Prince Kelton settled beside the fire with Nathaniel in his arms. It wasn’t long after that Ponderosa arrived with the Dinakal beside her. When Ponderosa sat on the log across from him, he watched the Dinakal debate whether to stay beside her or approach him. After whatever debate she had, the Dinakal started to approach him. He eyed her warily with each step she took. When she was only a few steps away, she lowered onto her belly and turned her head to the side and watched him for a moment. He motioned for her to come closer and she bounced to her feet. She walked over, sniffed the bundle that was Nathaniel, then sat.

After a few minutes, Prince Kelton reached over and petted her head. The Dinakal tipped her head back and thumped the dual tips of her tail against the compressed snow. Purrs and groans escaped her throat as Prince Kelton scratched around the base of her ears.

“We should have a name for you,” Prince Kelton said to the Dinakal.

“Mȧthair,” Ponderosa said.

Prince Kelton stopped petting the Dinakal and turned to her. “Ma-Tare?”

“Mȧthair,” Ponderosa repeated, softening the t sound and trying to accentuate the h more.

“Mȧthh air,” he repeated, purposefully extending the th sound.

Ponderosa nodded with a smile as the Dinakal jumped up and ran around the log a few times before coming to sit beside Kelton and Nathaniel once more.

“Mȧthair is it then,” he chuckled.

Mȧthair rested her head on his lap then closed her eyes when he resumed petting her. Her head and ears perked up as Gailan approached with food for Prince Kelton.

“Trade you?” Gailan asked tentatively.

“Let’s see,” Prince Kelton said, taking the bowl so Gailan could take Nathaniel. Mȧthair watched the two of them as the exchange was made, but made no other moves. “Looks like you are on her good list.”

Gailan smiled. He carried Nathaniel over where Ponderosa was sitting and sat beside her.

“Mȧthair,...,” Prince Kelton started to say as she padded over to where Gailan was sitting and sat beside him. “Mȧthair.”

She turned to look at him, her ears twisting to face him.

He held up the jerky he had tried to offer to her earlier.

Her ears twisted slightly before she turned her attention back to Nathaniel.

“Guess she isn’t hungry, My Lord,” Gailan said.

“There will be no food for you later tonight if you don’t eat now, Mȧthair,” he said.

She looked over at him at the sound of her name before turning her attention back to Nathaniel.

Ponderosa chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Gailan asked her.

Ponderosa pointed to Mȧthair then Nathaniel before making a heart shape with her hands.

“Very much so, I think,” Gailan chuckled. Then his expression turned serious. “Do you think it’s because she’s lost pups?”

Prince Kelton slowed his eating at Gailan’s question. It hit close to home after what had happened the night before. He watched Ponderosa’s expression turn thoughtful before she made kiss sounds to get Mȧthair’s attention. Mȧthair approached Ponderosa and let her run her hands down her chest and top of her belly. She felt for some time before she shook her head.

“That’s good,” Gailan sighed.

Ponderosa nodded and fondled Mȧthair’s ears a little before the cat-like dog sat closer to Gailan and Nathaniel again.

When they started to retire for the night, Mȧthair started to follow Ponderosa and Nathaniel back to the carriage.

“Mȧthair,” Prince Kelton called.

She stopped and turned to him.

“Stay.”

She sat and watched Ponderosa take Nathaniel into the carriage. It wasn’t long before his cries came through the carriage walls. Mȧthair whined and mewled, but didn’t try to go to the carriage. Prince Kelton expected his cries to soften once Ponderosa had fed and changed him, but much to his concern Nathaniel’s cries only grew louder. He hurried over to check on him just as Ponderosa stepped out of the carriage.

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“What’s wrong?” he asked as Ponderosa made kiss sounds and motioned for Mȧthair to come.

Mȧthair ran over and practically jumped into the carriage when Ponderosa opened the door. Prince Kelton watched Mȧthair nudge Nathaniel with her head so she could lay down with him between her front legs. She purred and nuzzled him a little before his cries turned to whimpers then silence. He frowned because he didn’t understand how his son had grown so attached to an animal he just met. Prince Kelton felt a light tug on his cloak and turned to Ponderosa.

She pointed to Mȧthair then touched the top of her chest in seven specific places, forming a shallow U. He looked at her confused. Holding up a finger, Ponderosa climbed into the carriage, leaving him to hold the door open while she parted some of the fur on Mȧthair’s chest to reveal a bump that seemed to shine in the dim light. Ponderosa then touched 7 very specific points on Mȧthair’s chest in the same sallow U pattern.

Prince Kelton swallowed hard when he realized what Ponderosa was trying to tell him. “Are you sure?” he asked as Sir Hamnet came over.

Ponderosa nodded.

“Sure about what?” Sir Hamnet asked.

“...Allowing Mȧthair to sleep in the carriage with them,” Prince Kelton replied.

