<41>
Drenan could find no words, and it took intense restraint to keep himself in check as well.  Both felt weirdly drained from their little tests, though neither acknowledged it as they went back to their respective chores without a word.  Eventually Lyrah forced herself back indoors to begin work upstairs, and soon enough she had the majority of her remaining essentials moved into Drenan’s room.
The paladin kept himself busy outdoors by touching up a few things that had weathered over the past couple years outdoors.  He knew it truly didn’t matter much if the pair were to be moving soon, but at the same time he couldn’t help feel somewhat disheartened by the idea of leaving.  He’d built this home entirely on his own, and while it wasn’t nearly as conventional as most tauren homes he was proud that his engineering knowledge was put to such good use.  In truth he knew he’d probably build their next home as well, but that little attachment remained in the back of his mind.
Before either tauren realized it, the sun had dropped toward the western horizon.  Stomachs growled angrily after having missed a lunch, so naturally the pair reunited in the kitchen that evening, still in their nearly-undressed states.  Lyrah had already started working on a slab of raptor meat by the time Drenan had entered, and of course she’d left behind her top in favor of her smallish apron.  Drenan stifled a small grunt of pain from the sight as he sidled up next to her.  “May I assist, sweetheart?”
Lyrah did not look at him -she knew better than to entice herself further- as she continued her work.  “Hmm.  This meat needs more tenderizing.”
Drenan swallowed hard.  “I can handle that,” he offered and took up a spiked mallet atop the counter.  The kitchen was suddenly filled with the thwacking sound of metal on meat.
The shaman glanced back at her father.  “Not too hard, daddy.  You gotta start slow.  You can’t just pound away at it and expect it to turn out okay,” she informed him with a giggle.  She walked back over to him and took his wrist gently.  “Here.  Treat it like it’s a delicate flower,” she instructed and softened his smacking considerably.
Drenan did not resist her influence, rather his open hand reached out to grab a pinch of seasoning.  “Fair.  I think we both know I’m familiar with the concept of a gentle touch.  It requires nurturing and a little extra spice, and the juices must be flowing well before pounding too hard.”  Drenan sprinkled the seasoning in wide circles as he tapped at the meat, though his gaze occasionally wandered to his daughter.  After a few minutes, the burly tauren sunk a single, thick finger into the meat.  “See, nice and tender.  A little warmth will have her singing in no time.”
Lyrah’s tail twitched anxiously next to him.  It wasn’t necessarily the sight of him working her meat, rather his words left more than just the raptor meat tender and moist.  “Y-yeah, thanks daddy *ahem* dad.  I can take care of the rest,” she assured him and quickly took the meat to place it over the cooking fire.
The paladin, merely smiled and went about setting the table.  The meat cooked quickly, and soon enough the pair sat next to each other and happily chowed down on the meal.  Lyrah’s cooking skills were not to be doubted, and Drenan couldn’t help but think she’d surpassed his own abilities by a long shot.  As the pair finished up, the last rays of the setting sun were fading fast along the horizon.
Conversation had been light during dinner due to the quality of the food, but afterward Drenan wrapped his daughter in a warm embrace.  “Thank you so much, sweetheart.  I don’t think I’ve ever had something so delicious.”
Lyrah beamed as she returned the hug, her face buried in his chest for a long moment.  “I used your recipe.  It’s no big deal.”
“It is,” he persisted.  “I don’t want you to ever feel obligated to cook for me, and I want you to know that I truly appreciate it.  And… I’m sorry for all the teasing,” he tacked on with a chuckle.
The shaman giggled.  “I know you do, daddy, and don’t be sorry.  I started it.  At least we didn’t give in, huh?”
Drenan smiled and nodded.  “Indeed, though it’s taken an awful lot of restraint.”
“For sure,” she agreed and squeezed him again.  Silence ensued for a long moment, but Lyrah wouldn’t let go of her father.  Finally she said, “What If… what if miss Shele crosses a line?”
Drenan looked down at her with concern.  “As in…?”
“Like, I dunno… joins in or something?”
The paladin kept his face somewhat expressionless.  “That depends I suppose.  How would that make you feel?”
Her eyes turned to the floor.  “Honestly?  I don’t know.  I know that I love you, and that you make me happy, and that it feels great to be so close to you, but I don’t know how it’d feel that close to someone else….”
Drenan gave her another squeeze, his own curiosity invading his words.  “Do you think you would feel the same if Shele were a male?”
Lyrah did not recoil.  “I kind’ve doubt it… but I don’t know.”  She looked up at her father innocently.  “What do you think about all of this?”
