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Father Prompt

You've been very blessed throughout your life, especially in regards to your family, which consists of a loving mate and two beautiful daughters.

Your mate is currently feeling under the weather, so you've taken on the responsibility of looking after your two daughters. Where do you take them? What do you talk to them about? Do you try to teach them a life lesson, or do you play around?

*note: For the purposes of this prompt, the Father will be Black, the Mother will be Slate and the fillies will be Gray and Navy

Black shooed his daughters out into the sunlit meadow so that Slate could finally get some peace and quiet. He found his daughters enchanting most of the time, though they admittedly didn't pester him as much as they did their mother. Perhaps it had something to do with gender and he was, after all, a Male. And therefore...was it less trustworthy? Less appealing? Whatever, he was much less female.

Perhaps that was why he was much more willing to take the girls on a kind of adventure so that they could tire themselves out and not bother Slate when they all returned. He had the idea to take them to the lakeshore - it was farther than they'd ever been before, a new place, and most importantly, a difficult place to get into trouble. He'd initially thought to take the girls to the riverbank, but then remembered how deep the bed was and how swift the current. If they fell in, he'd be in deep trouble in more ways than one.

Next he'd considered the beach, but that was much farther away, and he'd heard of several interesting dangers including riptides, scorpions, and Kelpies. So, to the lake it was. There were fewer inherent dangers, but Black had faith that something untoward would happen.

"Where are we going Dad?" Navy asked cheerfully. Gray soon chimed in with "Yeah, Dad, where are we going?"

Black chuckled to himself and smiled. "We're going somewhere new. Someplace you've never been before." Ah, they were so eager and so full of energy! He wondered if he'd been as energetic when he was a foal. No wait, hadn't his mother said something about boys being worse than girls? Eh, it didn't matter now.

"Someplace new?" the girls chorused, looking at each other as they trotted. Black could see the wheels turning in their heads as the considered it. Finally they both looked up.

"Is it pretty?" asked Gray. "Is it far?" followed Navy and back and forth they went. "Does it have good grazing?" "Would Mom like it?" "Will she be mad that you're taking us there?"

Black stifled another chuckle. "You two can tell me if you think it's pretty, it's not too far though it's a bit of a hike, there's plenty of grass and I think it's delicious, your mother enjoys the spot and I don't think she'd be too upset about us being there."

The girls whispered among themselves after that and because he wasn't meant to hear it Black ignored the chatter. Aside from, of course, the occassional "are we there yet?" that was directed at him, to which he patiently responded: "soon."

They topped another rise and there in front of the trio was spread the glasslike surface of the lake. The girls' chatter was silenced with gasps of surprise to Black's pleasure. It wasn't that he disliked talking, but he had never before realized how much children, especially girl children, talked.

Finally, Navy put words to the girls' thoughts. "It's beautiful!"

Gray continued, saying "It wasn't too far."

Navy looked up from the grass she'd been tasting. "Best grazing I've ever had!"

Gray looked around. "I bet Mom really does like it."

Black stepped in before Navy could continue. "And as she mentioned that she wanted you two to get her sometime, I don't think she'll mind that we're here. So! Go on and explore, swim if you wish (though don't stray too far from the shore), and eat your fill," he told them, nudging them gently towards the lake. For himself, the stallion wanted only to graze a bit and to relax while keeping an eye on his daughters. Today, while they were children, was a day for play and fun, for cavorting and being silly. He'd brought them here so that Slate could get some well-earned rest, not to be a teacher. Perhaps he'd never be a peer, but he could be a friend, not just a father.

After all, the sun was warm, the lake was cool, and the grass was tasty. Lessons could wait for a dark, gloomy day.

"Da-ad! Gray got me wet!"

"Did not! You splashed in the water!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

With a sigh and a grin, Black got to his feet once more and went to his children. He could discipline them...but what would be the point. Instead, he ignored the blame being placed and jumped into the lake, being sure to splash everything and everyone in sight. Gray and Navy stood stunned for a moment, before racing into the lake to get revenge on him. Today, life was good.

Mother Prompt

Tender cerulean hues gazed lovingly down at the daughter curled against her side, lingering a moment before flitting over to the other, prancing among the tall grasses like some sort of earth nymph. An affectionate smile bloomed upon her face as one ivory-feathered wing moved to cover the immobile form at her side, gaze softening as the dozing filly responded with a sleepy murmur and snuggled more closely against her side. This, she decided, was paradise... all the happiness she would ever need was in these two little angels that were her daughters.

