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	Drenan nodded slowly.  "If she does not find us, I will seek her out.  She is all I have left in life."

	"But is she strong?" Kinah had to ask.

	"Stronger than I am, I would guess," he admitted.  "The Light no longer heeds my call, and her attunement to the elements is staggering to behold.  She could lead the Earthen Ring if she so desired."

	Kinah let out a happy sigh and rested her head on her husband's shoulder.  "You have given me so much comfort in such a short time, Drenan.  I cannot remember the last time my heart felt so full in Ardenweald."

	"I could say the same, but I have only been here for such a short time."

	The spirit laughed again and gave his backside a soft pat.  "Your jokes have not aged well."

	"I have not aged well in general," he added with a laugh.

	"I disagree.  I would say you have aged like a fine wine.  Your mane will look good in silver, I bet."

	"Mmh," he rumbled a bit more soberly.  "I will be cursed if I make it to such an age before..." he trailed off, leaving his words hang in the air quietly.

	Kinah snorted softly and lifted her head.  "Drenan, I think you already know what I am going to say."

	Deep sadness flooded his azure eyes as he stared out at the water.  "I cannot risk it."

	"Then you will lose her anyway," Kinah stated plainly.  "If she is anything like me -which, good gods, she sounds like she is- then she has made up her mind about what she wants.  And if I know you -which I most certainly do- you want it just as much as she does."

	Drenan kept quiet.

	"Remember that day?" she continued quietly.  "You hammered in the last shingle, and you nearly fell off the roof in excitement.  You dragged me outside to look at our new home, and we embraced.  You squeezed my hands for the thousandth time, but this time you looked me in the eyes, which I know was always hard for you.  And you blurted it out of the blue.  Remember?"

	His one-horned head drifted forward slowly in a silent nod, his eyes filled with tears once more.

	Kinah exhaled softly.  "You said we could fill it with children, now.  And I laughed at first... but then you got me really thinking about it."

	Drenan's shoulders shuddered.

	"The Grimtotems used procreation as a weapon to keep the tribe growing," she added.  "And after you saved me from them, I had told myself I would never go back to their ways.  I thought I would never have children, but one look at you was all it took to change my mind.  I have had many years to think about it since my death, and Drenan," she paused and gave his hand a vicious squeeze.  "You did [i]not[/i] force me to have Lyrah.  I [i]chose[/i] to do it because it was what I [i]wanted[/i].  Had you said nothing, I do not doubt that I would have brought it up myself in time, and our fates would be the same."

	The bull's head lowered, clearly biting back more and more tears.

	"And darling... I never thought these words would ever leave my lips, but it is clear that our daughter wants to take that risk, too.  She [i]loves[/i] you.  And if it is something you both want with all your hearts, I think you should seriously consider it, risks be damned."

	It took him a few moments to steady his breath enough to speak.  "Is there... is there any guarantee that she... she will... s-s-ssss...."  He couldn't muster the last word.

	Kinah's eyes closed as she sighed.  "Life guarantees nothing, my love.  I cannot see the future simply because I died.  But if she is as strong as you say she is, I would have faith that she may survive where I could not."

	Drenan shuddered one last time, but with a heave of his chest, a powerful burst of air fled from his lungs, as if expelling a heavy stone that had come to rest upon his shoulders.  "It... it is a wonder I survived without you for so long, Kinah."

	Another soft laugh left her lips.  "You had a damn good reason to keep going."

	It was at this point when the soft sound of sniffling met the ears of both tauren.  Drenan and Kinah mirrored each other as they looked behind them, finding the naked Lyrah crouched behind one of the nearby trees.  Her eyes were practically overflowing with tears.  "M-m-m-m-mama...?"  It was obvious she'd been listening for quite a while.

	Kinah's smile was suddenly overwhelmed with powerful emotion, and the spirit wasted no time in hopping to her hooves as Lyrah came darting forward.  Mother and daughter fell into each other's arms, both of them letting out ear-piercing sobs of joy.  The duo sank to their knees together in a full-on ugly cry, and Drenan decided to wait just a few moments before coming over and draping his arms around them both.

	The three of them stayed there, just holding each other, for what felt like an eternity.  The mother Lyrah never knew was right there in front of her, and she repeatedly grasped at her mother's back, desperately trying to hold onto her.  Tears flowed freely, and when Lyrah finally did regain her composure, Drenan quietly sat back to allow her and her mother to speak for the first time.  Kinah hardly had to ask any questions as Lyrah's lips moved a mile a minute, recounting in as little detail as possible of what she remembered of her childhood, all the way up to present day.  It was like watching a child explain to Greatfather Winter every single conceivable reason for wanting a particular toy.

	When Lyrah finally took a moment to catch her breath, Kinah simply chuckled and hugged her daughter tight.  "You have lived quite a grand life, my Lyrah.  It warms my heart to hear about it... and breaks it to know that I missed it," Kinah admitted with a wisp of sadness upon her lips.

	Lyrah shook her horned head vehemently and squeezed her mother even tighter.  "Don't be, mama.  I wouldn't have gotten to live it, had it not been for you.  I wish it could've been different is all."