The soft light of dawn broke through the forest canopy. Golden beams lanced down and fractured as they encountered the thin layer of early morning dew. A buck strode majestically through the forest, it’s noble head held high in the air. Early morning birds flew through the air, chasing each other through the maze of branches and twittering at each other in their own strange language. A twig snapped, breaking through the tranquility of the scene, and the soft brown eyes of the buck turned towards the source of the noise.
A man and a woman, accompanied by a boy and a girl, calmly walked through the serene domain. The man was rather tall, and underneath his clothes muscles rippled and flowed, but the hands that he supported the girl with were incredibly gentle. The girl herself rested on the mans’ shoulders, her head nestled in his hair, fast asleep. The woman was also tall, her features soft and regal, ebony hair cascading down from her head in waves.With one hand she held onto the young boy, occasionally pulling him close to her as if to feel the comfort of his presence. the boy had dark intelligent eyes that glinted with the mischievousness felt by all children of his age. In his free hand he grasped a small stick that he occasionally swung at a passing tree. For a few seconds the buck regarded these intruders of his kingdom and then bounded away. They were passing through, and there was no intention of harm in their eyes.
For several minutes the small group walked forwards, never deviating from their path. The careful observer would have noticed however that as time passed on, the woman began looking around more, examining every tree as though it might contain a person. It was not a look of fear though, it was a look of hope and expectation. The man noticed this and reached out with one of his hands to touch her shoulder.
"It's alright." He said. "She'll be here." His deep slow voice seemed to work and she smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"But it's been so long! You don't think she might have forgotten, do you?" He chuckled.
"I've never known her to forget anything. Six years to the day was what we agreed on and here we are." The woman smiled and pulled the boy close to her again.
"Six years, it's kind of hard to believe." They continued in silence a little while longer until they reached the base of a hill. It didn't look all that much different from the other hills that they had passed, except for one feature. Where before they had been traveling through thick forest, the hill they arrived at only had a single tree on it, the rest was covered in a vibrant green grass. A small river split in two as it flowed around the base, as though recognizing the majesty the hill personified. The man stopped abruptly, and the woman began to weep silently. Sensing the change in the mood, the girl woke up, rubbing sleep from her blurred eyes.
"Where are we daddy?"
"We're there sweety." He replied in a husky voice. The boy looked up in surprise at his father, and then at the hill. He didn't see what was so special about it.
"Mamma, can I go climb that tree?" He asked, pointing to the solitary tree.
"Of course!" She replied. He took off up the hill, his sister stumbling along behind him.
"You think they'll be safe?"
"Of course they will, he'd never let them fall!" The man put his arm around her waist and guided her up the hill. When they reached the top they sat stood for a moment and looked at the tree. The daughter had climbed among the roots and was making a tiny doll from the pine needles that blanketed the ground. The boy was climbing the tree, swinging from branch to branch like a monkey. Eventually, the man and woman sat down and rested their backs against the trunk of the mighty tree. At length the sun began to rise over the small clearing as it reached it's zenith. The woman had fallen into a light doze, while the man continued to stare into oblivion, lost in the past. Then with a sudden jerk, the woman woke up.
"She's here!" The girl looked up.
"Who's here mommy?" A radiant smile lit up the woman's face as she stood, stretching her arms to the sky.
"An old friend!" A sudden roar echoed above their heads, and an enormous shadow blanketed the ground. Looking up, the man caught sight of a flash of green before it vanished into the forest. The boy had been shocked by the roar and had lost his footing in the tree, but luckily he caught hold of a second branch and lowered himself to the ground, running to his father.
"What was that?" The man laughed and stood up, scooping his son into his arms.
"Didn't you listen to your mother?"
"We don't have any friends who can yell that loud." He said with the devastating logic of a young child. His father chuckled.
"This is someone you haven't met yet!" The boy considered this question for a few moments.
"Will I like them?"
"I don't know. It's kind of hard to like someone you don't know!" Apparently this answer satisfied the boy because he dropped from his fathers arms and began to climb back into the tree. The woman approached her husband and grasped his arms.
"Did you bring the clothes?"
"Of course!" And he handed her a small bag which she took, plunging into the forest. In very little time, she came across the new arrivals.
At the edge of a glade a young woman sat against a tree, her naked form glinting in the sunlight. A small boy was running around her, playing some game known only to him. Abruptly he stopped and raised his nose to the sky, inhaling deeply.