Indigo-furred pinnae twitched upwards as the dancing slate-grey foal nickered in her enjoyment, bright violet eyes alight with excitement in her exploration of the small field that they called home. The winged mare lifted her head to watch her petite form continue her little dance, laughing as the small soquili suddenly dropped her head in exhaustion, dragging herself over before collapsing at her mother's unoccupied side. The other wing unfurled from her side to blanket the filly's small form, watching as the now tired amethyst eyes darted to the wing draped over her, then rose to meet her own in an innocently curious stare.

"Mommy... why don't we have wings, like you?" the question was made with no suggestion of disappointment or resentful inflection, simply childlike inquisitiveness in the difference between herself and her mother.

The dark mare pondered her answer to the question for a moment, shifting her weight ever so slightly between the two warm bodies that leaned so dependently upon hers. "Because you don't need them, dear," she answered simply, suppressing a light-hearted laugh at the confusion that adorned her daughter's face in askance. "While you might not be able to grace the skies with your beauty, your heart can soar just as high, without the hindrances of a mortal body to hold you down."

The gray filly blinked in confusion, a humorously serious look overtaking her small features as she struggled to comprehend the deeper meaning behind her mother's words. "So... if I wanted to fly... I could?"

The mother couldn't help but chuckle softly as she nudged her child's chin upwards with her own muzzle, offering a tender smile as her eyes met the wide violet stare. "Maybe not in a literal sense... but your heart can touch the skies higher than my body ever could, wings or no." The wing that covered her daughter tightened it's warm embrace slightly, emphasizing her words with her own reassurance.

The filly paused for a moment, taking in the words before a bright grin adorned her features, nodding in understanding before nuzzling her forehead against her mother's. "I love you, Mommy, even if you can't fly as high as I can."

Another gentle laugh reverberated in the mare's chest as she returned the innocent gesture, nosing a forelock away from the purple eyes of her daughter before answering, "I love you too, sweetheart."

Mother prompt

"I just hate kalonas!" Lelia stomped up to her mother Krisha with tears misting her red eyes. "Why do they have to be so mean?"

Krisha first reaction was to think about the question to try to give her daughter a good answer. Her second reaction was to toss her head back in shock, frantically looking her daughter over for injuries. "You met a kalona? Did it hurt you? Are you all right?"

Krisha's worry only doubled when Lelia shook her head and wailed. "I'm not! It ate my wings! Me and Rika can't fly now because a kalona ate our wings! I hate them so much!"

Krisha was already nuzzling Lelia protectively when the foal's words sunk in. A kalona had... eaten their wings? She pulled back and took another look over her daughter, noticing no injuries other than the usual scrapes and scuffs that foals usually seemed to wear. "... Lelia, you seem all right to me. When did you meet a kalona?"

The foal stopped wailing to sniffle. "I asked Dad why we didn't have wings when you did and he said it was because kalonas ate the wings off of foals. They got his he said and they got me and Rika because you and Dad were off dancing in the moonlight. That's what he said."

Now it was coming together. Krisha bit back a sigh but couldn't quite contain the frustration she was feeling at her mate. It was so like him to fill their children's heads with such nonsense. It would make Lelia frightened of kalonas and it made them seem negligent to have let something like that happen. She puffed a loose strand of mane out of her face and turned once more back to her daughter. "Lelia, darling, it's not a kalona's fault that you don't have wings."

Lelia stopped her sniffling to watch her mother suspiciously. "... It's not? But Dad said-"

"Your father made that up. He likes telling stories, you know." His storytelling habits were simultaneously endearing and irritating but today they were more on the irritating side of things. At times like this she could only be grateful that the fillies were learning that the world was full of liars at an early age. Hopefully by the time they grew they'd be excellent at telling a falsehood from a truth.

"If that's not the truth then why is it?" The grief was gone from Lelia, replaced by a sharp curiosity. Seeing that look of concentration, Krisha thought carefully about how she could best explain it to her.

"Well, there are many different kinds of soquilli. There are ones like me with feathered wings called winds and there are ones with great big bat wings called kalonas, like I'm sure your father has told you about."

Lelia nodded, still watching her mother intently. Krisha continued.

