Ailill’s life had become rich and full in mere seasons. It seemed as though his family had grown with every waxing and waning of the moon.Watching over three fillies had filled the stallion’s heart with joy. He had never imagined a single being could love so much and so many, and still he had been able to find it in himself to continue to pour himself into those around him. Every time he looked into their young eyes he could feel his heart flicker a little brighter. Every time he looked over at Siobhan he felt the twist in his being that could only lead him to one conclusion. Still, his mind wandered to the mare he had escorted to the Ridge.

During the times he had been able to peel away from those who had adopted him, he walked the trails of the Ridge. Rahsheeda’s sent still lingered here and there, bringing him a comforting relief that the predators that roamed the forests had not claimed her. Some days when he tried to find her, he had been successful but in general kept his distance, not knowing if she would want his company or not. Other times he had completely lost her scent. He regretted that he could not be by her side consistently, with the pull of the children on his mind, and that he had not been able to fulfill his promise to her in helping her to find her sister. Now, the seasons were changing again and the winter would make travel treacherous. He had broken his promise to her, and guilt settled firmly on his consciousness.

Absent mindedly he followed the faint trail the mare had left. When he came across her in the clearing he paused, struck again by her quiet beauty. She grazed and he regretted not coming to her immediately, feeling as though he had been stealing glances of her without her knowing his presence. When she spoke his ears flicked forward. When they had first met he had not understood some of the words she had said, and he believed this to be true now. He knew her final sentence though, and he cringed with the meaning.

I did not mean to leave you. He said with a slightly raised voice to cover their distance as he approached. I am sorry I have not been more by your side. Much has happened in the Ridge since I have brought you here. He hesitated, glancing around at the trees that still retained their green vibrancy during the winter months. Have you enjoyed you time here? He was curious if she had, even though she had not been around the others of the growing herd. Had the feelings of the jungle around them, the sweet scents, and beautiful sounds entranced her as it had so many? Perhaps her distance from the others had protected her from the conflicts that stirred in the rest of them as they had tried to find their place in a changing dynamic that came with the challenging of love and of loyalty.