Quiet saturated the Bay, bringing with it a sense of peace that Kohelet's heart had lacked for a very long time. She was an anxious creature by nature, and the world had not saw fit to give her many reasons to change. First had been the tension between Fell and Solomon as they fought to figure out how to co-exist. Then had been the situation with Blue and the complicated feelings that came from losing her friend.

Rafe's theft and eventual revelations had proceeded to shake Kohelet to the core so fundamentally that even when she was able to return home, she could not bring herself to stay. Instead, she'd set off to find the truth for herself, only to end up back in the Badlands by her own free will when the truth became too much to handle. She could not blame Rafe for appointing his children to places of power and therefore negating her plan to ask him for a crown so that she could pursue Fell for justice on Viveka's behalf, but it remained a source of shame for her.

Because instead of looking for other solutions, Kohelet had all but disappeared into herself.

Watching over Amalia had been a full-time occupation she was all too glad to throw herself into. When Koh's heart had finally healed enough for her to try again, she had inadvertently landed herself in the middle of Nyimara's plans and schemes, hurting both her ex-lover and father in the process. In the end, though, it was through all of that pain that Kohelet had reached the truth she'd been searching for since the very beginning.

Fell was not bad.

He was not all good, but he was not a bad man either. He loved, and he loved deeply, sometimes fiercely, sometimes holding on so tight he injured those that he loved. But he loved her, and she loved him. Sometimes he made mistakes, just like he did, but he had no way of justifying them. Of explaining himself or asking questions. He - as far as Kohelet believed - had always done the best that he could. She trusted in that.

The soft scuff of hooves pulled Kohelet's attention outward again and she turned to the sight of her grown daughter with her mouth open in a soft 'O' of surprise. "Una!" She murmured, tears of joy gathering in her eyes as she crossed the distance between them, seeking to wrap her monochrome neck around her not-so-little little girl. "How are you, my love? Where have you been?"

More questions pressed at the back of her lips, begging to be released but she held them for now, love and eagerness replacing the sadness that had suffused her life lately.

mare - mutt - black tobiano - 16.1h - solomon x sicily