clarity, paint me bright like stars in the dark of night
She hadn't expected to see her mother here—not outside of Tephra. She certainly hadn’t expected to see her so angry, so bitter, her hooves pounding into the river, the water splashing up and away from her in vicious circles. A frown grew between her brows, her pretty face creasing with concern as she stepped away from the shadows. “Mother?” Her voice was soft but steady; it wasn’t the voice of silver bells or wind chimes. Instead, it was the voice of canyons and eagles and the promise of adventure.
Right now though, it was subdued, quiet, whispering through the wind to her mother.
She stepped after her mother quickly, watching as she disappeared into the thicket of pine and oak, the shadows claiming her slender body. “Mother!” her voice was louder this time, more urgent, and her speed increased, the ground eating up beneath her as she launched after the pale gold of the mare. When she finally reached her side, she pressed herself surely into it, curling herself there without thought, without fear.
“Mother,” this time quieter, meant only for her. The velvet of her nose found Ellyse’s shoulder and then her neck, placing gentle whispers of a kiss there—the affection of mother and child. Hawke may be aging, the youth of her body stripping away to leave the more mature curves of a woman, but she was still her mother’s daughter—and she always would be. After the quest, she had come to appreciate love and family even more, the very nature of it intertwined with her being. It was now a tangible, integral part of her life.
“I’ve missed you,” a soft confession, the feather twisting around the pale threads of her mane as she dipped her head. “I haven't seen you around much.” She gave a quick smile though—always fast to find joy and never want to indulge in sadness for long.
“I have been adventuring though so that makes sense.”