His presence was the same as she remembered. Calm, soothing and collected, almost carefree in a way the girl wasn't entirely accustomed to. Mother always wore a frown and seemed to be busy searching for something, and Father rarely said anything at all, either good or bad. Vlasi didn't say much at all, of course, though at least her three heads smiled at her whenever they played.

It never really occurred to Erthë to feel lonely despite being connected to so few, but she couldn't deny that it was a great feeling to see Badger smile back at her. She giggled and blew wintry cold breath back at him in revenge for the blast of hot, clammy (and rather snot filled) greeting, but it was impossible to keep such a formal and grown up distance. How could you just see someone and not allow yourself to feel them too?

With a happy smile the slender filly wriggled in under his neck and pressed herself against the warm, dark skin in a feline display of affection, all woolly coat (it was beginning to shed and left wads of white fluff behind everywhere she went) and downy wings and coiling tail.

"I'm good" she assured once she'd had her fill of hugs, and beamed up at the gelding, black streaks lining both cheeks and neck where it had frozen into the pale coat.  "Hahaha, we're matching now! This thing is really yucky, isn't it though? Tastes horrible!"

She had always coughed, but this was a different kind of sound. Not the dry, wheezy sensation that ate away at her energy and breath but rather a wet rattling that came from deep within the lungs and brought globs of black tar into the mouth. Spitting out one such into the grass she grimaced wildly, the small tongue tainted with gray streaks as she tried to wipe it off on something better tasting.

"Mum's off somewhere again" she told Badger once he had told her about collecting herbs, the sweet young voice hoarse and strained from mucus and coughs. "She told me to stay here, so I'm staying, but I really wish she would tell me where she's going. I think she's looking for something, or someone, but whenever I ask she just look like she's about to cry. Do you know anything, uncle?"

She too frowned as she followed his gaze to the small stack of plants, though the sight of them appeared interesting enough to keep her mood from sinking into brooding.

"Sounds fun with herbs" she mumbled and tripped closer, the pale nose quivering and wrinkling as she took in the fresh, sharp scent of them. "Do I really get better if I eat these? Can herbs fix everything? Maybe if I gave mum herbs she would start smiling!"

The thought was invigorating and with sudden enthusiasm the girl began to scour the ground to find more of these miracle plants.