"When two winds or two kalonas love each other and have foals, the foals will always be either winds or kalonas. So if those kalonas that are supposed to be biting people's wings off had foals they'd only have kalona foals. Do you understand that?"

"Of coooooooooourse I do. I'm not stupid!" Lelia rolled her eyes and Krisha found herself holding back her second sigh of the conversation. On second thought, all of her family was simultaneously endearing and irritating. She probably was too when it came down to it.

"It's good that you understand. Now. Let's say a kalona and a wind loved each other and had babies together." It was vastly unlikely but Krisha was having a hard time thinking of a better example. "Some of their foals would be kalonas and some would be winds. Is this starting to make more sense to you?"

Lelia thought about it for a moment, confusion making way for understanding. "I do now! So Dad isn't a wind but you are... and that means that... wait." She huffed with sudden suspicion. "Shouldn't either me or Rika have wings if that's true? Kalonas and winds can't have babies that are all kalonas, can they?"

She was losing control of the conversation. Krisha felt that and quickly wracked her brain for possible answers. "They could... well, they could have babies that were mostly kalonas or mostly wind. You look a lot like me in other ways so it isn't like the wings are the only thing that can pass down."

"Well I'd rather have had your wings than your stupid mane color," Lelia muttered.

Krisha could see the disappointment underneath frustration on her daughter's face and gave her mane a light n** to try to cheer her up. "At least you have something, right? Be glad you don't look exactly like your father. You'd hate that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," admitted Lelia with a giggle. "He's got such big hooves."

"And big ears," added Krisha.

"And funny red eyes!"

Krisha laughed and gave her daughter a nudge. "Which you also have, dear. And they're quite beautiful, too."

"Thanks Mom!" Lelia was grinning now, earlier upset seemingly forgotten. "And... I guess your way makes more sense than kalonas eating our wings off."

"It certainly does." Krisha smiled with pride at her daughter. She was a clever one!

"But..." Lelia took on a sly look and her grin turned mischievous. "Can I still tell Rika that it was a kalona that ate our wings?"

Krisha laughed again and nodded. "All right... but try not to upset her too much, ok?"

"Ok!" Lelia flashed her mother one last grin before dashing off in pursuit of her sister.

Krisha smiled fondly after her before remembering who had started this mess in the first place. Kalonas indeed. Lelia would find her sister and Krisha would go about finding her mate. He needed a talking to after this one....

Father prompt!

"And to this day, the kalonas still eat the wings off of foals sleeping in their baskets so that no one else will fly in the sky with them." Taegor's voice dropped low and ominous for the last part of his story, drawing shivers from his two daughters.

"But why couldn't they just share the sky?" asked Rika sadly, ever the more sensitive of his daughters.

His other daughter, Lelia, scowled with a fierce anger. "Stupid kalonas! I want to fly and it's their fault I can't! If I saw one I'd kick it's stupid face in and then see if it could eat anyone's wings!"

Taegor's chuckle choked in his throat. "You'd what? No... no..." He smiled sheepishly, ears drooping. "Please don't ever attack a kalona. It's not safe and your mother would attack me if she knew I'd encouraged you." She was already grumpy today which was the reason he had taken the fillies in the first place. The last thing she needed was them going to her with plans for chasing down kalonas.

"I'd never attack a kalona... I don't want it to eat my legs too." Rika looked up at him with wide and frightened eyes and Taegor pretended to look at a butterfly for a moment to hide his smile.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Kalonas don't like legs, only wings."

"Maybe someone ought to bite their wings off," muttered Lelia darkly. "Then they'd see how much they liked it."

"That they would," agreed Taegor. "Still, you shouldn't-"

The sound of wings flapping silenced his words. It sounded like something was descending. A crunch of leaves meant a landing. It couldn't be his mate Krisha. She would be enjoying her time alone right now and had never dropped in on their walks before.

"What's that?" Lelia took a curious step forward and would have took another if Taegor hadn't stepped in front of her.

"Wait a minute, kiddo. Why don't we figure out who it is that just landed over there before we go dashing over?" All this talk of kalonas wouldn't be enough to bring one down, would it? It was probably another wind, or maybe even a flutter. Those were beautiful and hard to find. He was sure his daughters would enjoy seeing one of those! "Hello? Is anyone there?" He called out towards where he had heard the landing while squinting through the trees for movement. The brush was too thick to tell for certain if anything was back there.

