There was a sudden yell from the keep, that grabbed both father and daughter's attention. Celandine ceased to swing her legs, and Vaeron glanced up with his sea-blue eyes staring strongly. He held the reins of his horse and stroked his mane softly as an upper window opened - which both of them knew was at the hallway with various bedchambers coming off from it, including their own - and a familiar face looked out. Celandine's governess, Gosling, all neat as always but still with the effects of stress in the lines of her face, looked out and gasped when she saw them.

"It's time!" she called to them. "We're - we're so close!"

As if to emphasise the importance of her words a loud groan came from the room behind her. One of pain and trials and boredom. Of someone who just wanted this whole ordeal to be over.

Vaeron looked down at his daughter, raising an eyebrow. Around them the world seemed to stop, and then start again on double speed as the remaining women around them heard the words, and then shrieked and ran into the keep. One of them held a large basin of steaming water and another a pile of hot towels. Celandine wasn't sure her mother would actually want all those people around her, but who was she to tell the Matriarch what to do.

"Are you coming?" Vaeron asked quietly as Gosling disappeared again, shutting the window behind her.

The young faun shook her head and once more concentrated on her hooves. Sitting on her hands she swung her legs, scraping furrows in the dirt. "Waiting here," she said.

He nodded and tied off Megladon to the arm of the bench. "Well I'll leave this idiot with you," he grunted. "Take care of one another."

The horse snorted. Celandine just nodded as he took one last look at her. In that moment he might have smiled, but he only grunted.

And then turned to leave as another horrifying cry rattled the cliffside.