Post by Cael on May 16, 2009 21:04:11 GMT -5
Time: Evening
Place: Isolated Oasis
Characters: Echo, Lazuli son; Miakoda, former Lazuli Beta
Synopsis: One last mother-son meeting, forever cemented in our hearts (OOC note: a little more than slightly backlogged).
Echo has been out and about for most of the mid-afternoon, investigating these still new lands and making sure that the areas are quite cougar free. His brief encounter with Poppy set his beta-brother on edge, and so, to placate that Lazuli mistrust of the large cats, Echo decided to patrol. Luckily, he found no traces whatsoever nearby, and as dusk approached he decided to return to the small oasis near to the den. There now, the white wolf stands out against the encroaching nightfall, the reds and oranges from the setting sun painting patterns on his coat as he stands at the water, lapping gently at the rippling surface. For a fleeting moment he eyes his reflection in the water's broken surface, blinking once or twice before lifting his head and shaking his pelt, eyes landing on the darkened eastern sky where a few points of light begin to flicker in an out of existence.
The changes have taken place, and Miakoda has accepted them quietly. She has offered her congratulations to the new alpha pair .... sort of. The half-dog is a creature she refuses to utter a word to, /especially/ coupled with the fact that Eclipse has her once-title. Not that she wants to hold the title forever. But having it given to a /dog/ is a bit more than she can handle. Perhaps this is why she has been aloof. Moreso than usual. Quieter. Less of the playful female she was infamous for. This is not to say that she has been unfriendly toward her packmates, but perhaps maturation has finally set in. Finally. The aging wolf returns from a walking patrol with her head held at a low and comfortable level, eyes not quite focused as she moves toward the pool for a drink. Echo's scent, like everyone else's, is everywhere, but the new strength of it that lingers here has her lifting her head and eyes, and she smiles (as usual) as she spots her pale son. "Long day, Echo?"
Unlike his mother, Echo hasn't quite had the negative experiences with dogs and so Eclipse's presence doesn't bother him as it does Miakoda. He is more apt to be aware that she had no choice in what she became, just as he has, and Riko did... and so his acceptance is, at times, limitless. While he watches the stars grow in number across the eastern horizon, his ears twist forward, as if listening to their stories as they stir. A light smile rests across his muzzle, and the white wolf's tail begins to sway gently, content. But, then... Steady paw steps alert him, and as his ears flit to the sides of his head and his gaze tears from the stars, Miakoda's voice bridges the gap between them and his smile blooms as he turns to greet her, his paws bounding a pace or two and his nose nuzzling delicately under her chin. He opens his muzzle and nibbles on her neck fur playfully before canting his ears straightforward, 'Hello, mother!' His tail wags joyfully, even as he shakes his head, nosing again at her neck. 'No... You?'
Miakoda laughs lightly at the greeting that she receives, and she ducks her head playfully as she's nibbled. "Ah, I've just been groomed! Do you aim on fixing this fur you've just disheveled so wholly?" Her eyes glitter with mirth, and she nudges him lovingly, her tail swaying from side to side in brisk response. "Now I'm sorry to have disturbed you, you seemed so deep in thought." She settles back onto her haunches now, a serene expression calming her face as her ears fall back comfortably. "I'm glad to have run into you. I've been meaning to speak with you. Do you have a moment?" she asks, glancing over his fur, searching for imperfections of his white coat. Smudges. Dirt. The usual. He'll never be too old to earn a good ol' fashioned bath from his mother.
Echo huffs gently through his nose as he laughs, reaching out to give his mother another quick groom, though by no means is a very good one; besides, her fur was always a little everywhere, right? What's a little Echo drool along with it? The white wolf backs up a half step, though, and gently shakes his head from side to side, ears flopping, 'It's okay, Mother,' and he bunches his cheeks as he reassures that he wasn't so lost in thought that he can't talk with his Mom! As Miakoda settles, Echo does too, tail swishing up a tiny cloud behind him; he'll never be wholly white, nature sees to that. To her question, her son nods once and settles his ears forward on his head, intent... and a gentle concern resting behind wide, blue eyes. 'Yes?'