Drenan sighed heavily before he spoke.  “Lyrah, I love you more deeply than I can describe, and I admit I cannot help but want you for myself.”  He paused here to take a deep breath.  “But, to feel that way would be beyond selfish.  You are yet so young, and to limit you-“
The shaman suddenly shot upward and silenced her father with a long kiss.  “I know, daddy.  I know you’d let me go in a heartbeat, but that’s not what I want.”  She nuzzled his chest softly.  “I… I admit to curiosity, but I don’t wanna hurt you either with it.  I still want you, and I feel I always will, but it’s not fair to just cast your feelings aside in favor for my own curiosity.”  She paused for a moment to breathe.  “I guess, in the end, I just wanna know what to do if something… else happens.”
The paladin took many long moments to absorb his daughter’s words.  “I will always encourage you to continue to grow, Lyrah.  If something happens that you don’t want to happen, just tell me, alright?  Perhaps a single word, like… gadget?” he suggested.  “If you say that to me, everything will stop immediately.”
The young tauren exhaled a sigh of relief.  “Really?”
“Absolutely,” he assured her and gave her another squeeze.
“Will you do the same?” he prodded suddenly.
He hesitated only briefly before answering.  “Yes.  I promise.”
<42>
        The couple felt far more at ease after such reassurance.  Their conversation became much more lighthearted as the pair made their way upstairs.  Despite their resignation, both tauren stripped nude before entering Drenan’s bed, though Lyrah -with a simple clearing of her throat and a wry smile- made Drenan lay with his back to her.
        “This seems… hardly fair,” Drenan added as he laid down, though he grinned all the while.
        Lyrah feigned a hurt look.  “But daddy, if you fell asleep and it went in, that’d undo all of our work today.  You wouldn’t want that, right?” she asked in an exaggerated tone.
        The paladin chuckled as he felt Lyrah’s warm body press up against him from behind, and before either of them knew it they were fast asleep.
* * * * *
        *tap tap tap*
        “Nngh…” Drenan groaned sleepily as his eyes slid open slowly.  He’d hardly moved from when he’d fallen asleep, and he could feel Lyrah still clinging to him from behind with her hand just above his morning wood.  “Sweetheart…?”
        *tap tap tap*
The tapping noise that had awakened him grew a bit louder.  Lyrah was still fast asleep.  Drenan huffed to himself and carefully moved Lyrah’s arm off of him to stand.  With a yawn and a scratch of his butt, he grabbed a pair of leather leggings and pulled them on while he slowly stepped out of the room and down the stairs.
*tap tap tappity tap*
Drenan tightened his belt just as he reached the front door, and in his groggy haze he didn’t bother to check the peephole before he clicked the lock open and pulled the door back.  “Good morning, Mr. Lighthand,” a somewhat deep, yet gentle and feminine voice met his ears, followed by a soft giggle.  “Looks like someone overslept.  I do hope I’m not causing any trouble by being here.”
The paladin’s eyes went wide.  “Shele!  My apologies!” he cried as he found himself suddenly very, very awake.  He staggered back a step or two in surprise and tightened his belt another notch.  “I-I did not mean-”
The druidess took his steps backward as an invitation to enter.  Her tan fur contrasted nicely with the elegant green-and-gold sundress she’d donned instead of her usual leafy robes.  The dress itself had a neckline that dropped nearly to her bellybutton, and while her endowment wasn’t nearly as impressive as Lyrah’s, the dress offered a fine view of what she did have.  The bottom fringe of the dress hung just above her knees, and a thin sash hugged her not-quite-slender waist.  She had never been a mother, but she had quite the motherly air about her.  A small smile remained on her face as she glanced around his home before regarding the paladin.  “I dare say little Lyrah’s return has been good for you, Drenan.  Not that you are messy, but this place looks pristine.”  Shele’s smile widened warmly as one eyebrow raised just a touch, gaze sizing the half-dressed Drenan up and down.  “Speaking of which, where is our proud shamaness?”
Almost as if on cue, a sleepy voice echoed from upstairs.  “Mmmh, daddy?  Everything okay?”  Lyrah slowly appeared at the top of the stairwell, groggily rubbing one eye with one hand as the other held Drenan’s bedspread around her chest.  Drenan tried to call out a warning, but Lyrah had already met Shele’s gaze.  Lyrah suddenly squeaked in surprise and dropped to her knees and mostly out of sight.  “Sorry miss Shele!  I didn’t know you were here!” she called out.  “Just a minute!”  Only the top of her bare rump and swishing tail could be seen as she whirled around an, presumably, crawled all the way back to Drenan’s bedroom.
