OOC: TW mention of SA

Of all of the Bay members that Kohelet expected to find her first, Mṛgaśira had not been one of them, and she blinked back her surprise as the stunning little mare danced lithely closer, clearly having been attempting to join her for some time. The stress of the tobiano's haste left her slightly breathless, but she hid her frown and let a smile - albeit a little taut still, in the absence of Fell - grace her lips. As much as she wanted to see her lover, she would freely admit that seeing her herd again was welcome as well. She had always considered them her main responsibility, and to be apart from them had been painful... and more than a little stressful.

It was no secret that Kohelet's journey as the Bay's "lead" mare had been fraught with complications and oversteps and awkward moments, all of which led to a lingering and pervasive fear that someday someone would rise to take her place. If there were any so inclined to do so, her impromptu stay in the Badlands would have been a prime option in which to begin making their move. She had become better with it, over time, now that she had spent more than half her life in the role, but there were some parts that would never come easily for her.

She blinked at Mṛgaśira's use of the word Husband, finding such speech still foreign to her despite the way the red mare had used it before, but nodded agreeably enough. She could only imagine the chaos that had come in the days after her capture, when the pain of their separation had been sharpest.

"He will," she echoed, unable to keep her gaze from tearing away from the ruby-dotted mare to search for her handsome stallion. "And thank you," she makes herself say, the words flowing less naturally not from lack of intention or sincerity, but from distraction. "It is good to be home."

Is it? She could practically hear the Badland's stallion's drawl in her mind, knowing that he would mock her for her eagerness to return to the stallion he considered a brute. In truth, a part of her still quaked at the knowledge that she would have to ask Fell and face his answer... eventually. Kohelet knew it was cowardly to avoid it, but she still had no idea what she would do if his answer was yes. If he was truly the monster Rafe had made him out to be.

"Wait?" She said her brow wrinkled with confusion as the red mare's loaded statement permeated her brain fog. "What do you mean two attempts? Who else came?"

And then she couldn't have stopped to ask her herdmate for more if she wanted to because he was here, and she rushed toward him, as eager as he was to close the distance between them. The things Rafe had said about him melted into the background as she watched him play with Mṛgaśira and bounce to a halt before her, every part of him as bright and playful and lovable as she remembered. Where was Rafe's villain now? Certainly not before her. She let go of the striped stallion's vicious remarks, intentionally pushing away his claims.

This was her family. This was the man she had pledged her life to - this one, with the bright eyes and smile and joy in his heart.

Kohelet returned the embrace eagerly, tucking her chin over his withers and huffing a laugh that was half of a sob. "Gods, I've missed you," she murmured, unable to help herself despite knowing that such a claim was unnecessary between them. Fell knew her, as well as anyone else on the islands could claim to, if not better.