Roisin had never doubted the love her extended family felt for her, or needed affirmations. It was a simple fact that her mother, and father, and siblings, and Uncle Ailill all loved her; she had been assured of this over and over since she was too young to count the days.

And yet, as she emerged from the dense jungle at Ailill's heels -- bundle of energy contained into fidgety obedience -- she found herself doubting it for one teeny little moment. For the first time Siobhan had left, truly left her alone in the Ridge. Why it was different from all the other times her mother took a break was a mystery to Ro, but it just was. She had trusted her mother to come back, but she had trusted her father to do the same and he had yet to return to her.

So when her mother appeared with a new filly at her side, Roisin froze, crashing into Aislinn's body with an emotion she could not place. Wide-eyed and silent, she stayed at the treeline while Ailill approached her mother.

-----

Like her own personal ray of sunshine, Ailill's figure glowed between the verdant green of their jungle home and she tracked him with a warm smile already spreading on her lips. Just the sight of him with the two fillies in tow like a little train was enough to squeeze her heart sharply with the depth of her feelings. She watched as Roisin stalled at the treeling, knowing that this would take a great deal of explaining and a careful balance to make all of it work. She offered a smile to her beautiful daughter, but found her eyes drawn to her companion once more.

As she knew he would, Ailill struck to the heart of the issue first and instead of demanding answers, his gentleness was offered to the filly. She had been brave enough to leave Siobhan's hip upon landfall, already curious about the bright scents and smells of their jungle home and so it is Siobhan that steps forward to join her as the golden stallion and paling filly share breath. Akadi meets him head-on, even braving a small nip toward the large stallion before wandering away to continue exploring.

Sio's amber gaze followed the filly for a moment, still concerned for her. The girl's amnesia troubled her, and made her fear that the girl would become lost in the dense jungle of their home. She seemed fearless to Sio, already accepting a new mother, a new home, a new life without a single mote of complaint. She hoped with her entire heart that she would not come to harm in their care, that they would be able to help her reach whatever destiny she was meant for.

After a moment she turns back to Ailill, fully aware of the absurdity of the situation. At his question, a flustered laugh escapes her and she shakes her head, even as her brow knits in confusion. "Honestly? I'm not sure."

She wants to curl herself into the strong arch of his neck and draw from his strength, and her eyes draw to the place in question before she drags them forcibly away in embarrassment. "She was just standing there, in the Falls and couldn't remember what her mother looked like. I thought maybe she was hurt, or had gotten lost but... no one came to claim her."

A wry smile tugs at her lips as she follows the filly's progress. "I couldn't just leave her there, and I thought..."

The words have tumbled from her lips so far with little forethought, just a simple explanation of fact, but her mind works faster than her mouth and a decision looms in front of her so suddenly that she falls quiet for a moment. The words that come to mind are ones that could have so many meanings despite their plainness, and she struggles to be brave. For even though they are words, their very nature is an admission of it's own to the red mare.

"I thought maybe you wouldn't mind if we kept adding to our family." She says it softly, her expression vulnerable as she tries to read his reaction. On the surface, they are only words, but the implication that he is her family thunders in her ears. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't understand, or if he shied away from her. Both were reasonable considering the veiled nature of her comment. She was not yet brave enough to admit it directly. Such a thing still felt like disloyalty, even if she had come to accept that Bjorn either no longer wanted her, or had perished.

Somehow it still felt like a betrayal and a beginning all at once.