Shele’s smile widened mischievously.  “Taking your medicine I hope?” she asked the paladin.
Drenan let out a weary exhale of resignation.  “Every night.”
The druidess giggled, but as she shut the door behind her she seemed to sober up a bit.  “Why’d you insist on lying to me, hun?  I knew it was her the moment you came to me.”
“Can we talk about this after I’m more… proper?” he said meekly as he looked down at his barely-dressed form.
“You’re fine,” she insisted.  “And if we don’t talk now, we both know you’ll start avoiding me, and I don’t want that.”  Her tone was soft and innocent more than accusing.  “Just… why?”
Another sigh left Drenan as he motioned for her to take a seat with him on the living room cushions.  “Shele, I swear to you it wasn’t anything personal.  Do you know how difficult it is for us right now?  If word of our relationship ever got back to the Sunwalkers, or worse the Silver Hand….”  He let his words hang in the air.
Shele folded her hands in her lap as she processed his words.  “Do you think I would have told anyone, Drenan?  Of anyone on Azeroth who could’ve found out, do you think I would’ve outed you?”  The hurt became clearer on her face.  “I mean, I’ve known the both of you for almost two decades.  I’ve come here almost every week to help a male who lost his world, and you still didn’t feel you could trust me while asking for my help?”
“It’s not like that,” he insisted.  “I promise I am well aware that the druids are far more open-minded than most, but…” he trailed off, searching for the right words.  “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have come to you in the first place.  I hate having to hide our relationship, but ultimately it’s for her sake.”  He glanced up the stairs, though there was still no sign of Lyrah.  “If, for whatever reason, this is just a phase, then I don’t want loose lips to ruin her life when it’s over.  The Earthen Ring has already gotten involved after Keldah-“
Drenan’s words ceased as Shele lurched forward and pressed a finger to his lips.  Her expression had slowly shifted from hurt to sympathetic.  “I heard whispers that Keldah had been banished, but no reasons as to why,” she said quietly.  “I am sorry, Drenan.  I did not mean to accuse you so.  Your actions are understandable, and I should have known you had your reasons.”  The paladin visibly relaxed at her words, though she followed with another small smile.  “That being said, I still think you owe me for that vial.”
<43>
Drenan chuckled lightly, feeling less tense, but his words remained serious.  “I do.  But I fear Lyrah -and to some extent myself- is not particularly comfortable with the idea.”
Shele appeared slightly surprised.  “You told her?”
“How could I not?  What you ask of us, particularly her, is not something we are as accustomed to as the druids are.”
“Fair,” she acknowledged.  “So, are you saying we should make… other arrangements?”
Drenan shifted somewhat uncomfortably.  “I’m saying I feel you should approach her about it first.  We have all day, and I’m certain she’d love to chat with you about her adventures if nothing else.  She is an adult now, and she deserves to know what she’d be getting into.”
The druidess leaned back on her cushion.  “Of course, hun.  Don’t worry your one and a half horns about it.  I didn’t realize my request had caused such distress,” she admitted with a frown.
Drenan shook his head.  “It’s alright, Shele.  Perhaps we can just call it a wash and see how the day goes?”
Shele’s smile returned all the brighter.  “I hoped for no less.  My presence here should be joyful, not stressful.  I want us all to be comfortable.  I’ve missed being around the both of you.”
“Me too,” suddenly echoed the much calmer and happier voice of Lyrah.  The shaman stood at the top of the stairs wearing a sun-yellow kilt that hugged her waist and dropped just past her knees, coupled with a matching yellow-scaled, short-sleeved top that left most of her arms and belly bare.  It was a tad more conservative than what she’d been wearing lately, but not much.
Drenan jerked back to look at her with a slight smile.  “And how long have you been eavesdropping?”
“Just for a sec,” she said as she trotted down the stairs and wrapped Shele in a warm hug.  “It’s good to see you here again, miss Shele.  I feel I owe you an apology for the whole Faire thing,” she said somewhat sheepishly.
Shele laughed melodiously and returned her embrace twofold.  “Oh Earthmother, I’m just glad to see you’re alright.  You’ve grown so much since before you left that I hardly recognized you!”
