The Gods had drawn together the nightly greys of dusk and the hues of gold and pink of dawn, brought them together and allowed them to influence once another. Polar opposites, in so many different ways. And yet they had made something beautiful together, not only in Brigand but in the ties that connected their hearts. It mattered little to her, where he had been or with whom during the flood, the seasons in which she could not find him. Time and again she had welcomed Leliel back into her heart after his prolonged, unexcused absences.

She had suffered hurt. A lot of it. Heartbreak, abandonment, loneliness, despair. Muriel had simply never learned how to begrudge someone the pain they inflicted upon her. Her heart was too pure for hatred, for bitterness. Perhaps in another life, another time, she would realize that and be thankful for whatever had instilled it inside of her. But she was unaware of it, clueless to whatever light Gull saw radiant and beautiful within her. She could only see him. Captivated by the azures of his eyes, flickering in shades as the firelight case itself across the glassy lenses. Bellona or no, he had come back. He had come to her. There was nothing that could push her from his side, nothing aside the most important question held in balance in that moment.

Her words seemed to strike some sort of tension into him, which only made her babble faster, wings seizing up with hesitation and indecision. Should she reach for him? Try to comfort him? But the damage was done, and at last she had found her voice even as he seemed to retreat from her, spitting out the confession nervously. She knew that Brigand was near, likely somewhere with Leliel. But if Gull ended up not wanting him...could she return to their son, conceal how it would hurt her? He was a bright child, and their relationship was extremely close. How could she explain to him who Gull was to him? The loss that she experienced but that he would not? He perceived her so clearly, as if he saw right into her soul sometimes. There was no way she could hide her pain from him, much less Leliel for that matter. So she braced herself, prepared for the vitriol that she feared would spring like tar from his tongue, hot and ready to scald her.

Except...that's not what came out of Gull's mouth. Muriel stared stupidly at him for a moment, having stepped forward into what she thought was space only to find one more available step before the cliff's edge. Her heart pounded in her chest, and it took a warbling breath before she could even hope to consider his words and what message they held. Breath escaped her in a whoosh, and she blinked a few times before she rushed to comfort him. "He's okay," she assured in a quiet murmur, moving to brush her primaries against his shoulder in a movement of comfort. "He's nearby, with someone I trust very dearly. But the heat won't be good for him...here, lets move away from the Heart, and I'll go get him okay?" Voice was quiet, a little tremulous with the daunting task ahead. She still feared his reaction, after all.

But nonetheless she turned and led the way away from the blistering heat of the Heart, her first and foremost concern her son. And with a silent motion she pleaded with him to remain, tucking her wings and letting her long legs carry her back towards the very edges of the Deep Forest, where Leliel and Brigand awaited. They were never far from her, a comfort she couldn't always admit to herself. "It's me Leliel," she assured quietly as she approached, a gesture, a habit that she had picked up ever since he had been blinded. "I found Gull," she whispered, not wanting to break his heart ever further, as she knew she had when he'd discovered that Brigand was not his son. "I...I want Brigand to at least meet him." That was all the explanation she could give, pressing her muzzle to his cheek before turning to her son.

"Brigand, come with me. I have someone I'd like you to meet." She plastered on a nervous smile, extending a wing to her son before turning back towards the Heart and leading him onward. Her knees shook and her heart quivered, Gull's figure on the horizon seeming daunting, almost godlike. Making sure Brigand was close at her flank, she approached him, trying to calm her breathing if only for their son's sake. Their's. It was such a new word for her to use in correlation with the beautiful quad-winged colt. "Gull, this is Brigand. Sweetheart...this is your father."

@[Brigand]