As winter came to the Prairie, joy joined together in a multitude of ways. Zevulun’s heart was fuller than it’d been in some time and every morning when he awoke it wasn’t long before a smile was cracking easily across his lips. The sight of the mares he loved with their sides subtly swelling larger and larger with each day that spring kept closer; his children from last spring nearly yearlings and enjoying their first snow; his grown children striking out on their own and carving their own paths; the affection and love he now shared with a few of his mares, able to curl up against their sides and brush his lips across their thickly grown coats, filling his senses with them until he was almost dizzy; the peace that’d thankfully settled over Luthien and he hoped he could continue to foster and grow. Reason after reason made him think one thing: All the sorrow was worth this.

Sabriel’s love gave him more than he could have ever hoped for. Hearing her laughter lift over the snow-blanketed hills of the Prairie lifted his heart and always made him join in on her mirth, unable to keep from smiling and laughing with her. Seeing the way misery struck her beautiful features made the joy she showed ten times as breathtaking to him. Zevulun would do anything and everything he could to make her burdens light enough that she could always laugh and live as freely as she seemed to be now.

Speaking of that very laughter, it rang out over the Prairie after a thud and a – “Zev, waiiittt!” – which had him plowing through the snowdrift to turn himself about, breathing heavy puffs of see-through clouds of warm air from his nose that blew down his pale chest in billows. A child of Tinuvel, the snow had always felt the most like home to him. When he turned about, he could see Sabriel’s hooves sticking up toward the sky, and the sight made his eyes widen, then a grin cracked across his mouth after he noticed with her laughing, she must not be injured. He threw his head and let out a hearty chuckle, picking up his knees high to his chest to push back through the trail he’d previously carved through the snow.

“Well now, how did you get yourself in this predicament?” He asked with the laughter still in his voice, grinning as he got close enough to stop and stretch his neck down, gently bumping along her neck and body. He was tempted to find a spot she was ticklish while she was stuck like this – blow little kisses along the delicate skin and make her giggle more – but he took note then of the expression that’d come across her face when her laughter died. His expression grew softly concerned, but Zevulun was patient as always, trusting and knowing that Sabriel would share with him whatever she was comfortable with sharing.

“You’re okay?” He asked just to be sure, glancing briefly down where she lay in the snow and then back up to her face. “Didn’t hurt yourself in the tumble, did you?”