Seasons had come and gone. On the winds and through the air Ailill had heard Siobhan had been set free, her place taken by none other than Bjorn. The emotions tearing through Ailill could not be named and could not be comprehended as they flew through his chest. His own offer of trade had been denied, whereas Bjorn had been readily accepted. His worth next to the grullo stallion was nothing and was a dagger plunging deep into his heart. He could never compare to the iclandic king. He could barely even say he would never abandon his family.

The golden stallion had withdrawn. His sorrow at losing Siobhan a second time gripped him and flung him into the darkest shadows of the otherwise vibrant forest. His daughters called to him, and he would answer with as much as he could give him. He was always there. He would hug and hold them, whisper words of love against their necks and tell them stories of their mother, and promise them the sun, moon, and stars above them. But he could not play. He had not danced. The luster and energy that he had lived with every day of his life had been stolen from him when Siobhan had been chased into the sea again. As he had been forced to watch her leave, her head high and proud, he had felt his being leave with her. Now, if what he had heard was true, she was released but nowhere to be seen.

She had not returned to The Ridge and to his side, and he did not know where she had gone. His already broken being had crumbled still further, convinced she had grown ashamed of him and his weakness. If he could not protect her from the constant onslaught, she would be better off without him, in a place where she could not be battled for. At least she would be safe wherever she would go. He loved her, and he would do anything to make sure she would be safe and happy, even if it meant not being with him.

Dulled blue eyes looked over the crashing waves. A sick feeling curled in the pit of his stomach. He lost the battles against Nyimara and now he was losing the battles against himself. Years ago his sister would have ripped into his thoughts of self-pitty and spurred him forward. She would have told tales of star-crossed lovers, convincing him his love for Siobhan was true and could overcome anything! Taika would have spun tales of magic and wonder. She would have marched him into the water and taken him on a quest to find the love of his life.

Ailill grinned at the thought and released it into the air with a heavy breath. She had been so full of dreams.

Soft ears flicked back and he heard the voices of his daughters in the distance. For a second he had considered jumping into the water, to follow the silent encouragement of his sister. Closing his eyes against the heartbreak, he turned away from the beach to find his daughters. They still needed him, almost as much as he needed her.