[PRP] Heart-to-heart (Echo's Song/Sunset's Coda) FIN

[tefla]

Another night had finished. A dark pelted mare scanned the surrounding vista with a keen eye before letting her watchful posture ease. It'd been awhile since she had been able to even gather up the courage needed to stand guard. The attack by that monstrosity had kept Echo's fear at a level that was not beneficial to the task at hand. Every snapped twig or strange noise in the night turned out to be something that was coming to get her. This morning though Echo's Song was at peace. She'd been able to work through what was going on in her mind and now she could relax. The mare had another mystery to put her mind to solving now it seemed.

Every night it seemed as if her daughter was slipping off and returning before the others rose in the morning. As a mother Echo wanted to know exactly what was going through Coda's mind. Where exactly was she going during these late night sojourns? Why did she not say anything about it?

She planned to confront her daughter and get the answers that she sought.  

[tefla]

Trotting over a rise that overlooked the land that she called home for a minute Coda couldn't imagine a more lovely morning than this. It had been too easy to steal away in the dead of the night to meet with Illarion and spend the night together with the stallion that had captured her heart. The young mare had been keeping her meetings a secret from her family. Coda was afraid that her parents would not approve of her choice to stay with Illarion.

As the first few rays of the sun illuminated the plain before her eyes Coda recognized the figure who was standing watch. Her mother's eyes locked onto hers and Coda sighed before muttering a small curse under her breath. To be discovered so soon. What had she done wrong?  

[tefla]

Echo watched as her daughter noticed her waiting. Without interrogating Coda there was no real way to assume which direction her daughter had actually traveled from to return to the plain. As sunlight flooded the land Echo gingerly picked her way down the small slope that had been her position for the night. She was concerned about Coda's secrecy and began to piece together just what her daughter might be doing while away from the camp.

As she neared Coda the mare could see the defiance shining in Coda's eyes. Well she didn't think it would be as easy to get an explanation as when her daughter was a filly. She took one last step and gently nuzzled her daughter's side. "Come with me Sunset's Coda. We'll talk away from prying ears."

Echo didn't wait to see if her daughter would follow her or not. As she stepped away from Coda though she hoped that she would.  

[tefla]

Coda's ears pricked forward at her mother's words. Inwardly she gave a small sigh of relief. While it might be obvious that she was slipping away each night apparently her mother had no notion as to why. Coda gave her mother a searching look as she turned around and walked away. The burden of her secret weighed on the young mare though and to confide in her mother would be a blessing and a curse. Dutifully though she turned and followed her mother away from the rest of the family.

Coda hadn't noticed it yet but her mother was showing signs of the years passing. She had heard from her brother about the attack that her mom had suffered and Coda noticed the faint scar lines on her mother's side as the sunlight reflected off of them. She'd been spending time with Illarion when that happened and a wave of guilt washed over her. Maybe it was time to come clean about where she had been going.

"Mother. Stop. This is far enough."

Coda drew closer to Echo before nuzzling her mother. She was truly blessed to have such wonderful Soquili as a mom.  

[tefla]

Echo glanced at her youngest daughter as she relayed that they had gone far enough. Out of all her children she probably indulged Coda quite a bit. She did it now as she stopped and felt her daughter nuzzle her gently. A fierce wave of protectiveness washed through the older mare as she watched her daughter carefully. As a mother she knew that there was something going with her daughter. Motherly instincts were never wrong. Coda had remained with her for a lot longer than the rest of her siblings and Echo pondered the reason behind this. Was something holding her daughter back from exploring the land?

Echo sighed as a faint twinge of pain pierced her heart. It seemed as if her children had grown up in front of her eyes way too fast. How would she go on now to just sit back and watch her family grow and expand? It seemed unbearable to just let her children be free.

Self-pity wasn't going to get her anywhere. Echo straightened her posture at regarded Coda with a stern eye. The hardness evaporated from her expression though as she began to speak. "Coda, I believe that the time has come for us to have a mother-to-daughter talk. We, your father and I, have noticed your nightly escapades. What exactly do you think you are doing? You willingly leave the safety of numbers behind when you go off on your own at night. We don't want to see you get hurt. I just don't want to see you get hurt."  