No answer. Rika shifted from one hoof to another while slowly backing further behind him. "I'm scared, Daddy. Why aren't they talking to us?"

"Maybe they're just shy," he ventured with a front of cheerfulness even though he didn't like the implications either. They could be shy, or they could be-

"A kalona!" hissed Lelia suddenly. "I bet it's a kalona coming to bite Rika's legs off!"

"Oh no!" moaned Rika. "Daddy! Please don't let it bite my legs off! Then I couldn't run or fly!"

"It's not a kalona!" When he said the words aloud Taegor felt more confident in them. "It's probably just a-"

The cry that tore through the air was nothing that could have come from the throat of a soquili. Taegor's comforts died in his throat and his heart began to thump wildly. It was a kalona. It had probably smelled them by now and would be upon them in a minute. "Kids, stay behind me." He spoke quickly and tried to keep the fear out of his voice. "I'm not going to let it hurt you and you need to be prepared to run.... run as fast as you can back to your mother. Remember that? Stay behind me and then run faster than you ever have before and-"

"It's coming!" Rika's voice and legs shook and she hid her face in Taegor's tail. Lelia tensed up, ready to dash away. Taegor gulped back his fear, preparing himself to fight for his daughter's lives even if it meant losing his own. A twig ahead of them snapped. The bush directly in front of them rustled and out stepped a...

"A bird?" Lelia was incredulous and relieved all at once and Rika had fallen over with fright.

After preparing himself for the worst, Taegor was too in shock for a moment to realize the significance of the large and long legged bird in front of him. "It's a heron!" he blurted out when he had recognized it. "That sound we heard... that's the noise they make! It's only a heron! I should have realized." His heart began to slow and he felt dizzy with relief. He hadn't seen one of them in a long time and they did fly quite noisily. He couldn't have known what it was from just hearing it. "You know, kids..." He helped push Rika back up to her feet and smooth down some of Lelia's mane. "Your mother is already in a bad mood. How about we don't tell her about this?"

"Yeah, guess not," agreed Lelia. "If it had been a real kalona, that would have been much more exciting. We could have told her all about how you beat it off for us, Dad!"

Taegor smiled weakly at the thought. If it had been a kalona he hoped that they would be able to tell that story but likely it would have been one far less pleasant. Still, he had to smile. It was nice having someone around who thought that you could fight off kalonas on a day to day basis.... which reminded him of a story he had once heard.

"Do you want to hear about a soquili who really did meet a kalona and fight him off?"

"Yes!" chorused two voices with happy smiles.

"Well then," he started. "This soquili was born with the most beautiful wings in the world. He flew around over forests and through clouds with them and was the envy of every soquili on the land or in the sky. That's when the mean kalona noticed him and decided that he was going to bite those wings right off his back..."

Prompt: Your mother is feeling under the weather, so you and your sister decide that you both want to do something to cheer her up. Where do you go, and what do you do to try and make her feel better/cheer her up?

Trying for: Filly #1
Name: Bella

Mother's Name: Idalia
Filly #2's Name: Piper

Response:

"THERE. But maybe we should put that little blue one there, and the tiny speckled one a little further back..."

Bella stood back, admiring her (and her sister's) handiwork. It had taken all afternoon, but FINALLY it was done. And she had to say it was a wonderful, fantastic, amazing work of art if she didn't say so herself! She glanced at her sister and grinned.

"It's perfect! Mama won't even care about all the mud when she sees this!" Bella crowed, and Piper nodded, her little mane flying and sending droplets of muddy water everywhere. Both fillies were a mess of dried mud and grass, which had caked to their bodies as they'd worked. Bella scratched at her ear with one hoof, leaving a smear of mud above her pink eyes.

"It's ALMOST perfect." The darker filly corrected, eyes narrowed in concentration. Bella watched with impatient curiosity as her sister returned to the now-small pile of rocks and flowers and picked through it. Piper chose several small yellow stones and returned, carefully pushing then into place with one tiny hoof.

"THERE." She said proudly. "NOW it's perfect, right?"

Bella took a few wobbly steps backwards and eyed the change. Well... she had to admit it WAS better. The grin returned and she nipped playfully at her sister, her back arcing in a small buck.

"C'mon! Let's get Mama!"