Dirt. Dirt everywhere! Miakoda's eyes linger on his forever dirty paws...but there'll be no helping that. Ever. She exhales a breath and smirks a little, remembering just how hard she tried to keep him clean when he was a pup. It seems such a short time ago... With a brief shake of her head, she brings herself back to the present and focuses on his eyes. "You're aware that we have new alphas and betas, hm?" she asks, though there's no doubt that he does know. "And I've scented new wolves in the pack. New wolves other than the dog," she adds with a vague wrinkle of her nose. "And now, there is new life. A new generation of Lazuli wolves. Our pack is thriving as it always has, and that makes me happy. It also makes me happy to see you thriving as you are." She smiles gently, but there is a cautious look in her eyes. "But your mother? I do not know if I am thriving."
That day in the rain, in the mud, seems like just this morning as Echo remembers it; the smell of the wet soil, and the splish of heavy raindrops on the leaves. Hmm. At each question, the male's head nods subtly, though he does not interrupt his mother's thoughts as she continues. Eclipse's reference is greeted with an equally wrinkled nose, though, it is not an action of distaste with him. But. Worry creases his face instantly as Miakoda expands upon her own self, and his ears fall to the sides of his head in concern. 'Why?' is the inevitable question, punctuated with a tilt of his head and a solid blink. He knows full well that the old alpha male's loss has weighed heavily on all, but perhaps moreso his mother and her best friend, Storm. Still. He had thought things settled, but as he considers this new revelation, Miakoda's distance to the pack as a whole now comes to light. 'Mother?' A breathy sigh is issued, and Echo leans closer, touching his pitch nose to her shoulder and rests there a moment.
Miakoda does not answer immediately. In fact, the old Beta doesn't answer for quite a while in fact. Taking a moment to settle her own thoughts, her eyes turn toward the surface of the water, watching the glittered reflection of the stars above as she inhales a breath to hold in her chest. The scent of wolves, familiar and strange. The unfamiliar aroma of their seemingly new home. It's all exhaled through her mouth, and she leans forward to press her muzzle against his shoulder, eyes closing. "I think it is time for me to move on, son. This pack was nothing when I first came across Storm. She, Felstride, and I formed it together, and we led it together, and now my purpose within it has left. I am old, and I feel older every day. I am too slow for the hunt. My senses are not as sharp anymore on patrol. I merely exist now, and that is not enough when in a pack. It is my time to go."
If he were to cry out, he'd tell her that she was wrong and that she can't go. But, that's why words sometimes betray the things that need to be done in life. Still. Echo inhales sharply when he listens to his mother, and after he rests his head against her for a minute, eyes screwed shut, he breaks their contact and sits tall. His eyes are bright as they look at his mother, and.. sometimes she looks so tired, like now, and he knows that what she says is true. Still, behind his gaze are unshed tears, he does not want her to go anywhere... Something is caught in his throat, and he tries to inhale slowly, calmly, but it's audible, and shaky. One ear shifts to the side, unsure, and his tail tucks just slightly, worried. He nods, barely, 'I understand...' but then worried eyes trail off into the dusk, and he huffs through his nose, 'But where will you go? You can't go alone...' Echo flits those watery eyes to his mother again, both willing and unwilling to accept this.
Miakoda watches him with a gentle tenseness in her stance. She's not quite sure how he'll take this. She's been over and over it in her had a thousand times, rehearsing the words that she'd say. But the mystery factor has always been his reaction. Her head lowers down marginally at the ultra shine to his blue eyes, and her tongue soon brushes against his cheek although the tears remain unfallen. "It will be ok, Echo. You have no reason to feel sadness," said as she pulls back. "I have told no one but you. Not even Storm knows of my intentions yet. Undoubtedly, she will stay to see Larkspur's pups grow and offer her advice. I will speak to Shikoba soon, and then I will go." Apparently, she intends this to be a lone trip. "Where I go, I haven't figured yet, but I think I'll aim myself back to the forest. My heart yearns for our home. It holds so many memories for me, I can barely stand to be away from it. I will go there, and likely I will eventually die there, and I will be happy because I know that you and the pack are safe and well. I will join Felstride, and Rook, and Silentpaws, and Moonbird. And someday, far far from now, you will join us too. But.." she quirks a brow, offering a gentle smirk, "that day better be very, very far in the future, when all of your fur has turned from white to gray." She inhales a breath and nuzzles him deeply. "Live your life to the fullest, my son. Leave no regrets behind."
