his response. After he's had his chance to talk to Ro, if he chooses, she continues. "I don't want to force your hand, though."