"Mother..." Confusion abounded on his face. She too raised her head and sniffed.
"Aurora!" Aurora broke into the glade and ran to embrace her friend. Wren stood up and received Aurora's embrace, her eyes unexpectedly filling with tears. "Dear Aurora, it's been so long!" She sniffed and used one of her hands to wipe away the tears. Aurora chuckled.
"You're not crying are you?"
"Of course not!" Wren broke from the embrace and wiped her eyes, calling out to the boy. "Dracin, come here!" He wandered over cautiously, staring at Aurora with utter confusion. "I want you to meet one of your mother's friends!" He didn't say anything, but continued to stare at Aurora.
"Hard to believe he's your son. " muttered Aurora, "he's so quiet!" Wren laughed.
"He must have got it from his father."
"Must have." Aurora agreed. Dracin, apparently deciding that his brief interview was over returned to playing his game. Aurora sat down against the tree and stared up at Wren.
The years hadn't done anything to tame her fierce appearance, the red hair was as fiery as ever, and her vibrant green eyes still seemed to shift through emotions as though they couldn't decide which to display. But there was a softness there now, as she gazed on her son, that hadn't been there before. Aurora smiled, and patted the ground next to her.
"Sit down, let's talk!"
"About what?"
"About what? We haven't seen each other in six years, and now were both mothers! What do you mean, what?" Wren smiled and sat down.
"I had forgotten how much you liked to talk."
"Well remember it." Aurora said firmly. "You're going to have to get used to it." Wren shifted uncomfortably.
"About that..."
"Uh-uh. Don't even try, you're coming with us and there's no getting out of it!"
"Still trying to boss me around I see." Aurora nodded happily.
"Of course!" They talked for a bit longer until at last Wren stood up.
"Mothers you said?" Auroras eyes glittered with pride and happiness.
"Mothers!" Wren smiled.
"Well, let's go meet your family now!" Aurora jumped to her feet excitedly.
"Oh yes, let's! But first you have to put these on!" And she thrust the bag unto Wrens arms who sniffed disdainfully.
"Must I?"
Tear's here, and if you're coming with us you'd better learn to wear clothes again. Wren sighed in defeat and began to dress. In a short time she was wearing a light leather jerkin and a pair of pants.
"Well at least it's not a dress."
" Oh don't worry about that, I have an entire wardrobe ready for you!" Wren groaned, but Aurora pretended not to notice.
"Well then, shall we go?" Wren called to Dracin and together the three of them walked into the woods. By the time they had arrived back at the hill, Tear had started a fire and was roasting several pieces of meat. As they walked up, he was in the process of rebuking his son for some misdemeanor but broke off as soon as he say his wife and Wren.
"Wren!" He left his son who was pleased to have gotten off with such a light sentence and jogged down the hill. A grin plastered across his face, and threatening to tear the skin.
"Hello Tear!" A quick hug was exchanged, and then both stepped back, examining the other. Tear, like Aurora was pleased to see the soft look that was now in Wren's eyes, while she for her part was pleased to see the happiness that abounded in not Tears and Auroras. Then Tear noticed the hand wrapped around Wren's legs, and the tiny head poking out from behind. With a hearty chuckle he knelt down and examined the boy.
"And who are you?"
"Dracin, sir." Tear's mighty frame shook with laughter as he glanced up at Wren, who was looking at her son with pride.
"Sir? He's so polite!" Wren tossed back her hair with a huff.
"The way you two talk, it would seem as though I was a wild, uncivilized girl!" They all laughed at this.
"Well Dracin," Tear continued when the mirth had abated. "Would you like to meet my son?" The boy's eyes gleamed in pleasure.
"Yes please!"
"Well come on then!" And the three of them started up the hill. "Alaric, Sofia, come here!" The two children bounded toward them, Alaric eyeing Dracin with a mischievous eye, while Sofia blushed and ran to grab her fathers hand. “Children, this is an old friend of ours. Say hi!”
“Hi!” they chorused. Drain had approached alaric, and now they stood almost toe to toe, sizing each other up.
“You smell funny.” Dracin said.
“You look weird.” Alaric replied, they both grinned. Dracin took off running, his feet pounding up the hill.

“Race you to the top!” Alaric shot off after him, while Sofia stumbled along behind him, whining about being left behind again. The three adults laughed and followed three children up the hill. By the time they reached the top, Alaric and Dracin were in the tree while Sofia rebuked them quite forcefully.