Lyrah beamed as she pulled back from the hug and sat down right next to Shele, and before Drenan could blink the two females were heavily engaged in conversation.  The paladin looked between the two of them several times before he felt comfortable enough to quietly excuse himself and head upstairs to dress himself more appropriately.  Drenan smiled to himself at the thought of Lyrah and Shele getting along, and it made him feel far more relaxed about the coming evening.  Indeed he did feel bad for having lied to Shele, but he did appreciate that she understood why.  He silently made up his mind that he’d try to include her more in the family that was just him and Lyrah, and with a glance at his new outfit -a set of red shorts with gold trim and a matching short-sleeved shirt- he made his way back downstairs.
Both females had moved to the kitchen by the time Drenan had returned, and to his surprise the both of them were standing over the stone oven as Lyrah cooked a large platter of tallstrider eggs.  The conversation had hardly let up, and neither female seemed to take notice of him as he took a seat at the table.  Indeed, it seemed like old times when all three sat down to eat together, and though Drenan didn’t say much, it warmed his heart to see them getting along again.  The looming evening’s event had hardly crossed his mind.
As the empty plates were put away, Drenan slowly bowed out of the kitchen while the pair continued to chat.  As much as he wanted to spend time with them, he saw Shele regularly enough that he knew she’d want time with Lyrah alone.  With a small sigh, the paladin headed upstairs to tidy up a few things while Lyrah and Shele soon found themselves outside in the garden.  Many of the vegetables were thriving thanks to Shele’s touch, and as the druidess began her work she invited Lyrah to assist her in doing so.  Shele would occasionally give Lyrah a pointer or two regarding the herbs and vegetables, which in turn Lyrah absorbed thankfully.
It wasn’t until a small silence had come up through conversation that Shele’s tone grew more coy.  “So, how’ve things been between you and your father since you came back, hmm?”
Lyrah’s cheeks reflexively filled with color.  “Good.  I missed him more than I realized,” she admitted.  Her hands continuously moved among the garden dirt, and her gaze followed them as she spoke.  “How much do you know about us?”
Shele exhaled through her muzzle softly, her own hands constantly working the dirt as well.  “Just that you two have a very close relationship, and one that very few others have.  I’m sure he’s told you all about our… deal.”
The shaman nodded.  “He did.”
The druid looked over at her.  “I am so sorry.  I shouldn’t have done that.  It was… very unkind of me, and I feel awful about the stress it has put on you both.”
Lyrah’s hands stopped moving as she looked to Shele.  “Don’t be sorry, it’s okay.”
Shele’s ears drooped.  “No, it’s not.  It… it doesn’t have anything to do with you, and I shouldn’t have involved you in my remorse.”
“No, really, I don’t mind,” Lyrah insisted.  “I’ve thought about it a lot since dad told me, and I’m really okay with it.”
The druidess shot Lyrah an incredulous look.  All she could say was, “Why?”
Lyrah hesitated briefly.  “Well, it’s really not a big deal I guess.  I mean…” Lyrah looked down at herself before continuing.  “I should be proud of how I look, right?  What does it matter if someone understanding sees me with my father?  It’s no big deal, and it’ll help us out.”
Shele shrunk a bit at this.  “I didn’t realize you felt that way, hun.  I mean, if you’re telling the truth, that’s fine, but if you’re not I promise you now that if you don’t want to do it, you absolutely don’t have to.  I’ll make even more potion for your father whenever you two need it.”
Lyrah furrowed her brow.  “No, really, I’m fine with it.  But I would like to know why you asked for this of all things,” she added, her patience slightly thinner than before.
<44>
A long, drawn-out breath followed.  “I love your father, Lyrah.  I’ve felt very deeply for him for a long time, but he never returned the interest.  I… I envy what you have with him, and I wanted to have some part in it.  It was selfish of me, and I fear I may have tampered with your relationship because of it.”  Shele’s eyes appeared to water as she spoke, but it was clear she was trying to hold back.
Lyrah’s gentle hand quickly touched down upon Shele’s shoulders.  Shele sniffed a couple of times before she could look over at Lyrah, though to her surprise, she had a soft smile on her lips.  “It’s okay.  Really.  I kinda get it.”
Shele cocked a skeptical eyebrow.  “What?”
The shaman took a deep breath.  “By all rights, I shouldn’t be with my own dad.  Most people would think it’s wrong even if we don’t.  I don’t… I mean, we haven’t been together like this for that long, but, if I’m being honest, I haven’t had this kind of connection with anyone else I’ve ever met.”  Lyrah fiddled with the dirt absently, though she kept her eyes nervously upon Shele.  “I guess what I’m saying is I understand.  Not to brag, but I love my dad and I think he’s an amazing person, let alone a father, and it makes me really happy just to be around him and so close to him.  I know why you’d want that too.”