- - -

"Hurry up!" Bella whined, tugging at her mother's drooping wing. "We're almost there, PROMISE."

Idalia smiled weakly and walked with slow purpose after her capering children. "I'm coming, dearheart. You two are just too fast for me!"

So Bella tried to wait, she REALLY did.

But... Mama was walking so sloooow, and she couldn't help herself - she wanted to see it again! With a nicker and a buck she took off, long legs flying in all directions. Somehow she managed to just gain control of her unruly limbs, and suddenly she was flying. Piper ran beside her, both fillies racing towards the clearing. Their tiny hooves tore up the dirt, manes and tails streaming behind them as they thundered forward.

Just around another corner, then they would be there! And Mama would be so pleas--

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Piper screeched, pulling up so fast she ended up on her rump.

"NONONO! STOP EATING IT!" Bella cried, hooves flailing frantically. "YOU RUINED IT!"

The sound of quick hoofbeats came from behind the two fillies as their mother came running at a dead gallop. She too pulled up so fast she nearly ended up on her rump, and was only saved from such disgrace by a quick fanning of her wings.

"Oh my..." Idalia whispered, eyes wide. Bella took her place next to her mother, quivering with indignant anger. In front of them was an elaborate array of flowers and rocks, leaves and twigs. Each was obviously (to the eyes of the distraught filly) placed with careful precision, and together they formed a picture. A beautiful, wonderful, amazing picture of her and Piper and Mama and Papa!

... well, they WOULD have made that picture, if a certain stupid father hadn't decided he needed a quick snack!

In front them the dark stallion stood looking slightly guilty and more than a little bemused, the stems of a few stolen flowers still dangling from his mouth. Bella and Piper exchanged an exasperated look, then trotted up to their mother. The lighter filly spoke up first, her tone somber.

"We made a picture for you, Mama, but Papa ate it."

Mother Prompt

As she settled down to sleep, she reflected back on the question she'd overheard one of her children murmuring to the other this afternoon in the midst of a whispered conversation with each other.

How come we don't have wings like moma?

They'd recently returned from an outing with their father and had been sharing a whispered conversation before running off toward the meadow to play. She'd assured her worried mate that despite feeling a bit foggy and tired she was alright, having to insist she would be fine before sending him off to watch over their beloved offspring from a distance. She closed her eyes and began to doze and the question rose again in her thoughts like a bubble from deep water, coming to the surface with an inaudible pop.

One day, she'd known the moment she first looked lovingly upon them, the question would arise. Why hadn't her precious daughters been born with wings like their mother? She'd noted this with both slight sadness and the immense relief of a parent who knew their child would never try to jump from a cliff too soon. The image of that and a thousand other things a parent hopes for and worries about had been part of her daily daydreams and nightmares when she was carrying them. No, her children would never know the joy of flight, but as soon as she'd first looked into the eyes of her newly born children the slight sadness about that had faded as she was so overwhelmed with the joy of their existence she had begun to laugh and cry simultaneously.

For a time she dozed, dreaming of stormy nights when she'd shielded her precious fillies from the rain and thunder with her wings, holding them close and brilliant mornings when she and her mate had run together over the hills, dew slashing beneath their hoofs as the sun burst over the distant trees. The eco of a laugh broke her dozing state and she lifted her head to watch her foals clumsily loap toward her, carrying something between them and her mate covertly coming from the east, where he'd circled around so the girls hadn't known they'd been being watched.

It didn't matter that they'd been born with no wings, she would tell them. Because no joy was greater the the love of a family. Besides, wings or not - any Soquili was able to feel the ground fly between their feet and the wind whip through their hair, and to do that beside the one you loved was a thousand times better then flying over the trees. They may not have wings, but they were blessed with love, speed and the support of a family that would see them soar to the ends of the earth if they so desired. Knowing this, she knew, would help them to understand how truly wonderful they were.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know that she didn't interact directly with the foal in question, but I wanted to show what I could do using just my character without depending on a response from another.

Filly #1 Prompt

They'd left their mother this morning to rest and spent the day exploring with their father. Together they had traveled through foreign lands and fought off legions of evil skinwalkers, the undead and even a swamp monster! Their dad was the best storyteller and he always made even the most boring scenery come alive with fantastic visions of magical happenings and creatures. Upon their return a few hours later she'd been practically vibrating with excitement and had been eager to tell her mother all about their grand adventures, minus the dangerous bits of course, as usual. When her mother had smiled wearily and nodded, not really responding or even scolding her for accidentally knocking her sister in the mud she'd grown concerned.

