She watches intently, though there is much to distract her, as Tirza rises. She has no way of knowing the turmoil that brews in the mare’s heart, for Tear does not even comprehend who this is yet, but there is a sense of safety that is hard to ignore. Thus, there is no desire to escape the face that draws oh-so close to her own.
Her head tilts inquisitively when Tirza says, ’Little Tear.’ Whatever that means, she likes it. But that is not the only thing spoken and the phrase, ’I love you’, sounds soft and sweet enough that Tear subconsciously tucks it away at the back of her mind.
After several long moments of staring back into her mother’s face, something innate urges the child to move. She attempts to mimic the mare’s actions, but it is much harder than expected. She is a tangle of long, unsteady limbs, and she goes pitching forward, tumbling sideways, or simply crashing back down far too many times. Unnamed emotions build with each failure and as they do, thin bolts of bright blue flash with increasing intensity and frequency across the lower half of her body.
But, eventually, as almost all do, she succeeds in getting her unsteady feet beneath her. Curiously, once she does, the lightning becomes less and less noticeable until it hardly ever appears. However, the greyish-blue clouds from which the bolts originated, remain in place and continue to appear as though they weep down the length of those wobbling legs.
The triumph is not enough though, as a thoroughly new sensation gnaws at her belly. She looks to her mother again, not necessarily seeking guidance, but more out of need to make sure she’s still there. Slowly, she turns herself toward Tirza and with several hesitant steps and even more spectacular falls, she manages to reach the mare’s side. Instinct pushes her in the right direction, and when satisfied, the girl sinks back to the ground.
Exhaustion quickly begins to pull her under, but not before she gets a chance to look at her mother’s face again and brokenly parrot back to her, “I love you.”
tear
@Tirza