Echo listens carefully, like a good son always does, but as he sits there with sad eyes trained on his mother's face, his maw parts with each intake of breath. His chest hurts, thinking on everything, the events of the recent past filling his mind and bringing an ache to his heart. Miakoda's assurance that everything will be alright is answered with a half shake of his head, a silent refusal to believe that to be true. 'But...' As she continues, the thought of his forest home stirs up a deeper longing and his attention shifts from his mother's all too familiar face to the northern sky, peppered with stars; home. Leave no regrets? Her final words tempt his eyes from the horizon and back to her face, where he's met with a grin... something she always managed to do to hide what she didn't want to share. Echo wonders if there is more to all this, but instead gets to his paws and swells his chest slightly, ears forward and at attention, 'Alpha Storm,' he notes with a click of his teeth, his address he uses to his elders, 'is your best friend.' The white wolf steps forward and lifts his head, resting his chin on the crown of Miakoda's head a moment, cementing that idea of friendship, before stepping back. 'You can't leave her,' he snuffles through his nose quickly, shaking his head. It's not about him, anyway. It's about his mother. She can't go alone. She just... can't.
Miakoda closes her eyes and rests them that way for a time, her thought turning toward Storm who indeed is her most treasured friend. Her eyes only reopen when the gentle press of Echo's chin is lifted from her head, and she smirks lightly. "I do not know what path Storm will choose or has chosen to take, son, but she and I have followed the same one for a very long time. It is my turn to find my own destiny. I will always love her, but I do not need her now. Not for this." Her expression warms and she lightly noses his shoulder, the gesture light. "You have such a kind heart. I know I have raised you well. You will not change my mind. I've thought too long and hard about this, and there is something..." her head turns to gaze off into the distance, ears folding back in thought, "something calling for me that I can no longer ignore."
The young male's ears flit forward, then roll away to the sides in a brief glimmer of uncertainty. Echo isn't really sure if /this/ is the time; if it /has/ to be this way. But when Miakoda reaffirms was is in her heart to her son, he knows it to be true. That doesn't make it any easier for him, and as she glances to the north, to their home, he takes a very small step back. Echo's eyes glitter with held back tears, yet his muzzle is curled into the softest of smiles, and though she cannot see his face right now, he nods. His muzzle drops open very slightly with a short, easy breath, and something works it way up from deep in his chest, in his heart, and hangs in the air between them for a wonderful moment, "Mother." Like the quiet after the storm, the night sky around them falls still, and the breeze carries that middle-baritone, lightly, easily bridging the short gap between them. Another breath in, and Echo's tail sways behind him, "I love you."
Miakoda was listening to something. Something soft and delicate. Something far away that only her ears could hear. That call that she spoke of. But that fades into nonexistence at the sound of something foreign, and for a moment it's as if she's confused as to just where the voice came from. Her eyes stare at Echo now, wide with disbelief and sharp with anticipation. That single utterance was a tone laced with beauty. Like a note from a blessed instrument that can be played once and never again. "...Echo?" is spoken in a whisper, not wanting the sound of her own voice to cover the memory of what she thought she heard. But it couldn't have been. She must've... No. Her breath catches in her chest as her son speaks again, and instantly do her eyes glitter with tears that waste no time falling down the fur of her face. What is there to say in return? A rush of words come to mind, bombarding her. Questions for him. Hundreds of questions! But the words that do come are simple, yet heavy with emotion. "I love you too, and oh you speak so handsomely," said as she presses her tear-streaked face against his chest.