[tefla]

The young mare sighed as her mother's words reached her. Her ears flicked back and forth before she lowered her gaze to the ground at her feet. What could she possibly say to make Echo understand. She needed more time to organize her thoughts. Eying the grass at her that grew around her Coda lowered her neck and tore the tender shoots from the ground. If at first you couldn't think of what to say ... stall. The grass would only last so long and if she went for another mouthful Coda knew that her mother would start getting upset with her delay tactic.

Swallowing the grass felt as if she were swallowing a lump of dirt and Coda sighed once more before turning her gaze away from her mom and towards the direction they'd come from - and the direction in which her heart lay with another.

"I apologize for making you worry mother. I'll also apologize to father when I see him again. I know that it's not safe for one such as myself to wander at night far from the safety that numbers might provide," Coda took a deep breath before she continued. It was time to take the plunge as it were. "I've not been alone though on my nightly strolls. It started out as me being alone ... but that night that we had that major storm ... I met someone on the ocean shore. Someone who has become dear to me. Like you are to father."  

[tefla]

To say that Echo didn't expect something like this would have been a lie. It still came as a shock though. Her daughter's words took Echo back to the night of the storm. Her daughter had gone out before the storm had broken over land and had not returned until late the next morning. Back then Echo hadn't put much thought into her daughter's disappearance as she'd most likely hid from the danger of the storm's wrath. But now ... everything was explained.

Her eyes widened as she took in her daughter's expression. As Coda turned her gaze towards the direction that they'd traveled Echo felt her heart squeeze again. Apparently her daughter had been more secretive than she had thought. With Sunset's Coda leaving each night spoke of her daughter's devotion to this lucky individual. Echo stepped nearer to her daughter before sighing softly and laying her neck against her daughter's. "You are still too young to know the dangers that a broken heart can bring. I experienced the pain earlier in my life before I met your father. However if you believe that what you are doing is right than I will not stop you from your wanderings."

Echo's voice caught as she looked upon her daughter. "Just promise me that you will won't forget your family. Young love is something to treasure. You have my blessing daughter to do as you wish."  

[tefla]

Silence reigned over the two mares as Ehco's words faded into oblivion. This was not the reaction that Sunset's Coda had been expecting. The young mare had believed that her mother would have put her hoof down and strictly forbidden her to see Illarion again. Had that been the case she would have left her mother then and there. But now Coda's eyes sparkled as she sidled nearer to her mother. There was no reason not to celebrate. She'd been given a chance to explore her new found, if not, strong feelings for Illarion.

Coda closed her eyes as she rested against her mother's frame. It may have been a chance to celebrate ... but now she was also apprehensive. The secret was out and even though she didn't have to be secretive about her nightly journey there was still the thrill involved. Finding her voice Coda sighed. "It means a lot to me. Your advice and blessing is all I ever wanted but I was too scared to tell you what was going on."

Coda chuckled softly before falling silent. She stood beside her mother and watched the sunlight illuminate her home. Her heart felt as free as the birds wheeling to and fro in the distance and for the moment she felt at peace with the world.  

[tefla]

A small smile found it's way onto Echo's face as she listened to her daughter's words. It was funny how a few simple words and thoughtfulness could improve one's outlook on life so much. Her daughter was happy and that's all that mattered. Chuckling softly, more to herself than anything, Echo tried to figure out just how to explain this to Dradneos. It was important for all families to let their children explore and she'd given her daughter that precious gift.

With a final sigh Echo nuzzled Coda once more as if in a silent parting. She'd come to the conclusion that perhaps instead of sneaking away each night that maybe her daughter would like to settle a little further away from home. "I'm going to head back down now. But don't be a stranger Coda. You are more than welcome to come home at any time for a visit."  

[tefla]

Coda returned her mother's affectionate parting before staring at the wide expanse that was now open for her to explore. She was still concerned about bringing Illarion around to meet her family ... but that would come one day. As she watched her mother turn and trek back down towards home Coda trotted over the rise and started in the direction that would take her to the one that had stolen her heart.

(( Finished ))