Another deep breath from the druid helped her compose herself a bit.  “I appreciate that understanding, Lyrah, but I fear it does not make my feelings much different or easier to bear.”
Lyrah’s ears drooped a bit.  “I’m sorry.  I feel like I jerked your chance away of getting to know my dad.”
“Oh, I know him plenty,” Shele assured her.  “We just… never got close.  I don’t think he had any interest in me.”
The shaman softly squeezed Shele’s shoulder.  “I don’t think it’s like that.  My dad is… well, sensitive,” she admitted with a light chuckle.  “I bet he probably still misses my mom deep down.  I know if I lost him, it’d be hard to find someone else to get so close to, or even to let someone in like that.”
Shele nodded slowly.  “I… I understand that very well,” she murmured more to herself than to Lyrah.  Her voice grew more normal as she continued.  “Again, I am very sorry Lyrah.  I have not meant to-”
Out of seemingly nowhere, Lyrah boldly presses a (swiftly well-wiped and cleaned) finger to the druid’s lips to quiet her.  “Stop being sorry, Shele.  I understand.  We’re okay, and I’m okay with tonight… okay?”
The druid was completely taken aback by the gesture, but as Lyrah pulled her finger away, Shele nodded sharply.  “Yes… yes, okay, we’re okay.”
“Good,” Lyrah assured her with a much brighter smile.  “I don’t want any stress between the three of us.  You’re like family, Shele, and we trust you enough to want you to be around.  You’re the closest thing I have to a mom, and honestly I could think of a dozen worse things you could’ve asked for from us.”
Shele’s small smile slowly slipped back into place.  “You’re not as shy as I remember you being as a child.”
Lyrah flushed with a tinge of color.  “My travels served me well!  Life should be about relaxing and trying new stuff, you know?”
“I do,” she assured her, and the pair moved together for a long, warm hug.  “It would seem I’ve learned much today about, and from, you two.”
“You think so?” Lyrah prodded.  Shele nodded in response, which in turn just made Lyrah smile all the more.  She glanced down at the dirt she’d been working with and noticed it was rather dry from her kneading.  “I think this needs some water,” she added and stood up, but as she was about to turn and walk away she looked back at Shele and hesitated.  The druid was still on her hands and knees on the ground, but her dress had ridden up as such to leave her pale-furred bottom completely exposed to the open air.  Lyrah froze in place as she found her gaze helplessly drawn to the exposed flesh.  Her cheeks darkened with color, and before she realized what she was doing she said, “You’re a little, um,” and took gentle hold of the dress along both of Shele’s hips.  With a soft touch she pulled it down just far enough to cover her bottom.  “There.”
For perhaps the first time, Shele’s cheeks flooded with color in front of Lyrah.  Her head whipped around to look at her, though there was no anger whatsoever upon her face.  “I’m… I’m surprised you noticed,” she admitted.
Lyrah giggled in amusement, thankful that she wasn’t apologizing for anything anymore.  “How could I not?  I mean, it was right there.”
“Your father never did,” she admitted.  “I’d dress like this a lot when I came over, but he never once said anything.”
The shaman pondered this for a long moment.  “I bet he did, you know.  He’s… just not the kind of guy to say anything about it.  It’s not really in his nature to make waves unless he needs to, you know?”
It was Shele’s turn to giggle and sit upright on her knees.  “I suppose you are right.  It appears I’ve been a victim of my own shyness,” she lamented quietly.  “What made you… do that?”
Lyrah gave a half shrug.  “I dunno.  It didn’t seem right to leave you exposed if you didn’t know about it.”
Shele’s smile slowly shifted into a smirk.  A soft flick of her tail brought her dress right back up where it had been to reveal her full moon once more.  “Well, it was really sweet of you to think about me like that, honey, but don’t worry.  I like the breeze.”
“S-sure,” Lyrah squeaked out in surprise.  Her eyes lingered upon Shele’s exposed rump for far longer than she cared to admit to, but the second she broke out of her trance she added, “I-I’d better go get that water,” and darted off without another word.
<45>
Shele resumed her work happily as if nothing had happened.  While Lyrah hesitated to return with her pitcher from the kitchen, she found her gaze helplessly drawn to the succulent fruit Shele had put on display for her as she returned.  Still, she likewise acted as if nothing had changed, and before long the tension had faded back into relaxed conversation.