Echo wrinkles his nose, cheeks bunching as his maw curls upward in a wide, somehow knowing-looking smile. His breath escapes him in a gentle sigh, and he drops his head and nuzzles the top of Miakoda's head warmly. Behind him his tail still sways gently in his happiness, and very lightly does he playfully chew at one of his mother's ears. There is nothing from him after that, though, except a strange little twinkle behind his eyes, and a glow about him. After a thorough gnawing on, Echo steps back just a bit and noses at Miakoda's chin for her to lift her head, and he snuffles at her in the process, 'Thank you,' he gives her, blinking happily at her compliment though a moment later his shoulders roll back in a sheepish little shrug. Echo's eyes dance briefly from his mother's face to the forest behind her, and then fall back to place. He nods, 'I understand.'
Miakoda sniffles a few times into his fur and grins, as usual, as she feels the familiar gnaw of his teeth against her ear. "You will forever be a pup," she teases between sniffled intakes of breaths. With his urging, she slowly lifts her head and sets her teary gaze upon him, her smile crooked and soft. "I am happy to have heard it, and now I feel as if I have done, seen, and heard everything that's been intended for me in my lifetime. I am complete." Her expression is warm, relaxed, and genuinely joyful, and he follows his gaze to the north as well, turning her head to do so. "It is time. Live your life well, Echo," said as she turns back to him. "I love you. I love you so much more than I could ever say or show you, and I hope you will always remember that." A pause, then she dips her head to him. "I am going now. Everything will be alright."
When she first told him that she was leaving, Echo's heart felt as though it was ripped from his chest; now, though, that ache is replaced by a warm glow, a gentle song that has lifted them both up and moved them forward. Some sad little voice tell him that he may not ever see Miakoda again, not for many seasons to come, but that sound is distant to him now. The son returns his mother's nod with one of his own, his chin resting against his chest for a little while. His ears twitch at the sounds of paws moving away from him, and when he opens his eyes Miakoda is gone from the oasis, gone from his sight. Her scent still lingers on the warm summer breeze ever so slightly, and Echo takes one last, longing inhale to cement this night in his mind for the rest of forever. Slowly, his gaze travels up to the merrily twinkling stars, the same that guide Miakoda to the forest, and Echo opens his muzzle and begins a strong, low howl that rises and crescendos at a long, high note; a final farewell swept away on the wind. Goodbye, Mother. And then the night is silent.
Place: Isolated Oasis
Characters: Echo, Lazuli son; Miakoda, former Lazuli Beta
Synopsis: One last mother-son meeting, forever cemented in our hearts (OOC note: a little more than slightly backlogged).
Echo has been out and about for most of the mid-afternoon, investigating these still new lands and making sure that the areas are quite cougar free. His brief encounter with Poppy set his beta-brother on edge, and so, to placate that Lazuli mistrust of the large cats, Echo decided to patrol. Luckily, he found no traces whatsoever nearby, and as dusk approached he decided to return to the small oasis near to the den. There now, the white wolf stands out against the encroaching nightfall, the reds and oranges from the setting sun painting patterns on his coat as he stands at the water, lapping gently at the rippling surface. For a fleeting moment he eyes his reflection in the water's broken surface, blinking once or twice before lifting his head and shaking his pelt, eyes landing on the darkened eastern sky where a few points of light begin to flicker in an out of existence.
The changes have taken place, and Miakoda has accepted them quietly. She has offered her congratulations to the new alpha pair .... sort of. The half-dog is a creature she refuses to utter a word to, /especially/ coupled with the fact that Eclipse has her once-title. Not that she wants to hold the title forever. But having it given to a /dog/ is a bit more than she can handle. Perhaps this is why she has been aloof. Moreso than usual. Quieter. Less of the playful female she was infamous for. This is not to say that she has been unfriendly toward her packmates, but perhaps maturation has finally set in. Finally. The aging wolf returns from a walking patrol with her head held at a low and comfortable level, eyes not quite focused as she moves toward the pool for a drink. Echo's scent, like everyone else's, is everywhere, but the new strength of it that lingers here has her lifting her head and eyes, and she smiles (as usual) as she spots her pale son. "Long day, Echo?"
