Haydée had done it. Despite all of her fears, anxiety, and an errant attack, the small girl had completed what she had originally set out to do. It is in the late afternoon when her paws finally cross into the familiar lands of her home. But she does not pause because there is something she has been yearning to do since the attack in the Northern lands.

Quickly, she makes her way toward the waterfall where she hopes that Bay will be. Thankfully, since his arrival, the golden boy often spends his time tending a garden that he has painstakingly put together, and that is where she finds him. Spying the familiar shaggy coat, Hay immediately angles herself toward him and doesn’t stop to offer any greetings.

Tears prick the back of her eyes and she continues to move up to Bay where she quickly buries her face in his scruff. No words are forth coming as Haydée simply stays there, eyes closed, face deep in his fur as her small form begins to tremble. All the feelings she had suppressed in order to continue her trip finally bubble up and out, wetting the fur underneath her face as she breathes in his scent to help try and calm herself.


"Haydée Kedieo"

Tending to the garden was really the best way to pass the days, especially when Hay wasn't here to spend time with him. He gets it. No, really, he does. She has important things to do, and others that rely on her. She can't just spend every day working in the garden, fishing, and sunbathing with him. Bay knows, but that doesn't mean it isn't something he'd really like. Instead he just thinks about her while he waters the plants, while he weeds, while he picks vegetables for the livestock. The rabbits, he's realized, really do prefer their carrots with the greens still attached. Did they like the greens better than the carrots at all? That would be an interesting thing to experiment with. Bay is pulled from his thoughts of selective carrot breeding by a rather distraught ball of brown fur. Blue eyes going wide for a moment, and then he wrapped tightly around the girl. She was trembling, she was crying. No, that certainly wouldn't do. Not at all. He doesn't pull away, but he does turn to lick at the girl's forehead, her face, her ears. Trying to wipe away what tears he can, trying to comfort and calm. Something happened, but Bay knows she'll tell him when she's calm. For now, he just holds on and offers all the physical comforts he can bring. Bay

Bay anchors Haydée in the moment, reminding her that she is home, safe, and far from the attack that had happened while she was in the North. His tongue gently licks her face, further soothing the girl and relaxing some of the tension that has made her shoulders rigid. For a long time, she just breathes, holding onto the golden boy as if he alone might fix every worry that plagues her young mind. The licks do not stop and, eventually, begins to pull giggles from the girl as the tears finally stop.

Pulling her face out of his fur, Hay makes sure that she isn’t going to hurt any of his plants before she plops her butt on the ground with a soft sigh. Green eyes find his blue gaze and she offers him a warm smile, silently thanking him for being him. It is evident that something happened while she was away but Haydée suddenly finds it difficult to speak of the events. So, instead, she softly says, “I missed you so much, Bay. Has… has everything been okay here? Your garden is really coming along!”

For now, Hay decides to content herself with learning about what has happened in her absence and then, when she is ready, she will tell him about the scary wolves she had found in the far Northern lands. But not just yet.


"Haydée Kedieo"

Eventually, she began to breathe. Eventually, she began to relax. Bay held the girl gently, doing what he could to ground her. Doing what he could to offer her safe haven in whatever storm was rocking her right now. Something had taken her over at the core, and it had hurt her. At least he can drive off the tears for now, at least he can get the giggles beginning once more. Thank goodness. Still, he worried. "Do you want to talk about it?" His question was gentle, gaze settling on Hay for a moment before turning his attention to the garden and her question. "I missed you too, I'm glad you're home." His tone was soft, earnest. There's a wag of his tail, crinkles at the corners of his eyes-- a smile that went not just all the way up, but even farther than that. While he knew Haydee was up to some important stuff, it's hard not to miss her, you know? And if she came home crying like this... while he didn't want to hold her back, Bay wanted to make sure she was safe. "It's great, look! For the rabbits!" Bay presented the basket of carrots with a wag of his tail, eyes glimmering. The greens still full and attached, they looked pretty healthy and like they'd been well established. He's really taken a shine to taking care of things, especially the stock. It's a good life here, and he's grateful for it. "Bay"