Paradise

It does not take long for the stallion that is her father in every way except blood to notice her and she almost wilts with the relief his familiar figure brings. In her months of silent watch over Hymn, Promise had learned to become a protector. Not against intruders or strangers but against the land itself. Promise had learned to guide her mother to the water when she proclaimed to have no thirst, to pick her the sweetest grasses and beg her to take a bite when she possessed no appetite, to force her to wakefulness when the jungle grew silent as predators prowled the overhead branches.

Her days of foalish lightness had ended the moment they'd lost her sister, and she, too, was changed for it.

The tovero leans into Annubis' embrace with full-bodied commitment, relaxing against the strength of his frame as though she simply wanted to melt into it and forget how hard life had been the past year. Explanations rise to her lips as he confesses his worry but she doesn't voice them; she knows without even trying to explain that he will understand what happened.

It wasn't as if Hymn or Promise ever left the bounds of Paradise. They still walked through the jungle, just in places deeper and more wild than others typically tread. The sort of deep, dark, heart of Paradise where Lyrae had managed to keep Hymn protected and secluded from the likes of Rougaru. Places were it seemed illogical for any hoofed creature to reside.

"I know," she manages with a breathless little laugh as he points out she is no longer a gangly yearling at her mother's side. Somehow, despite it all, she'd grown up.

She bears her own weight again as his face turns somber and his brow furrows, and though she hates herself for doing it, her gaze dashes away from his as he inquires about her mother. Eventually, she looks back to Annubis and forces a tremulous smile to her lips. "In a manner of speaking, dad." The truth was that while Hymn was better, she was not yet really herself and though Promise didn't want to admit it, she wasn't certain that being okay was something she would ever get back.

"She's doing better. She eats now, without me begging." This part, at least, was delivered with a flicker of true happiness. It was the first sign in a while that Hymn was improving. "I can leave her for a few hours without worrying."

The tovero lifted her gaze to Annubis again, her voice quiet as she spoke again. "She misses you." A soft laugh. "I mean, I did too, daddy, of course. But I think... I think she's ready to see you again."

Which was... half true. Promise hadn't exactly asked her mother if she was ready for a reunion, but the combination of wanting independence, combined with how much she missed her father had led the young mare to extrapolate. Plus, she knew that her mom didn't hate Annubis. They'd talked about that much, at least. As far as Promise could tell, her mother's self-isolation was born out of a deep shame for losing her child and a fear that he would look at her as lesser, somehow. And no amount of convincing on Promise's part could make Hymn's opinion budge.