Heart and Home's heart felt very full. From the wonderful news that some of her children had been blessed, to hearing that they were faring well, the doe couldn't be happier for them. She was looking forward to meeting some of her children's special others and welcoming any new additions to her large family.

So while she was already in the celebratory mood, Heart almost couldn't believe she would have her own news to share. While her family was going to get even larger, she was still going to treat these children as their own individual kin. Which meant they would have to have their own blessing just for them.

And so, Heart began to collect dried food and sweet-smelling salves as offering. After her familiars helped her gather her supplies, she ventured out of her den in search of a Mare or a Stag.

A twist of the lithe body as a gust kicked up allowed her to continue on

A gust—although to a delicate little thing as herself what wasn't a strong wing—kicked up and she tucked her wings in tight, giving a twist of her body to dart through the air. She'd left in a hurry of sorts, only in as much time that it had taken her to entrust that her newest great great grandchildren were actually asleep and tucked in tightly around their great grandmother and their grandfather and their dad and their mom. Or, more accurately, that they were cocooned by the adults to ensure that there would be no foals missing when the tired parents awoke. To the kin that chose to raise their children, it indeed took a gathering to do it with a sound mind.

If it had been another, a new one, she might have let it go. She might have tried to press in closer to Breach and listened as she talked about the new places she had discovered. The kind of places that only her niece-daughter could find and the strangeness that had occurred upon seeing what those places were home to. The younger mare had yet to approach these new (but not entirely new) creatures with the strange fins, but the little ones had been enthralled all the same. Even she had found it terribly exciting!

But, then, it was not a new kin at all. It was an old friend—a good friend. (As if Giveforward had any bad friends!) And if she might have felt indebted, it was hard to tell over the overwhelming want to see Heart and Home again. She pressed a kiss into her niece-daughter's cheek, a nuzzle into her grandson's mane, and breathed a soft breath of reassurance that she would be back soon before taking flight.

This was not Heart's first time to search for a blessing, and if fortune continued to favor her it would not be her last. But it didn't mean she wasn't nervous about the search or the encounter. Perhaps more the search as she knew she would have to venture far beyond her familiar landscapes to find one. But as fortune continued to bless her with an ever-growing family, so too it blessed her in her search.

She glimpsed a familiar songbird from the corner of her eye. Heart ought to have known she could always just have approached her friend Giveforward. After all, the mare was always so welcoming and inviting of her company. But she didn't want to hog all of Giveforward's time, especially not after hearing about the recent additions to the mare's own family.

"Kindly!" She greeted, straightening herself to her tallest height to allow the songbird to alight on her head.

Giveforward trilled in response to the nickname; she'd been beyond delighted and honored to have someone bestow upon her a special moniker. The only one who had ever done that before had been her sister, who still affectionately called her Lamb. It meant a lot to her that someone would trust her and find her important enough to be given a special name.

The songbird flared her wings as she swooped in the air and came to land on the doe's head. She pressed her beak into the doe's hair in lieu of a greeting kiss to the cheek. Then settled down as if in a nest. She wanted to give the doe a chance to catch her up first. After all, this was Heart and Home's news and need.

It was an easy conversation between Heart and Giveforward. Congratulations being shared on growing families, informing the mare of how some of Heart's children could possibly be parents themselves, her excitement for the changing of the seasons, essentially anything and everything that was cause for joy and happiness.

Eventually, Heart got around to confirming with Giveforward on why she was drawn to Heart. "I've been granted another clutch. And it would honor me to have your blessing again."

anemosagkelos wrote:

"I'm so happy for you," Giveforward—the mare, not the songbird—replied with glee. No one deserved little ones more than Heart and Home; the doe was a natural adventurer and a dedicated mother. In truth, she'd have even betted that her friend never needed a blessing at all for her offspring to grow into perfection, but she couldn't fault anyone for wanting one, for desiring some assurance in a world where not all sacs had the chance to become foals and then adults. "It would be an honor for me to bless you," she reassured and then, without the thought of it, her mouth opened and her tongue touched behind her teeth to start a new word, "Touchstone." A nickname. (She'd never done that before!)

Giveforward stilled, eyes wide in surprise at herself, but there was a thrum within her body that echoed with the word. It felt right. What was a home, what was a heart, but a reassurance that one sought to ease their troubles? A touchstone was the perfection, the best, and who fit that more than one's mother if their mother was Heart and Home, at least. She, however, found herself waiting to see the doe's reaction. To see if the doe liked it, if she agreed with it. If she wanted it; a nickname was rather intimate to some kin (at least, it was to her) and she'd have to know that the kimeti was happy before she could start the blessing.

HuniPi wrote:

Heart first thought she misheard what Giveforward meant. But when it dawned on her that she was being bestowed a nickname of her own, the doe felt a warmth bloom in her chest. Her smile widened, bright blue eyes twinkling in joy. "Touchstone? Me? Thank you, Kindly, I was already honored that you accepted my nickname for you. Now, I'm even more blessed!"

The doe felt like her heart was so full of love and happiness, so much so she almost forgot about why she sought out Giveforward. She gave the mare a gentle nuzzle against her neck, exposing her own in a show of vulnerability and trust.

Giveforward beamed, relief and joy surging like a storm throughout her body, as she returned the doe's affection. And then, she got to work.

"Your children shall be kind adventurers who seek to help others find their desires, while always being able to find their way home. They shall be strong and brave individuals who believe in family and love. Each will have their own dreams, but always strive to help others make their own come true, too," she breathed out and smiled. That sounded perfect, especially for Heart and Home's children.

HuniPi wrote:

Heart beamed up in thanks at her friend. "I know I've said this before but I will always be grateful to the MotherFather that you were the first to have blessed me, Kindly. Not only because of the blessings you bestowed on my children but it gave us the opportunity to be friends. And I know even if I got lost, you'd be someone who could find me or I'd find my way to you."

She knew she couldn't ever put to words how she could have such strong faith in the sentiment. But there were things beyond words that actions could still showcase.