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He opened his wings to embrace her, and she folded herself up into it wholly, willingly melting against him - feeling their broken puzzle pieces fit together with intimidating perfection, terrifying ease. It thrilled her, it terrified her; but when she was here, with him, it was bearable - it was right. The wintry season threatened to chill her to the bone, to freeze her over, but this new sensation of life warmed her, it kept her going, moving, it gave her purpose.

I'm in the right place, at last, she thought as she folded easily into his wings, listening to the masculine hum of life that was Kaj. Something was different about him - as her cloudy hide pressed against his golden one, she felt that maybe something similar had occurred within each of them.

They had both been broken before, shattered, puzzle pieces not only unassembled, but shredded and thrown to the wind as well. Their interactions had been fierce, dangerous - they had almost torn each other apart, and the land as well, with the storm they had carved across the lands. The wounds upon her soul had been fresher then, (even though then they were seasons old, she had still not been in any state to try and live), the scars deeper, still weeping, the infection rampart and deadly.

The infection was cleared now, the wounds cleaned and dressed and healed more cleanly - the hole was still there, the great abyss, and there would never be a time where she wasn't aware of it. But she had grown now, she had learned to live with it, to view the scar, remember the pain, and not be crippled by it.

She hoped it was enough, for this changed, grown Kaj. She prayed it would be.

The mention of bears piqued her attention, and she wasn't entirely sure of their significance - she supposed she would learn one day, if she were allowed to stay here.

Kaj's words of acceptance lit a fire in her heart that she didn't know had a wick to burn.

The smile that lit her face was barely a hint, a whisper, of the passionate inferno that raged within. Home, she said to herself, I have a home, here, with you!

The enthusiasm of the colt was easily reflected by the mare, she listened to his words of help with pleasure and excitement, a bit startled when she recognised at least one of those names. Ktulu, she recalled, wondering.. Could it be the same mare who was friends with her father? The same one who had even attended the Endless Blue the very day Cirrus had been born into this world of chaos and ruin?

That the colt had two mothers barely registered on her strangeness radar - Cirrus was a Helovian by birth, strange was normal for her, and so she accepted this with easy grace.

"I'm so glad I've found the right person to help me," she said warmly, before nodding in response to his last question. "I've been both before. My father wanted me to be a healer of the herd when I was young, so I learned very early about it. But my father was a great warrior, a General, like your mother, Ktulu. I always wanted to be like him, too." Cirrus smiled softly, before tilting her head and posing him with another question. "What do you think, Murtagh? Do I look like a healer, or a fighter, to you?"