Despite the great relief it was to be reunited, Faolain sensed that all was not entirely well, but she could not put her finger on what exactly it was. Her eyes flicked between the siblings as Iscariot began a sentence and then seemed to abandon it, only for Rivaini to swoop in and finish it in a characteristically spicy manner. She teased Iscariot in a way only loved ones were allowed to tease, and Iscariot shot back with a similar fire, calling Rivaini out for her attempts to leap over a log. Faolain grinned, pleased to be present for the banter. ”I probably would have tried as well,” she said reassuringly to the silver bay.

The tension Faolain had felt between the three of them seemed slowly to drain as they stopped talking. Though words had more or less ceased, communication continued through the energy passed between them as they formed their circle of social grooming. Faolain, who usually had trouble picking up on anything other than very direct verbal communication, found herself gaining more from this medium than she ever had with words. She suspected the fears that had been wedging themselves between herself and the siblings were, in fact, shared by all; the fear of only ever getting this taste of freedom, and of happiness, and of a life so different than any of them had known. As she groomed, she came to the realization that this had not actually been just a taste. They had been here for months now, and no harm had come to them yet, except through the distance they had all implemented themselves.

Faolain wondered if her skepticism and paranoia of anyone outside of their home had gotten out of hand. She heaved a deep sigh, her skin prickling pleasantly under Iscariot’s careful bite. Maybe, she thought, it was time to stop planning for things to go wrong, and plan for things to go right.

When the silence and the comfort of friends had stretched on long enough for Faolain to be satisfied with its healing, she reached for Rivaini’s mane and gave it a playful tug. ”I was afraid this would end before we got the chance to enjoy it, but I’m starting to think things will be okay,” she said. She played with the pale locks of Rivaini’s hair, neatening them, for a moment. ”I think I would prefer not to enjoy this place alone, though,“ she added, a smile tugging the corners of her dark mouth. Faolain gave another pull at Rivaini’s mane before backing out and breaking the circle. She sent a playful nip toward Iscariot’s cheek before swinging around and crow-hopping her way back into the lake, turning once she was at the edge to beckon both siblings into the clear water.

It was easy to get used to the feeling again; the bonds she had felt with Rivaini and Iscariot had never broken, and though she had not consciously feared they had, discovering them intact once more was yet another relief. It felt so right to be in their company, and she had not realized how much she missed them until she had returned to them, like a stone in her hoof that she’d grown accustomed to until it was dislodged. It was even difficult just to pull away from the circle they’d created; it had been so comforting, a tangible reminder that her family was there with her. But she knew that their life here was not a blade, with abandonment on one edge and attachment on the other. Like most things in life, there was a balance, a compromise in which Faolain could keep them close without suffocating them or throwing them away. It required her to trust that they would still be there when she turned around after pulling away, and as her head twisted to invite them to follow her, she was struck for a split second by paralyzing fear. Would they still be there when she turned? Had she left their side for the last time? Had she made a mistake?

Of course, it was their choice to follow her or to walk away, and she had to accept that at any time they might make that call. But her little family still stood when Faolain’s dark gaze swept behind her, and she forgot she had ever questioned the possibility.