She hears him, the soft-padding rustle of a heavy beast moving through the wet sand. The smooth curve of her neck bent to greet him, her lips bowed in a gentle smile. Her son was growing, the long and low form of him filling out with power she could only guess at. The pale end of her muzzle dipped to sink into the lush fur at his ruff. 

"Hello, kitten," she murmured, nibbling between the boy's shoulder blades affectionately. He was her sweet one, where Cormorant had grown into mischief and a gregarious nature, she could always count on Halcyon to have a more tempered approach to life. Her smile dimmed somewhat at his question, even as she nodded. 

Always the observer, her son. Perhaps it was the predator's nature, to watch. Perhaps it was simply his personality. Either way, there was little that passed him unnoticed. "Its a hard one, my love. Yes, I'm happy to be home. I have duty and love in this place. But we seem to have left a little bit of ourselves behind, haven't we?" She could see it in both of her boys, in the way they had moved with caution the first few days, unsure of their surroundings. They'd both been so young when they'd left on what was meant to the journey of a few days. And like that, a year had gone by. 

Sitting back on her heels, the sea mare blinked at the burly tiger by her side. "And you? How are you doing, now that we've returned?" She asked, unsure what kind of answer she'd receive. She wanted to know though, to get an idea for what their experiences had left him with.

Her smile hitched with a gentle sympathy at his hesitation. How complicated that one word had become, for all of them. They stood together quietly while the water sloshed comfortingly beyond them. She continued her grooming of his thick striped pelt. It was so different from other's hair, soft and still carrying some memory of Loess in it's depths. 

The sea mare bent her knees to lay beside her feline son, warm in the sand. Her brilliant purple eyes blinked at him with soft love. "I think so too, kitten." She nodded, pride filling her for her sweet-souled child. They would relearn their place in the island, one day at a time, together. She felt confident that her boys were capable of the transition. 

The warm glow of happiness illuminated her heart, and it seemed that she had made the right call despite the misgivings she'd been having. And a small part of her, the selfish part, knew it was the only call she could have made. Her heart broke for her friend, for their sons. She could not, however, make herself regret removing her own children from such a tumultuous environment. Their safety came first, always. That uncertainty, combined with her growing guilt at the neglect of her own home's needs had finally become enough to send them home. 

That responsibility was meant to be shared, though. A sighing note hummed from between her lips as she considered that notion. He was growing, faster than she could believe most days. As much as she loved their home isles, the boys now knew the rest of the world was out there. She wouldn't keep them from it. 

Stretching a long leg out on the sand, she looked at Halcyon for a moment. "When you've gotten your bearings back, what would you say to doing some work for the island?" She asked slowly. He would excel at it, she already knew, but only if his heart was in it. Only if he were truly involved.

Pride and trepidation fought inside her when his answer came so quick. It seemed that this was a thing he'd been waiting for. Her finely scaled muzzle brushed the thick fur of his ruff briefly, letting her thoughts marshal themselves into things she could say. 

With a little shiver that belied the warm air thick around them, she nodded slowly and held his fervent gaze. "Yes, whenever you're ready." She replied softly, feeling the twinge of motherly regret to see her child so clearly grown before her. He was not the mewling, ocean-born kitten she'd found on the beach any more, and she was struck hard by that. For a moment all she could do was gaze at him, heart in her throat. Where had time gone? Cormorant was not far behind him, either. 

When she could speak again, the words were blessedly steady. "I known Pteron had begun teaching you some things in the way of battle. Things I can't teach you, and if you want to continue learning, perhaps we can find you a suitable teacher in Tephra." She reasoned that the larger kingdom overruling them might have more horses knowledgeable about those things than their own mainly peaceable home. Her tail swished against the sand, warm grains scratching enjoyably against the membranous fins. "I know I talk up our policy of peace and mutual respect, policies 
my sister and now Eva continue to uphold. They're good ideas, but... I can't help but see how vulnerable they make us, now." She looked away, knowing that her insecurities were playing on her, but she didn't want to s the alternative any longer. 

"You and your brother, and anyone else who wishes it, should be able to protect yourselves. That is what I want. In the meantime, I think you will make a wonderful recruiter for us. There are others out there who might like our way of living, and regular trips to the mainland might do a young tiger good." She chimed, lightening the tone of her voice. Her smile was warm where it touched on him, pleased that they'd had this moment to just be mother and son. One day, sooner than she'd like, she would be missing these simple afternoon talks.

Whatever she had been expecting him to say, it was not what she heard. Violet eyes deep as the sea blinked in startled reaction when he mentioned Pteron. "Uncle" Pteron. She was surprised, but she shouldn't have been. Not when Pteron had been such a formative, if not lingering, influence in her eldest's life. 

Her tigerling seemed to warm to the idea as he spoke it aloud though, as if the plans had been simmering beneath his surface only waiting to leap into reality on his tongue. Much as she wished she could, there'd be no keeping him from them. A wry smile played across the sea mare's face, fondness and worry and a hundred other emotions vying for her attention when all she really wanted to do was hold her baby close. Baby no longer, though, she could see that much. 

A breath exhaled, not heavy enough to be a sigh but ready enough to let itself ruffle his hair. "I don't know what you're going to find. But you have my blessing to look." Please Pteron, don't disappointment him. She couldn't bear the thought of Halcyon's grief if the stallion he'd idolized almost since birth turned him away. 

She pushed the heavy thoughts down. If her boy was leaving in the morning, she wouldn't have it be with a bad taste in his mouth. 

"Now then, if you're all set to have adventures, far be it from me to keep you from them. Just know," and here she did her best (terribly unconvincing) imitation of the growls that rumbled from the tiger's throat occasionally. "If you meet some pretty, charming, fearsome filly while you're out and about, I had better meet her before you make me a granddam." She nipped playfully at the boy's tufted ear. Oh she was not ready to be a grandmother yet. Not when it felt she was only just getting the hang of motherhood.