>>"I'm pleased to meet you. I've waited a long time for this," Danika said
>>shyly.
>
><<Say something, Ven. Don't keep looking like a senile goldfish!
>Otherwise she'll regret coming here. And has anyone told you it's rude
>to stare!?>>
>
>R'ven let out a laugh, "I'm sorry, kitten, Zenith has told me not to
>stare. I... I... " tears again welled up in his eyes, this time it was
>of joy.

Danika blushed, as she just realized she'd been staring as well. She felt
concern for the man, her father, who was in bed crying. She wondered if her
arrival was causing him pain. The last thing the girl wanted to do was to
hurt anyone. Being a caring soul, she wanted to reach out to him, hold him,
but was scared to be too forward. The last thing the young queenrider
wanted was to frighten the man away.

>Inching her way towards the man, she whispred, "Don't cry... Da."
>
>The words felt strange on her lips and sounded even stranger to R'ven.
>
>Looking towards the small woman, R'ven wiped his tears and held out
>his arm to her.

Danika's heart leapt with joy as she saw him open his arms in welcome.
Tears filled her eyes, tears of elation rather than sorrow. She couldn't
hold back any longer, not now. She hurried forward to the bed and embraced
her father for the first time.

>"Welcome home... daughter," was all he could say as she rushed into
>his arms, burying her head into his chest. "Welcome home."

She hugged him tightly and felt him flinch. She released him quickly and
hurriedly appologized, "I... I'm sorry... I got so excited, I forgot you'd
been injured. Are you all right, Da?

He reached out and touched her face comfortingly, "It's all right, kitten.
I forgot for a moment myself."

"Is it... serious?" the girl asked. Her face clouded with worry, she
couldn't stand the thought that she might loose another parent.

"Not too bad. I'll be out of here in a day or so," he reassured her.

The two talked a bit, and found that they had a lot in common. It was easy
talking with R'ven, almost as if they had known each other their whole
lives. All Danika's doubts over her decision to transfer and seek out her
father vanished.

"So tell me," R'ven continued, "Danu, your mother, will she be transferring
here, too?"

The girl's eyes darkened and a little sob escaped her.

"Why whatever is wrong, child?" R'ven asked.

"It's about Mum," Danika sobbed, "There a terrible tragedy happened, not
long ago, and she was one of many who died. She told me of you and Daere
warren just before she passed on, and had Solara give Kalindeth the image
of Daere so we could try to find you."

******

NRPG: Tag Lea! R'ven just found out that the mother of his child died.

BTW, it is in the bio that Danu was 8 months pregnant when she disappeared.





                \=/,         _-===-_-====-_-===-_-==========-_-====-_
                |  @___oo   (    Submitted by:                        )
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=    Jacqueline "Morgan" Allgood          )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__                                          )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_                                         )
     )   _ /  / _)            (      Danika/Kalindeth of Daere        )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_    Aradia/Futhark of Whiteriver     )
<  >      |(,,) )__)             (   Kattibrie/Calishandra of Telnor )
 ||      /    \)___)\             (_ Yasmine/Starlin of Marrid       )
 | \____(      )___) )___           -==-_____-=====-_____-=====-___==
  \______(_______;;; __;;;