With Sol’s permission, whether it had been forced by Ysabel’s hand or otherwise, they had rested on the beaches of the Cove until the fear of pursuit or recapture had subsided. Once their breathing had slowed and the twins had seemed recovered from their morning swim, Ailill urged them to the water. Gazing up the beach at Ysabel and Lorcan he hesitated for a beat before stepping into the waves after the others. His heart ached to be leaving his son behind, but he knew he would grow strong with Ysabel and it would not be the last time he would see the colt. With his clear eyes on Siobhan and his daughters, he kicked himself forward to catch up before the waters became too deep for the fillies to easily navigate.

With every wave that could have topped their heads, Ailill was determined to provide either a barrier or a brace so they could hold themselves above. Not wishing to risk the longest route around Crossing, he encouraged his family to at least walk in the shallows of the Peak, knowing full well that if he went too far into the Vulcan territory he might also captured or chased away. At last when they reached the meadow he felt as though he could breathe freely again. Compared to the distances they had already swam and the temperment of the water around them, the last push from Crossing to the Ridge was pleasant. With the worst of the winter seasons storms past, the warm water could be argued to be nearly refreshing. Still, the stallion kept his pace with Naenia, Saoirse, and Siobhan, not daring to wander too far from them since he had just found them again.

At last his pale hooves sank into the sandy beaches of Atlantis. The sights and sounds of the tropics washed over him and soothed his heartache like a comforting blanket. At last, he grinned, reaching out to Siobhan though both of them were still dripping wet. Welcome home.

As much as he would have loved to have a moment or two alone with Siobhan, his knowledge of her led him to assume there were a few other, more pressing matters on her mind. Even if they had not, when he had left the island he had given Akadi and Roisin his word they would know as soon as their hooves touched sand. Which meant he had technically already broken his promise. Once he was sure the small fillies were tucked securely to himself or Siobhan and well out of the lapping waves he called out to his two adopted daughters. Only then did he take a moment to shake himself free of the salty water riveting down his pale locks.
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Akadi paced the stone faces of the ridge, her heart still on fire. Every passing day was different and every day was a change. The last sentiments that Siobhan had uttered to her rang clearly in her ears. ‘You simply won’t have time to forget my face.’ It was true. The image of the red mare being chased into the crashing waves haunted her. Even more were the memories of her kind smile and gentle caresses. It was not Siobhan’s face Akadi feared forgetting, but her own.

Her pacing stopped with the soft splace of her hooves meeting shallow water. She looked down at the reflection she still did not recognize. Though winter snow had not fallen on the faces of the Ridge, it had swept over her’s. Nose still dark, a flurry of white flakes splashed over her face and into her mane, graying strands to make it shimmer when she ran. Winter’s grasp on her had not stopped there, but blanketed her neck, shoulders and back, taking what was once a deep bay into a shimmering bronze. She had watched herself change in confusion while Ailill and Riosin seemed to stay the same. Fear held her back from asking, worried they would confirm that she was changing to something else, someone Siobhan would not recognize when she returned.

At last, she heard Ailill’s call echo through the stones of the forest. The filly shot through the trees. Nothing could stop her as she wove through the thick trees, for the first time ignoring the wondrous flowers growing in them. She slid to a halt in the sand, the granules flying onto her body, paling her further. First she saw the face of the red mare and closed her eyes, committing and matching it to her memory with a rush of relief. When she opened them again she saw the small still fresh born fillies at their sides. Akadi smiled weakly as she stepped forward. She could guess who and what they were. As she approached she tried to fight the growing feeling that she would wash away into the sands and she would never be the light of someone’s eyes as the two beauties before her were sure to be.