While the first call was not as familiar to her ears, Maziel knew the second one by heart and smiled immediately. Her brown face lifted quickly up from the fresh spring shoots she’d been filling her belly with, ears flicking as she figured out which direction the call was from. It was unsurprising when she understood it was the direction nearest the Arch, likely closer to the border rather than moving further inside the territory. That was likely for the best. With Rafe having recently stolen Kohelet away, Maziel wasn’t sure the condition Fell might be in. She trusted him more than anything not to act rash, but Maziel would not blame him if his fear and overprotectiveness caused him to be more on edge than he otherwise might be.
Plus, when her sister saw the truth… Maziel nickered softly at where she could hear her daughters. They’d all been grazing together through the woodlands, but even the pair of them had stopped to glance off in the direction of the calls when they heard them.
“What is it mom?” Charmeine’s softly curious voice prompted. Charmeine, though nearing two now, was a rather timid young girl. She immediately was on some sort of guard at the sound of strangers, and even more so when her mother (a total shut-in) seemed happy to have heard their beckoning cries.
“It’s your aunt,” Maziel replied in her soft voice, though it was somewhat higher now, betraying her immediate excitement. “She’s finally come to see us, come now, let’s not keep them waiting long.” Maziel ushered, jerking her snip-covered muzzle in the direction she wanted to follow. She pushed away the worry that was already forming when Mariael would see Parisa, too. She would know. The girl was dark, with ever-so-slightly curved ears. Though she bore identical markings to her mother there was absolutely no denying who had part in siring her.
The trio made their way up quickly and Maziel was briefly relieved to discover they’d come before Fell had arrived. Maybe she would have the time to smooth any potential wrinkles between her and her sister (if there were going to be any) concerning Maziel’s second daughter. In a perfect world for Maziel, Mariael would be thrilled that she had managed to find some sort of companionship, and a close-family here in the Bay where she always felt she belonged. Life was not perfect and Mariael, though she seemed to have grown so much in these few years, was still Mariael.
Charmeine was initially leading them close, but as they neared the trio enough to see them, she started to fall back in step so her mother would be in front. Parisa, ignorant of how her very presence could bring trouble, did not. She marched ahead with her ears perked and her gold eyes bright, smiling excitedly as she trotted forward. Parisa thrust her muzzle out to each of the three horses waiting, mostly curious about the one closest in age to her, wanting to exchange scents and introduce herself, too. Bold little girl, it was written all over her.
Maziel came into the clearing next, with Charmeine at her hip.
“You’ve met Parisa,” she said, and made sure to keep her voice level, so any nervousness she may be feeling didn’t show, “this is Charmeine,” she added, tipping her head back toward her pale daughter, who smiled nervously beside her. Charmeine dipped her head and looked shyly up at the three from beneath her white forelock.
“It’s um- nice to meet you,” she said in her polite voice, which had the same quiet candor of her mother’s.
“This must be Nephilim,” Maziel said as she smelled the boy between her sister and Suileman.
“Yes,” her sister spoke up, and there was a slight shuffling noise. “This is our son, Neph.” Mariael had gently bumped her son’s painted hip, encouraging him to move closer to his aunt so Maziel would not have to struggle to find him. His excitement was still there, but the initial greeting of these three strangers was almost nerve-wracking. He stretched his neck and shared a few breaths with his aunt, who smiled as she tucked her head back. She tilted her head, giving her attentive direction toward Mariael.
“He’s a polite young man, isn’t he?”
“He has his moments.” Mariael’s voice teased. Nephilim glanced back at her with a small, offended noise made in his throat.
Maziel smiled and turned her face back toward her nephew. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Hopefully we’ll be able to spend more time together, I know your cousins would enjoy it.”
“Yeah!” Of course it was Parisa who spoke up, loud-voiced and happy for an excuse to join the discussion. “I can show you all the cool places and make sure you don’t see any of the lame ones!”
“If your father agrees,” Maziel chided, reminding Parisa she couldn’t just invite anyone into the depths of their home without first running it by Fell, family or no.
“Ah,” Mariael made a soft noise, then added, “I see.” Maziel knew immediately what it meant. Mariael must’ve known the moment she saw Parisa come forward that the girl was Fell’s, but now the proof has been spoken aloud.
“Yes,” Maziel said, “I didn’t think I would ever be so lucky to have one child, let alone two, but Fell gave me a miracle.” It was all Maziel had ever wanted was to be a mother. To lose Paradiso as soon as she found out she was pregnant with Charmeine had been horrific; to be able to share the miracle of conceiving a healthy child with Fell had healed some piece of her she hadn’t realized was so hurt.
Maziel could not see her sister swallow back as some frustrated emotions worked their way across her face, but she could sense the tenseness in the silence. She sighed. “Charmeine, Parisa, why don’t you show your cousin down to the river? We’ll follow behind.” The river itself wasn’t very far away and it would put the children a decent enough distance ahead that Mariael could be free to say whatever she was holding back for their sake. Even as Maziel drew a nervous breath, she knew it was for the best.
“There’s quartz in there! Pink ones too!” Parisa was talking excitedly, likely telling Nephilim all about how much fun she had playing in the rivers, and Maziel waited until their voices had faded up ahead before she looked back toward Sul and Mariael.
“I love him, Mari. I can’t explain how it came to be, but I love him, and he’s a good leader. A good man.” No matter what he had done, Maziel knew the truth. When she washed up injured on the beach and pregnant with another stallion’s child, he took her in. When a strange stallion charged after her and her newborn baby, he protected them. Regardless of what trouble he stirred away from the Bay, Fell kept them safe and he kept them strong. That was all she asked of him.
“Zevulun told me the opposite,” Mariael hissed quietly back, “He has a reputation on these islands, he stirs trouble. Things are good now, Maziel, but what if-”
“That’s my decision to make, isn’t it?” Maziel countered, tone more pointed than it used to be when she spoke with either of her siblings. “If I feel I need to leave, I know you and Sul would take me in without question, and my daughters too, and you would both protect us,” her voice was already softening. “I won’t leave him, Mariael, not unless it’s my decision to do so.” He could never say it, but sometimes when they had their private moments of quiet, idle touching, she wondered if it didn’t help rest some frantic thing inside him, even if just for a few minutes. Who else could welcome him to such peace?
“We should go watch the children,” she said, swallowing back and turning about to walk down the trail her daughters and their son had gone. Maziel could not see it, but her sister looked at Sul, a lost expression of worry and uncertainty stricken across her face. What she feared - that Maziel had fallen for Fell - was true, but what was worse was her sister had even an inkling of his bad reputation and was choosing even more stubbornly to stand by his side. She knew she could not interject without angering Fell and now her sister, but the worry was still there. If something happened to Maziel, she would never forgive him.
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