<107>

	“I think this is very, very unwise,” Drenan rumbled and took the rolled-up parchment from his daughter.

	“It’ll work,” she said with full confidence.  “Just trust me, Daddy.”

	Drenan snorted and tied the parchment to Kacheya’s leg.  “I do, sweetheart, which is why I am still doing this.  I just want it to be on record.”

	At this, Kacheya gave him a not-so-soft peck on his broken horn, then screeched as she launched herself off his shoulder, dived through their window, and went soaring southward through the sky, disappearing among the thick trees.

	Lyrah hugged her father fiercely.  “I love you… thank you for this.  It wouldn’t be possible without you or Kacheya.”

	Drenan didn’t hesitate to return her embrace.  “Mmh.  Will they come?”

	“They have to.”

* * * * *

	Two days passed uneventfully.  Splintertree Post seemed unaware of any attacks the night elves were preparing, and Kacheya’s return at the end of the first day brought Drenan and Lyrah some comfort.  The night before the attack left butterflies in Lyrah’s stomach, which only made her daily nausea much worse.  She was in the middle of one such episode when Talla tapped on her door, and she was called to enter even with Lyrah’s head still halfway in her washbasin.  “Hey… you doing okay, Ly?”

	“I’m [i]*hack*[/i] good!” she gasped and uprighted herself.  Her father continued to rub her back as she turned and smiled at Talla.  “You doing okay?”

	“I’m nervous,” the huntress admitted.  “There’s a lot that could go wrong tomorrow.”

	“Yeah, there is, but it’ll work out,” Lyrah said confidently.  “It has to.”

	Talla laughed in soft surprise.  “How can you be so optimistic?  You could get hurt, your [i]baby[/i] could get hurt, or worse….”

	Lyrah looked up at her father, and Drenan immediately understood.  “Perhaps you two should go find someplace to talk without prying ears.”

	“Agreed,” the shaman returned and reached toward Talla.  “Shall we?”

	A light blush appeared through Talla’s snowy fur, and she shakily took her friend’s hand.  The two of them left the post, still holding hands, and Lyrah made idle chatter toward a relatively quiet Talla.  Their path took them around and north of the post, until they’d reached a small clearing far from any settlement.

	“Alright,” Lyrah said and knelt on the soft grass, then patted the ground in front of her.  “Sit, please.”

	Talla laughed at this, but did as she was asked.  “You sound like my mom.”

	“That maternal instinct is kicking in early,” Lyrah joked.  Both of them laughed, but it didn’t last.  “So… Talla, I think we’re kinda overdue for a talk.”

	The huntress began to fidget.  “I’m… I’m sorry if it’s a problem to be concerned for you, Lyrah.”

	Lyrah’s smile turned sad.  “That’s not it at all, Talla.”

	“Then w-what is it?” Talla returned, her tone more defensive.

	“I think you know what it is already,” Lyrah returned as calmly as ever.

	Talla opened her mouth again, but closed it and grunted softly.  Her gaze turned toward the grass beneath her knees.  “I’m sorry… how did you know?”

	“What, that you had a crush on me?” Lyrah stated boldly, causing Talla to visibly flinch and blush fiercely.  “I’ve known for ages.”

	Talla’s brow furrowed.  “Then… then why didn’t you say anything!?”

	Lyrah’s shoulders sagged.  “I guess… because I knew it’d break your heart.  Aside from Dad, you’re literally my best friend.  And I knew if I ever told you I didn’t feel the same way, it’d crush you, and I hated the thought of hurting you.”  Lyrah reached out and took her friend’s hands in her own.  Talla didn’t resist.  “But I’m sorry.  I know how wrong that was.  I should’ve told you when we were bathing back in Thousand Needles.  Maybe I should’ve told you when we were dumb horny teenagers.  It wasn’t even about attention, I tried brushing off the compliments and the glances, but I see how wrong I was to do that.”  Lyrah paused for a moment, and Talla looked up to find her friend’s eyes filled with tears.  “I still love you as my dearest friend… but I’m so scared that I can’t give you what you want in life.  Maybe I’m wrong, because I know you love Dad too, but I don’t think you’d be so okay with sharing in the long run.”

	It was Talla’s turn to begin sniffling and tearing up at this.  “I-I-I’m sorry too.  I know you’re right, but it’s just-”  Talla choked and let out a saddened sigh.  Tears matted her furred cheeks.  “I think I hoped there was more there, you know?  I’ve seen how happy you are with your dad, and it makes me happy to see, but… part of me thought it, you know, might not last…?  Or maybe- UGH!  So stupid!” she grimaced and tried to pull away, but Lyrah wouldn’t let her.  “I’m SO stupid!  I’m sorry!  I don’t mean those stupid thoughts!  I know you’re happy and I want that for you, I just wanted it to be me!”

	“I know,” Lyrah choked out.  “But stop it.  You’re not stupid.  I understand.  I… I learned a lot about myself wandering Azeroth before I came back home to Dad.  Once, during my travels, I met a draenei woman who I shared stories with at the local inn.  She took me to her room, and we started to kinda fool around… but I got hit with an epiphany before we could really do anything.  She was beautiful, and I was curious about her, but… it didn’t feel right.  I think I’m at the very least bisexual, but I don’t think I could be with [i]just[/i] a woman.  I learned that that day.”

	Talla sniffled.  “You… didn’t even fool around?”

	Lyrah couldn’t help but laugh.  “Nope!  I had the mindset that I’d stick with whoever I ended up in bed with at the time.  I was learning, but I wasn’t [i]that[/i] open-minded at the time!”