"What's wrong with moma?" She had asked her dad as her sister moved in to finish the story, with a bit less finesse she'd thought. When he'd told her that she wasn't feeling herself today she'd begun hatching a plan. She'd make her mother well. What they needed was a magic spell! First they needed ingredients from the lands beyond time. They'd travel across the tar-pits of Azulu that her father had told them of, and over the treacherous mountains of the evil wizard-king Morgoulith! Once there they'd capture the flowers of time itself and make a wreath which would then heal their mother! She flicked her tail and bounced excitedly, calling her sister over and telling her the plan. Oh, if only they'd had wings like moma, she'd said, then they'd be able to fly there and back in mere minutes!

She went and nuzzled her mother, telling her that they'd be just over the hill playing in the meadow so she wouldn't worry about the adventure they had before them. She then told her father to stay here and guard moma, they'd be back with a cure! Leading her sister in a magnificent gallop they set off on their perilous quest. Nevermind that the tar-pits looked surprisingly like a few puddles of mud or that the mountains were a small hill with a log that they often dared each-other to jump over, their adventure would be that of legend!

It was as she began to tire that they finally found the flowers of time and began their tedious spell, weaving them carefully together, having to work as a team to tie a knot, both pulling gently with their mouths. From time to time she thought she'd caught a glimpse of the evil wizard-king posing as their dad, but when she looked he'd vanished. Finally they finished and she picked one side carefully up as her sister took the other gently in her mouth and they began their victorious journey home, knowing that between them they held their mothers cure!

Father Prompt

"Now remember, you're their father," she told him as he left her to her recovery, "so don't encourage them into mischief!"

He loved his mate and knew she meant well, but sometimes he thought she underestimated the sheer joy of watching their darlings eyes light up with wonder and disbelief as he told them tales of evil wizards and golem drones bent on taking over the world. There was one story he told them of the walking dead that left them staring in delighted disbelief and resulted in a swift swat to the behind with his mate's tail for him.

Well, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, he thought to himself as he watched the girls prance with delight up ahead. They'd never stray so far as to risk injury or getting lost, but far enough away that they felt grown up and independent.

He paused to watch them a moment, reflecting for a moment how blessed he was to have three beautiful women in his life who loved him so very much. Though she may tell him he was childish, he remembered fondly the excitement in his own mate's eyes when he told her such tales when he was trying to court her.

"DAD!!" The two girls cried in unison, and he looked up to find them glaring at him impatiently. He laughed outloud and trotted over to where they'd picked a comfortable spot.

"Sorry, ladies," he apologized and settled down. Immediately the two fillies swooped down on either side of him. "So, what shall it be today?"

"Ooo! Tell us the one about the evil tribe of flesh-eating warriors again!" His youngest daughter cried in excitement. She was the more exciteable of the two and always eager to rough house and hear the most gruesome stories.

His elder daughter wrinkled her nose and lowered her head between her hooves. "No way, you always want to hear about gross stuff. Tell us about a princess!" She looked up at him imploringly.

"A princess, huh?" He asked and thought to himself a moment. Aha! He remembered overhearing a question one of his daughters asked her mother before they left that day and knew exactly what to tell them.

"Once upon a time, in a land not that far away there was a lonely colt who lived alone with his parents. The stallion and mare loved each other very much and the young colt wished more than anything for a mate of his own. Then one day when the air was fresh and clear and the sun shone, and the grass was sweet, a vision appeared before him. She was a filly his own age with bright blue eyes and the softest most beautiful pair of wings he'd ever seen. He wondered when however, what a Soquili would need them for since he had no trouble flying across the grass on his own four hooves, but then he met her eyes and he knew just what they were for: she needed her wings to whisk his heart away. And from that day on they lived happily ever after."

The girls sat in quiet reflection for a moment thinking about the story they'd just heard. Finally his youngest spoke up, a tone of inquiry in her voice.

"Dad?"

"Yes, love?"

"That was really lame."

The elder daughter laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty lame. Let's go pick some grass for mom."

The two girls ran off laughing and their father watched in surprised stupor for a moment. Finally laughter reached his throat and he set off, chasing them around the fields until it was time to head home.