The child, his son, stands protectively in front of Kohelet when Fell finds them. He experiences a sense of competition, instinctive rather than conscious, that demands to know why anyone thinks they have a right to stand between him and his loved one. He does not act on it, though, because it is laughably dwarfed by a swell of pride at the lanky yearling’s display of bravery. Kohelet can take care of herself, Fell knows, but it still brings him a bit of peace to see the colt so protective. He has never stopped worrying.

Fell dips his head to the boy in an appeasing manner before Kohelet convinces him to relax. He values boldness in his children, and tries to encourage their confidence whenever he can, even at the expense of himself. He doesn’t care if it makes him look weak to submit to a child, and his strength is better reserved for the vultures (and Raegar) at his borders, anyway.

He is still not quite convinced that this is not a dream, and when Kohelet speaks, he almost startles, not expecting to hear it so clearly without the muffling fog of sleep. His nostrils quiver and he rumbles softly in response, his ears cupping forward greedily. He watches Ivo soak in the information she has just given him, his bright eyes glancing between them curiously. He says nothing, and Fell wonders if he can speak, or if he was born without a voice like himself. The thought hurts his heart.

It’s Fell’s turn to register surprise when Kohelet tells him that she claimed the Desert in Nyimara’s absence. His head lifts, and his ears swivel in concern. His silver-haired sister is like a shard of broken glass; you don’t exactly want to get friendly with it, but losing track of it is even worse. Still, he can’t help but feel relieved, because he knows Nyi for uprooting herself on occasion and genuinely vanishing. She always returns, but she’s usually found some new game to focus on, and it’ll take her a minute to plot out the rules before she draws all her adversaries back into it. He doesn’t expect her to forget about them, but at least for now, this means that Kohelet likely wasn’t sent here as a trick.

Tension leaves him as he lets out a heavy breath. His neck relaxes and his head lowers to shoulder level. It doesn’t all sink in at once; Nyimara, Ivo, Kohelet, coming home. Does she mean it? Does she mean the Bay? He thinks of her family nextdoor, but reasons that if she had meant the Cove as her home, she would have gone there first. Still, he has never been able to rush without question into something good, and he hesitates now, if only slightly. Even if she isn’t staying here, at least she is out of the Desert and safe. That is all he can ask for.

He takes a composing breath and nods. It will take him some time to process everything, but for right now, he is at least beginning to trust that Kohelet is actually here. As his suspicion fades, the urge to rush forward and actually touch her intensifies, but he holds back. Fell’s wild eyes flick to the son with an almost pleading expression, and he extends his muzzle to Ivo to greet him properly. He desires closeness and the chance to familiarize himself with his son, but he also wants to approach Kohelet without trampling Ivo’s need to protect her. His quiet rumble and soft exhalation in the yearling’s direction are both a greeting and a request for permission.

stallion | marwari mutt | black | torn left ear | bay