Sidika had done her more of a service than she could express and it makes her seem to try for idle, if a bit philosophical, about their children. The little black colt seemed a mite more dutiful, but Merwerit thought that to be proper, considering his mother. There were no feathered words with Sidika. There were no useless commentaries. She was contented, of course, by the straight-forward and outright commands - but now that she found herself once again on her feet, she was not so certain how to behave in the presence of one so well-learned.

She bonds with Sarisi, though, cleaning and washing and stimulating the filly right up until their two boys (for Merwerit saw all that was Maslakhat’s family to be her own) crested the hill.

Strangely, the boisterous colt’s jubilee is only more reason, it seemed, for Sarisi to express her need to stand. Another up-down, but certainly not the last. Sidika curtails her young one as Maslakhat approaches and it is no surprise at all when then Maslakhat becomes the reason for the filly’s newest attempt to stand.

The stallion comforts his mare, her head lowered in concern to rustle her lip in the looser flesh of her daughter’s belly, nickering to her in appreciation. She returns the touch, tenderly, with a deep rolling nicker of her own. "She is perfect. You have done exceptionally well." Unlike most praise, this one seems to strike the heart of his Mother-of-Pearl mistress. Compliments of her own self do not win her, certainly, but the compliment of her golden daughter - so pristinely gold no less, makes for heady stuff.

Sidika, though, ventures further and drives her son further back a moment so that Merwerit finally looks up from her masterwork and towards the pair not far off. She knew Sidika to be a private soul, but she almost wonders aloud at the choice to fall back when suddenly the pinch between her haunches speaks to her daughters final milestone.