He had thought himself unable to be any happier than the moment he saw Sabriel alive and well on the shores of the Prairie, but as the silver-haired mare pushed herself so fiercely, so desperately into him and breathed his name against her skin, he felt a new wave of bliss wash over him. The world as he had come to understand it was filled with the lowest of lows yet, every so often, there was a moment he was blessed with to remind him why he kept fighting through even the hardest of times. Sabriel returned to him, murmuring his name and kissing his skin, was one of them.

For now he did not need to know what had taken her away, why she had been away, or if there was anything different he might’ve done to convince her to stay. None of those things mattered and ruminating on them would only cast a shadow over the brightness of this moment.

She laughed, but he heard the tremor of tears in the sound and arched his neck more firmly over hers, chin bumping into her body to coax her even closer, as if they could press any nearer to one another. Laughter was always a beautiful sound when it came from Sabriel’s lips and even soaked in emotion as it was now, Zevulun still thought it was a lovely sound.

As she lifted her head he made sure to move his, allowing her the freedom to move as she wanted, which meant her velvet lips lipped at his forelock. It came out, she said, and Zevulun remembered. He remembered how much they’d laughed when she’d noticed the streaks of color along his pale hair, and how he’d trotted off to the nearest still-water to peer at his reflection. I think it’s a rather dashing addition, he remembered teasing, then teasingly asked her to kiss him more places and bless him with an array of colorful freckles.

Another smile lit up his face and brightened the glossy blue of his eyes - unshed tears of joy - laid over them. He playfully moved his face from hers, not that he didn’t want her to mess with his hair or put her lips on his skin, but only so he could offer her a little smile and then reach to affectionately nuzzle a few strands of her silver hair, still wet with the ocean.

He pulled away and for a moment their eyes met, the joyous reunion subsiding into reality of what stretched out behind them. Zevulun sighed and said, “I’m happy you’re alright,” That was what should be the first sentence he spoke to her. That was how he wanted to lead their reunion. His gaze softened on her understandingly and he added, “Sometimes life is too much to stay in one place for too long.” He thought of the years he spent wandering along the mainland, stuck in limbo and not understanding where it was he needed to be and how to get to it. His voice softened and he made sure he was looking into her beautiful blue eyes when he said, “It’s okay, Sabriel. I understand.”