“Daaaddy! Daddy!”

A frown etched over the pale stallion’s face, ear twitching as the sing-song voice of one of his youngest children, Dolores, interrupted his deep sleep.

Zevulun had not meant to fall asleep as deeply as he had, but he’d had trouble sleeping the night before when he’d heard the yips of a coyote pack too close to where the main herd gathered for comfort. He wasn’t young as he used to be and that made it not-so-easy to stay up all night and keep himself completely alert during the day. Instead, when he’d begun to doze about mid-day as others grazed and napped around him, he’d very quickly fallen into a much deeper slumber. His head had hung low, pink lips gently gapped open as deep breaths came rhythmically from his mouth. Anyone could take one look at him and immediately see just how deeply the stallion was resting.

But even if his three-seasons old daughter could see her father was asleep, she didn’t particularly… care.

“Daddy!” A little more forcefully this time and a little louder and closer to his ear, the young girl pushed her pink nose roughly into his shoulder.

“What is it Izizel?” He groggily asked as he slowly pulled from the sleeping world to the waking one.

“Who’s Izizel?” Asked Dolores loudly, tilting her head much like a curious pup as she stared with confusion at her father.

Zevulun’s eyes blinked a few times and he looked with that same confusion down at his daughter. As soon as the sleep cleared, he could see he was looking at Dolores, that he was in the Prairie, and he could feel his age again. He wasn’t two, he wasn’t waking up to the giggles and mischief of his first daughter who he had lost so long ago.

“Helloooo! I’m talking to you!” Dolores demanded, only making Zevulun realize just then that he hadn’t yet spoken.

“Sorry sweetheart,” he said groggily and cleared his throat, “Izizel is an older sister of yours, she’s long gone from the islands now.” His voice felt as heavy as his heart when he said it. Despite the fear of never knowing exactly what had happened to Avalon and Izizel, he had begun to let himself believe they’d gone off to live happy, fulfilling lives on the mainlands. He could not accept the fear that had him for so long following their disappearance…

“You were so sleepy,” Dolores said, blissfully jumping subjects now that her curiosity was satiated with his brief answer. “But you promised me we’d go look at the frozen lake today.”

“I did promise you that, didn’t I?” He asked, a smile slowly warming across his lips before he reached out to fondly ruffle her growing mane. She giggled and pulled her face away from him, then trotted off a few steps in the direction of the pond she wanted to see. Zevulun smiled and lifted his head, glancing at anyone who was near and giving them a soft nicker. If anyone wanted to accompany him and Dolores to the frozen pond, they were more than welcome to come along. He’d be a bit slow to start, still a bit sleep-groggy and heavy-hearted from dreaming of his past life in the Bay (not to mention the way the cold irritated his injured limb) but they’d get there in time and, knowing Dolores, she’d find plenty of things to entertain her along the way.