She agreed and he sighed a relieved breath against her coat, stirring the little white dusting of hair broken among black where his lips had been resting. She’s been asking for you, said Vervain and Peyote felt his heart lift in that strange, dreamy way that he remembered and missed from when they’d all been together before. A smile - a true smile - moved over his lips and, just briefly, he appeared rather kind and handsome with the way his blue eyes twinkled and he looked with mounting excitement toward their daughter.

Vervain’s lips kissed to his neck and he bent his cheek in toward her, reaching to give one to her in return. A touch for a touch, always - a kind touch would always have a kind touch… a resistance to touch or disobedience would always earn an unkind one.

Why don’t you wake her? Asked Vervain and Peyote flicked his dark tail high off his hindquarters as he turned a little away from his prize, dropping his head to get a closer look at their Vela. He moved forward in that same strange quiet way he had, huffing a few warm breaths that stirred the girl’s hair as he came close. He did not beckon her to wake with words, only moved his lips over her mane - it’d grown so much since he last saw her; she had - then rubbed along her neck.