Unlike his mother, Echo hasn't quite had the negative experiences with dogs and so Eclipse's presence doesn't bother him as it does Miakoda. He is more apt to be aware that she had no choice in what she became, just as he has, and Riko did... and so his acceptance is, at times, limitless. While he watches the stars grow in number across the eastern horizon, his ears twist forward, as if listening to their stories as they stir. A light smile rests across his muzzle, and the white wolf's tail begins to sway gently, content. But, then... Steady paw steps alert him, and as his ears flit to the sides of his head and his gaze tears from the stars, Miakoda's voice bridges the gap between them and his smile blooms as he turns to greet her, his paws bounding a pace or two and his nose nuzzling delicately under her chin. He opens his muzzle and nibbles on her neck fur playfully before canting his ears straightforward, 'Hello, mother!' His tail wags joyfully, even as he shakes his head, nosing again at her neck. 'No... You?'
Miakoda laughs lightly at the greeting that she receives, and she ducks her head playfully as she's nibbled. "Ah, I've just been groomed! Do you aim on fixing this fur you've just disheveled so wholly?" Her eyes glitter with mirth, and she nudges him lovingly, her tail swaying from side to side in brisk response. "Now I'm sorry to have disturbed you, you seemed so deep in thought." She settles back onto her haunches now, a serene expression calming her face as her ears fall back comfortably. "I'm glad to have run into you. I've been meaning to speak with you. Do you have a moment?" she asks, glancing over his fur, searching for imperfections of his white coat. Smudges. Dirt. The usual. He'll never be too old to earn a good ol' fashioned bath from his mother.
Echo huffs gently through his nose as he laughs, reaching out to give his mother another quick groom, though by no means is a very good one; besides, her fur was always a little everywhere, right? What's a little Echo drool along with it? The white wolf backs up a half step, though, and gently shakes his head from side to side, ears flopping, 'It's okay, Mother,' and he bunches his cheeks as he reassures that he wasn't so lost in thought that he can't talk with his Mom! As Miakoda settles, Echo does too, tail swishing up a tiny cloud behind him; he'll never be wholly white, nature sees to that. To her question, her son nods once and settles his ears forward on his head, intent... and a gentle concern resting behind wide, blue eyes. 'Yes?'
Dirt. Dirt everywhere! Miakoda's eyes linger on his forever dirty paws...but there'll be no helping that. Ever. She exhales a breath and smirks a little, remembering just how hard she tried to keep him clean when he was a pup. It seems such a short time ago... With a brief shake of her head, she brings herself back to the present and focuses on his eyes. "You're aware that we have new alphas and betas, hm?" she asks, though there's no doubt that he does know. "And I've scented new wolves in the pack. New wolves other than the dog," she adds with a vague wrinkle of her nose. "And now, there is new life. A new generation of Lazuli wolves. Our pack is thriving as it always has, and that makes me happy. It also makes me happy to see you thriving as you are." She smiles gently, but there is a cautious look in her eyes. "But your mother? I do not know if I am thriving."
That day in the rain, in the mud, seems like just this morning as Echo remembers it; the smell of the wet soil, and the splish of heavy raindrops on the leaves. Hmm. At each question, the male's head nods subtly, though he does not interrupt his mother's thoughts as she continues. Eclipse's reference is greeted with an equally wrinkled nose, though, it is not an action of distaste with him. But. Worry creases his face instantly as Miakoda expands upon her own self, and his ears fall to the sides of his head in concern. 'Why?' is the inevitable question, punctuated with a tilt of his head and a solid blink. He knows full well that the old alpha male's loss has weighed heavily on all, but perhaps moreso his mother and her best friend, Storm. Still. He had thought things settled, but as he considers this new revelation, Miakoda's distance to the pack as a whole now comes to light. 'Mother?' A breathy sigh is issued, and Echo leans closer, touching his pitch nose to her shoulder and rests there a moment.
Miakoda does not answer immediately. In fact, the old Beta doesn't answer for quite a while in fact. Taking a moment to settle her own thoughts, her eyes turn toward the surface of the water, watching the glittered reflection of the stars above as she inhales a breath to hold in her chest. The scent of wolves, familiar and strange. The unfamiliar aroma of their seemingly new home. It's all exhaled through her mouth, and she leans forward to press her muzzle against his shoulder, eyes closing. "I think it is time for me to move on, son. This pack was nothing when I first came across Storm. She, Felstride, and I formed it together, and we led it together, and now my purpose within it has left. I am old, and I feel older every day. I am too slow for the hunt. My senses are not as sharp anymore on patrol. I merely exist now, and that is not enough when in a pack. It is my time to go."