Dusk fell, and slowly the children came to their parents. Dracin and Alaric were sporting several bruises and carried themselves with pride, each confident that they had successfully conveyed their daringness to each other. Sofia trailed behind, her eyes drooping after a long day of monitoring her brother. Tear had caught and prepared several fish he had caught, and they all ate gratefully. The children, as the first stars rose into the sky, crawled to their parents and slowly began to fall asleep. It wasn't until the moon was fully up that the adults stood up and walked to the base of the tree.
For several moments they stood in silence, then Wren began to cry. Silver tears rolled from her eyes and slowly fell to the ground. Her chest shook as racking sobs took. Aurora, her own eyes moist put her arm around Wren's shoulder and allowed her to lean her head on her shoulder. Tear fell to his knees and stared at the roots of the mighty tree.
"Damn fool!" He muttered. "Leaving us all behind like this..." Then he choked and ceased to speak. Wren wiped her eyes and forced a choked laugh.
"Can you imagine what he'd say if he saw us all now?" Aurora sniffed.
"He'd just shake his head and call us all a bunch of fools." Tear chuckled at that and looked at the trunk.
"You ever wonder if he's sometimes watching us?" Wren nodded fervently.
"When Dracin was little, he would sometimes say he was playing with a tall dark haired man, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never catch a scent of anyone else!"
"You don't think he was just making up stories?"
"No. One time he saw my picture with Dracin and told me that he was the man he had been playing with." She began to cry again. "Ah Dracin, why did you leave me?"
"He always did have a flair for dramatics."
"At least he got his last wish!"
"That he did." Tear agreed, taking his eyes from the tree. for several minutes longer they sat in silence, then Wren stood up, sniffed and shook her head.
“Well, lets get going.” Tear looked at her in surprise.
“You dont want to stay a little longer?”
“No. “ She turned away from the tree and began walking down the hill. Aurora hurried after her.
“So you’re coming with us?” Wren smiled humorously.
“There’s no way you all would be able to make it home before the winter storms without me. now give me a moment to change. Aurora obliged and went to wake the children. Within a few moments, a roar echoed from the forest.
“What was that?” Alaric asked. Dracin laughed in joy.
“It’s mom!” and he dashed into the forest.
“His mom must be really angry.” Sophia said tiredly, reaching for her mother. Aurora chuckled at this and picked her daughter up.
“She’s not angry, she just wants to get going.”
“Are we going home?” Alaric asked, disappointment evident in his voice.
“We are.” Tear said, ruffling his hair. “But dont worry, theres one more surprise for you. Alaric stared suspiciously at his father
“What is it?”
“That would be telling!” And together, they walked into the woods.
The moon was high in the sky, and it’s soft light flowed across the scene. Standing on the hill, two figures sat watching the retreating shadow of the dragon.
“So?”
“So what?” The first chuckled.
“Dont give me that. You’re still watching out for them aren’t you?” The second figure continued to stare after the dragon, an insatiable longing covered by indescribable joy suffusing his eyes.
“Of course!” They sat for several more minutes then the first figure stood up.
“Well, im going to go on.” he said casually. This was enough to convince the second figure to tear his gaze away from the shrinking shadow.
“You’re going?”
“Im tired of hanging around, I want to move on.”
“I see.” There wasn’t much more to say, and the two figures stared at each other.
“Will you come with me?”
“I cant. I promised Wren I’d wait.” The other shrugged.
“Worth a shot. He turned to the tree and opened a door in it’s trunk. Light spilled out and bathed the hill, lighting it up like a beacon.
“I’ll get them ready for you, shall I?” The second figure smiled.
“I dont know if I can handle another one of your receptions.” The first laughed heartily at this.
“No, no lets avoid another one of those if we can.” For several seconds they stood in silence, then they embraced like brothers.
“Keep them safe.” The first muttered.
“Dont do anything stupid.” The second replied. Then he stepped back and let his friend pass through the door. Upon closing it, the light vanished and the figure, now alone began to walk away from the tree.
“Typical,” he muttered “she always did leave me behind, but somehow I’m always the one waiting in the end.” As he reached the edges of the forest he paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder. His duty was done, his life over. A deep sigh of contentment escaped his lips.
“It’s done.” And it was.