Inka

Inka had been shocked at Adelheid's clipped tone and cold demeanor moments before. Now, in the wake of her daughter's outburst, the mare felt something else entirely.

Her lips hung open and her ears remained flattened against the mess of her mane. She stared at Adelheid with pain and confusion in her dark eyes, and said nothing. She felt cold all over. What could she possibly say? She wanted to deny everything that her daughter threw at her, but there was truth in almost all of it. Adelheid's sister, Jetta, had indeed been gone for some time - she had left them back when they had been staying in the prairie, saying she was going to to visit a family friend on another island - but that that had been.... months ago. Months, really? Inka had been so preoccupied with her own concerns, with her impending pregnancy and dealing with her grief over her father's death, that time had flown by her. Adelheid had grown up, and was now apparently no longer content with the life that Inka had built for her.

If there was one thing Inka could have refuted, it would have been Adelheid's accusation that she had been keeping her 'hostage'. The Friesian mare's mind raced, rifling through the backlog of her memories in search of anything she had done that could have warranted her daughter feeling like a captive. But she could think of nothing. She had always kept her family close, of course - for they were the most important horses in her life - but she had never meant to give Adelheid the impression that she was not allowed to leave and start her own life.

Inka's heart burned with the need to say all this, to explain herself. But she could not. Her throat was tight, and her eyes swam with tears. She was so tired. She did not have the energy for this.

Vaguely she became aware of Impazienza speaking, but she did not hear any words that were spoken. She had begun to sob.