If he were to cry out, he'd tell her that she was wrong and that she can't go. But, that's why words sometimes betray the things that need to be done in life. Still. Echo inhales sharply when he listens to his mother, and after he rests his head against her for a minute, eyes screwed shut, he breaks their contact and sits tall. His eyes are bright as they look at his mother, and.. sometimes she looks so tired, like now, and he knows that what she says is true. Still, behind his gaze are unshed tears, he does not want her to go anywhere... Something is caught in his throat, and he tries to inhale slowly, calmly, but it's audible, and shaky. One ear shifts to the side, unsure, and his tail tucks just slightly, worried. He nods, barely, 'I understand...' but then worried eyes trail off into the dusk, and he huffs through his nose, 'But where will you go? You can't go alone...' Echo flits those watery eyes to his mother again, both willing and unwilling to accept this.
Miakoda watches him with a gentle tenseness in her stance. She's not quite sure how he'll take this. She's been over and over it in her had a thousand times, rehearsing the words that she'd say. But the mystery factor has always been his reaction. Her head lowers down marginally at the ultra shine to his blue eyes, and her tongue soon brushes against his cheek although the tears remain unfallen. "It will be ok, Echo. You have no reason to feel sadness," said as she pulls back. "I have told no one but you. Not even Storm knows of my intentions yet. Undoubtedly, she will stay to see Larkspur's pups grow and offer her advice. I will speak to Shikoba soon, and then I will go." Apparently, she intends this to be a lone trip. "Where I go, I haven't figured yet, but I think I'll aim myself back to the forest. My heart yearns for our home. It holds so many memories for me, I can barely stand to be away from it. I will go there, and likely I will eventually die there, and I will be happy because I know that you and the pack are safe and well. I will join Felstride, and Rook, and Silentpaws, and Moonbird. And someday, far far from now, you will join us too. But.." she quirks a brow, offering a gentle smirk, "that day better be very, very far in the future, when all of your fur has turned from white to gray." She inhales a breath and nuzzles him deeply. "Live your life to the fullest, my son. Leave no regrets behind."
Echo listens carefully, like a good son always does, but as he sits there with sad eyes trained on his mother's face, his maw parts with each intake of breath. His chest hurts, thinking on everything, the events of the recent past filling his mind and bringing an ache to his heart. Miakoda's assurance that everything will be alright is answered with a half shake of his head, a silent refusal to believe that to be true. 'But...' As she continues, the thought of his forest home stirs up a deeper longing and his attention shifts from his mother's all too familiar face to the northern sky, peppered with stars; home. Leave no regrets? Her final words tempt his eyes from the horizon and back to her face, where he's met with a grin... something she always managed to do to hide what she didn't want to share. Echo wonders if there is more to all this, but instead gets to his paws and swells his chest slightly, ears forward and at attention, 'Alpha Storm,' he notes with a click of his teeth, his address he uses to his elders, 'is your best friend.' The white wolf steps forward and lifts his head, resting his chin on the crown of Miakoda's head a moment, cementing that idea of friendship, before stepping back. 'You can't leave her,' he snuffles through his nose quickly, shaking his head. It's not about him, anyway. It's about his mother. She can't go alone. She just... can't.
Miakoda closes her eyes and rests them that way for a time, her thought turning toward Storm who indeed is her most treasured friend. Her eyes only reopen when the gentle press of Echo's chin is lifted from her head, and she smirks lightly. "I do not know what path Storm will choose or has chosen to take, son, but she and I have followed the same one for a very long time. It is my turn to find my own destiny. I will always love her, but I do not need her now. Not for this." Her expression warms and she lightly noses his shoulder, the gesture light. "You have such a kind heart. I know I have raised you well. You will not change my mind. I've thought too long and hard about this, and there is something..." her head turns to gaze off into the distance, ears folding back in thought, "something calling for me that I can no longer ignore."
