mauja the frostheart. Despite having fathered three children, there were some things Mauja was unused to. Someone pressing against his side, fitting snugly against the curve of his flank, was one of them. Snö had been taken from him young, and returned old; Tamlin had been kept often by Lotus, and Sielu... It was a shame, how little time he had spent with his second daughter, but it was not until Psyche had accepted the fact that it was his brood that whatever iron fist had gripped his heart had relented. And suddenly, he could watch the smoke-maned filly without feeling like he couldn't breathe.

Druid pressed against him often during their travels, especially the further into the cold Steppe they came. It was strange, but not unpleasant. He had, after all, kind of taken on the role of surrogate father, and despite his icy demeanor and his position within the minds of his followers he was not a cold creature. Something about the quiet trust in those simple touches warmed him to the core and chased even the bitter Orangemoon air away — even chased the bitterness out of his heart. Untroubled by the air toying with his long mane he was Druid's shield against the wind, and as they stopped just within the Basin, he felt the press of that bony hip against his flank again. It felt almost cruel, to push him a little further after they had already come so far, but he would recover better by the warmth of the springs. Until he was healthier and had glossy fur and fats to protect himself from the cold, he would have to stick where it was warm.

And so, they found themselves by the hot springs, Mauja's white head rising into the calm air and his blue eyes peering around while Druid explored his new surroundings. He agreed that it was warmer here, and the older stallion hummed a quiet agreement. After such a journey it felt kinder to let him take it in in silence for a while, before bombarding him with words or questions he no doubt needed a few days in order to answer properly.

The rustle of wings returned, Irma's pale shape soaring just a yard above the ground. She caught the last of the sun's light upon her barred back before angling up, and alighting upon a rock nearby. Letting his gaze trail in the direction she'd come from he spotted the dark shape of Delinne approaching, and sent the owl a nudge of thanks. She clicked her beak, told him Leyra was coming, too, and then took off to hunt. "Druid," he said gently to capture the boy's attention. Would two mares crowd him, and intimidate him? There was little he could do about it, though, except try to make the best of it. He had meant to introduce him to Delinne only, to let him settle a little before he met the vast herd. "Two of my friends are coming. Can you smell them?" Perhaps, with ample warning, he would not be too fazed by it.

Delinne came within range of hearing first, her voice quiet and a little confused. The black mare was soft-spoken most of the time, and he lowered his head a fraction in answer to her question. Then, she spotted Druid, and Mauja gave her a crooked smile, wondering what she thought — that it was his, perhaps? Tamlin bore much the same coloring, with the snowcapped behind. Her voice was charged with curiosity, and as Leyra slipped up on his other side, the tuft of her trail brushing lightly against his flank, he merely smiled at her. Leyra asked him the exact same thing, before introducing herself to Druid. Wondering how he was taking it, Mauja peered down at him before reaching out to try and touch his withers, and breathe reassuringly onto his neck. "Druid, I want you to meet Delinne, and Leyra. They are two very nice mares, and Delinne has a daughter who is a little younger than you." From beneath his snowy forelock he looked at the two mares, at Leyra's smile and Delinne's rapt curiosity. The lopsided grin returned slowly to his face. As long as Druid accepted them, Mauja was certain he'd have two new mothers very soon.