While both females enjoyed their time outside, Drenan kept to himself upstairs as he cleaned.  While he knew there was adequate reason to keep his distance, he couldn’t help but feel like he was hiding from them.  He had no clue as to what they were chatting about, but the more the thought about it, the more he made himself nervous.  What was Shele telling her?  What did his daughter think?  Would she back away?  Would they have to find another source of protection?  How comfortable was Lyrah?  He knew she could handle herself as an adult, but there was no quelling the protective fatherly instinct inside him.  It was torture to keep himself away, but before he knew it, supper time had closed in.  All three had worked straight through lunch, and it took a knock on his door frame to break him from his inner thoughts.  “Hey, mister busybody.  You ever gonna come down?”  It was Lyrah, and her warm smile quickly melted away a good portion of his anxiety.  “Miss Shele is nearly done with dinner.”
Drenan exhaled slowly and returned his daughter’s smile.  “Yeah, I’ll be down in a second.”  He had been in the middle of organizing a few small things Lyrah had brought to his room, the whole of which looked nearly immaculate from his work.  It almost looked like they’d shared the room for weeks.
Lyrah tilted her head slightly and walked over to her father.  Her gentle, now clean, hands softly draped over his shoulders from behind.  She could tell something was off.  “You okay, daddy?”
The paladin exhaled heavily.  “It’s just my head, sweetheart.  I’ve been thinking too much today.  Have you had a good time?” His own hands left their work to squeeze her own softly.
“It’s been a really nice day, but we’ve missed you.”  Her hands slipped forward further to embrace him from behind, her chest absently squishing up against his back.  “Are you nervous?”
Drenan let his eyes slide shut as he tilted his head back, reveling in her touch.  “Somewhat.  I am not used to… performing, so to speak, and I still fear that you-“
The elder tauren was quickly silenced with a passionate kiss, his concerns melting even more.  Just as the kiss broke, Lyrah cheekily slipped her tongue past his lips and withdrew it, following with a wink.  “Why are you two so worried about me, hmm?  I’m an adult now, you know.  I can make my own decisions.”
Drenan’s gaze slid down to the floor, though he did not pull away from her.  “I just don’t want you to feel forced, sweetheart.”
Lyrah squeezed him all the tighter.  “I don’t.  I promise, and we have our safe word, right?  Let’s go eat.  We’re gonna need the energy,” she added and reluctantly backed away.
Drenan nodded with an understanding smile.  “Right,” he agreed and began to follow her, though he couldn’t resist a soft squeeze of her bottom as he watched her walk before him, prompting a coy giggle and a reach back to run over his muscular chest.
The casual dinner was the final calming element for the trio.  This time all three found themselves engaged in mutual talk of their individual adventures, the current state of the Horde, and potential places for the father and daughter to move to, among other things.  The inclusion of Drenan this time seemed to assure the lot of them that all three were welcome and having a good time, and as the meal wound down and settled a short silence ensued before, surprisingly, Drenan spoke up.  “Thank you so much for everything today, Shele.  I hope you know that you will always be welcome in our home.”
Shele beamed happily.  “Oh goodness, I’m not sure what to say, I don’t think I’ve-“
“Don’t worry about it,” he added quickly.  “Just please make yourself at home this evening.  I’ve readied Lyrah’s old room if you’d like to stay the night, and there’s a fresh set of towels and a washbasin awaiting you there should you feel the need to use them.”  He paused to look over at Lyrah, who in turn seemed quite pleased with his actions.  “Our secret is safe with you, Shele.  I think we’ll be retiring early this evening, however, so if you need us, you know where we’ll be.”  All three stood from their respective cushions in the living room, and all of a sudden Drenan stepped forward and wrapped Shele in a warm hug, adding quietly, “I am so sorry.  I feel I have never welcomed you here properly.  You have done so much for me -for the both of us- and it’s impossible to repay you with mere words.”  He broke the embrace slowly with a smile, and before Shele could find her words Lyrah walked over to him, wrapped an arm around his waist, and started toward the stairs.  Drenan eagerly returned the gesture, and halfway up the stairs he couldn’t resist a wink back at the druidess before disappearing out of sight.
Shele stood in the middle of the living room for quite a while processing what he’d said to her.  She hadn’t expected him to suddenly be so welcoming and comfortable, but she couldn’t deny it’s what she’d always wanted.  It wasn’t that they’d ever treated her coldly, but the sincerity of it all added a genuine appreciation and care for the pair to add to her voyeuristic lust.  Another smile crossed her face as she absorbed the warm thoughts, her footsteps taking her quietly up the stairs.