Ponderosa nodded then waved as if to bid them goodnight.

“One of the knights will be just outside if you need anything,” Prince Kelton told her.

She nodded once more then settled on the floor beside Mȧthair and Nathaniel.

Prince Kelton closed the door and looked at the ground.

“Something on your mind, Prince Kelton?” Sir Hamnet asked softly.

“Just trying to process everything that has happened in the last day, Sir Hamnet,” he replied. “Thank you for keeping the first watch.”

“My pleasure. Hope you can get some rest, My Lord.”

Prince Kelton nodded then walked to his tent to try and sleep.

He woke a couple hours later to the feel of something stepping on his blanket. A purr reached his ears before he could reach for his sword.

“Mȧthair?” he whispered.

Her purring grew louder as she lay beside him. He petted her head and neck then eventually stroked her chest, feeling 7 cold hard bumps in a U shape beneath her fur. His breath shook as he cried. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. She shifted a leg to rest over him as she nuzzled him and continued to purr. Prince Kelton allowed himself to get caught up in the cadence of her purring as he fell asleep again.

He stirred again when he heard voices outside his tent. Mȧthair was no longer beside him. The spot where she had been lying had already gone cold, which would not have taken long with the cold that surrounded them. Getting up, he started to collect his things so they could be ready to finish their travels to the summer castle. Mȧthair was sitting next to Ponderosa, who held Nathaniel in one arm while she drank her ground wheat meal, when he stepped out of his tent. He noted that Mȧthair turned to look at him before she checked on Nathaniel.

For some reason, he couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened that she had left his side before he woke up. Had her love for him changed alongside her form? Why had she gone to Nathaniel instead of coming to him first? He was confused further by her lack of telepathy. Did that mean that Mȧthair wasn’t really Iredys? He knew he would need to get a closer look at the bumps on her chest to verify that they were the stones that had been embedded in her chest. If the Dinakal was not who they thought her to be, he’d need to get her away from Nathaniel as soon as possible.

The rest of the ride to the castle was not comfortable. Prince Kelton had a hard time finding a position that didn’t aggravate all the aches and pains he had from sleeping on the ground. He did his best to rest but was finding it difficult, even after Mȧthair lay on the bench beside him and purred loudly.

Ponderosa pulled the curtain covering the carriage window often to look outside. He knew they were nearing the summer castle, when her eyes widened and a look of amazement crossed her face.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

Ponderosa’s cheeks flushed pink, but she nodded.

He watched her turn back to the glorious building nestled amid the pine trees. She fidgeted in her seat a little. He was sure she seemed anxious to arrive so she could make sure that Nathaniel had somewhere other than the bottom of a carriage to sleep, since they had been ill-prepared for his sudden arrival. Thankfully, they’d had enough other supplies to make sure he stayed warm and dry.

As they entered the courtyard, a good number of stable hands came for the knights’ horses as they neared. The porter approached the carriage as it came to a halt. He opened the door and nearly jumped back as Mȧthair left the carriage first. Prince Kelton followed, then took Nathaniel from Ponderosa before helping her down. His knights had dismounted and were waiting for Prince Kelton to lead them inside. He noted the confused looks on some of the servant’s faces because there was no sign of Princess Iredys.

“Have everyone gather in the dining hall after lunch,” Prince Kelton told the porter.

“Very good, Sire.” He bowed and walked away.

Prince Kelton then carried Prince Nathaniel into the castle then down the hall to their chambers. Ponderosa, Gailan, and Mȧthair followed behind them. When they were near, Gailan stepped ahead of them and opened the doors. He then stepped aside so Prince Kelton could bring Prince Nathaniel inside. Prince Kelton sat in a large chair near the empty fireplace while Ponderosa built a fire in the hearth to keep Their Majesties warm. Mȧthair lay on the floor at Prince Kelton’s feet and closed her eyes.

Once Ponderosa had the fire going, she noticed Gailan motioning for her to follow him into the bedchamber. The room felt stuffy. So, despite how cold it was, Ponderosa opened the window while Gailan built a fire. Ponderosa made the bed and found the bed warmers. They worked in tandem to make sure the bed had been properly heated, enough water had been brought in for Prince Kelton’s bath, and that lunch had been served. When everything was ready, Prince Kelton passed Nathaniel to Ponderosa then quietly requested that the two of them retreat.

He then knelt beside Mȧthair and ran his hand along her back, which caused her to let out a trilling purr. She lifted her butt and shifted on her back feet each time his hand passed over it. After several passes, Mȧthair rolled over and squirmed on her back a little. Prince Kelton petted her belly then drew his hand up to her chest and the bumps under her fur. He started with the one on the far right. As he pushed the fur aside, the Aquamarine came into view as did several silver lines that looked like they had been drawn on her skin. Two downward diagonal lines came off the top and bottom right corners of the Aquamarine and a single straight line extended from the bottom of the stone. Ansuz.