The young male's ears flit forward, then roll away to the sides in a brief glimmer of uncertainty. Echo isn't really sure if /this/ is the time; if it /has/ to be this way. But when Miakoda reaffirms was is in her heart to her son, he knows it to be true. That doesn't make it any easier for him, and as she glances to the north, to their home, he takes a very small step back. Echo's eyes glitter with held back tears, yet his muzzle is curled into the softest of smiles, and though she cannot see his face right now, he nods. His muzzle drops open very slightly with a short, easy breath, and something works it way up from deep in his chest, in his heart, and hangs in the air between them for a wonderful moment, "Mother." Like the quiet after the storm, the night sky around them falls still, and the breeze carries that middle-baritone, lightly, easily bridging the short gap between them. Another breath in, and Echo's tail sways behind him, "I love you."
Miakoda was listening to something. Something soft and delicate. Something far away that only her ears could hear. That call that she spoke of. But that fades into nonexistence at the sound of something foreign, and for a moment it's as if she's confused as to just where the voice came from. Her eyes stare at Echo now, wide with disbelief and sharp with anticipation. That single utterance was a tone laced with beauty. Like a note from a blessed instrument that can be played once and never again. "...Echo?" is spoken in a whisper, not wanting the sound of her own voice to cover the memory of what she thought she heard. But it couldn't have been. She must've... No. Her breath catches in her chest as her son speaks again, and instantly do her eyes glitter with tears that waste no time falling down the fur of her face. What is there to say in return? A rush of words come to mind, bombarding her. Questions for him. Hundreds of questions! But the words that do come are simple, yet heavy with emotion. "I love you too, and oh you speak so handsomely," said as she presses her tear-streaked face against his chest.
Echo wrinkles his nose, cheeks bunching as his maw curls upward in a wide, somehow knowing-looking smile. His breath escapes him in a gentle sigh, and he drops his head and nuzzles the top of Miakoda's head warmly. Behind him his tail still sways gently in his happiness, and very lightly does he playfully chew at one of his mother's ears. There is nothing from him after that, though, except a strange little twinkle behind his eyes, and a glow about him. After a thorough gnawing on, Echo steps back just a bit and noses at Miakoda's chin for her to lift her head, and he snuffles at her in the process, 'Thank you,' he gives her, blinking happily at her compliment though a moment later his shoulders roll back in a sheepish little shrug. Echo's eyes dance briefly from his mother's face to the forest behind her, and then fall back to place. He nods, 'I understand.'
Miakoda sniffles a few times into his fur and grins, as usual, as she feels the familiar gnaw of his teeth against her ear. "You will forever be a pup," she teases between sniffled intakes of breaths. With his urging, she slowly lifts her head and sets her teary gaze upon him, her smile crooked and soft. "I am happy to have heard it, and now I feel as if I have done, seen, and heard everything that's been intended for me in my lifetime. I am complete." Her expression is warm, relaxed, and genuinely joyful, and he follows his gaze to the north as well, turning her head to do so. "It is time. Live your life well, Echo," said as she turns back to him. "I love you. I love you so much more than I could ever say or show you, and I hope you will always remember that." A pause, then she dips her head to him. "I am going now. Everything will be alright."
When she first told him that she was leaving, Echo's heart felt as though it was ripped from his chest; now, though, that ache is replaced by a warm glow, a gentle song that has lifted them both up and moved them forward. Some sad little voice tell him that he may not ever see Miakoda again, not for many seasons to come, but that sound is distant to him now. The son returns his mother's nod with one of his own, his chin resting against his chest for a little while. His ears twitch at the sounds of paws moving away from him, and when he opens his eyes Miakoda is gone from the oasis, gone from his sight. Her scent still lingers on the warm summer breeze ever so slightly, and Echo takes one last, longing inhale to cement this night in his mind for the rest of forever. Slowly, his gaze travels up to the merrily twinkling stars, the same that guide Miakoda to the forest, and Echo opens his muzzle and begins a strong, low howl that rises and crescendos at a long, high note; a final farewell swept away on the wind. Goodbye, Mother. And then the night is silent.