he mare's honey eyes were shining brightly with tears as she disbelievingly watched her family turn and run to meet her. Velaris watched the numerous running horses with a touch a fear -- having never been around so many others-- and hid herself behind her dam. Vervain could hardly feel her daughter tucking against her hip over the mounting joy in her heart. She did not focus on the other striped mare in the distance who stayed back where her family had come from and did not see the child poking its head up from the grasses close to her.

Vervain's eyes were drawn to her mother. Daire's brindled body, so similar to her own, shot past Zevulun's. The older mare hardly slowed before reaching her daughter, tears obviously shining on her cheeks. 'My baby,' Daire sobbed with relief, clutching her daughter to her. The nearly identical mares held each other for a long moment, both shedding hot tears of relief and joy. The elder finally stepped back and kissed her daughter's face in many places, nuzzling her. When Daire finally pulled back, she gave Zevulun a joyous smile.

Vervain's eyes, too, went to Zevulun, the stallion who had always acted as her father. She searched his face and then Castillon's. Everywhere she looked were the faces of those she loved, the ones who had evaded her even in her sleep. I can't tell you guys how much I've missed you, the brindled mare expressed with a shaky voice. The amount of tears and many shuffling feet elicited a soft whimper from the hidden filly's lips. Little Vela shifted to move around the other side of her mother's haunches. She looked up at Nephilim, the one out of this group that she was more familiar with, for comfort.

vervain

mare ∙ mutt ∙ black brindle ∙ 16.3 hands
daire's daughter ∙ peyote's prize