As Marren lost sight of Lyranda heading back down the trail to meet with the rest of the group, he turned and walked to the door of the hovel.  Knocking, he called out to his new host, "may I enter, sir?"

"Yes, yes, please come in," the Jongtai replied, "I apologize for the lack of conveniences, one needs not much when living alone out here."  Upon entering the hovel, Marren was greeted by his host, who by now, was fully dressed.  "It's quite alright," Marren responded, "I like to travel light myself."  Once again, the Jongtai addressed Marren, "I must also apologize for my lack of proper manners, unfortunately when one lives alone for so long, they become amiss."  The man continued to speak, adding a slight bow as he did, "my name is Hikaru, welcome to my humble home.  And might I inquire as to your name, sir?"

"I am Marren Jorann... hunter, tracker and trapper by trade, my pleasure to meet you, Hikaru," Marren replied, also with a slight bow, "and I thank you for allowing me and my friends to set camp here for the night."  Looking around, Hikaru inquired, "and the young M'buri woman that was with you, where is she?"  "Oh, that would be Lyranda," Marren replied, "she went to meet the others and bring them here."  "Pity," Hikaru sighed, "no offense young man, but it would have been more pleasant if she had stayed and you left," then with a slight chuckle added, "quite a lovely woman, and I may be old... but I'm not dead, yet."  With a light laugh and a smile, Marren responded, "None taken, my friend.  Truthfully, I would have felt the same way."  With that said, both men began laughing.

As both men talked to each other over happenings in the forest, Hikaru then said to Marren, "I hear the sounds of horses and wagons approaching, I assume it is your friends, shall we go outside to greet them?"  "Very well, sir," Marren replied to the man.  Stepping onto the porch stone of the hovel, Marren saw the wagons as they rounded the bend in the trail.  "Over here, ladies!", Marren called out to the approaching group, waving his arm above his head to catch their eyes.  "Ladies, you say?", Hikaru said with a lilt in his voice, "I like the sound of your friends already."  Looking over at Hikaru, Marren responded to the man, "Oh yes, my friend.  In my humble opinion, four of the most beautiful women on Aeranor... but I warn you now, for your own sake... they are all quick of wit, sharp of tongue and Petra has one hells of a mean right hook."  "Really, you say?", Hikaru replied with a slight chuckle, "this Petra sounds like my kind of woman."  And once again, both broke out in light laughter at the remark.

As the women came closer to the hovel. Lilith's gaze suddenly turned into an astonished stare, "no, it can't be, it's... it's... Hikaru!", the words stumbling from the woman's mouth.  Jumping from the wagon, Lilith began to run up the slight hill toward the older man and as she got closer, began to shout, "Hikaru, it is you! By the Light, it's really you!"  Seeing the young woman bounding toward him, Hikaru stepped down from the porch and said in a low voice,  "Lily?  It can't be, my little Snow Lily?"

Upon reaching the old Jongtai, Lilith threw her arms around his neck, with sobs in her voice and tears of joy in her eyes, she began to hug and kiss Hikaru on the cheek, "Oh dear, sweet Hikaru, it is you! Light be praised, it is you!"  Placing his arms around Lilith in a firm, yet gentle and loving embrace of a father, Hikaru too, spoke in small sobs of joy as the tears began to flow from his eyes, "My precious Snow Lily, my beautiful child, how I've missed you!" 

As the two stood there in close embrace, only small cries of happiness were heard coming from the pair.   Dismounting the wagons, Cailin, Petra and Lyranda walked up to the front of the hovel and watched their friend and the older Jongtai man hugging.  Seeing the women arrive, Marren addressed the group in a whimsical tone, "I'm going to go out on a limb here and hazard a guess those two know each other."  Unable to resist, Petra shot back with a chuckle, "ye think?"  After a few moments, Petra addressed the group as they stood watching Lilith and Hikaru, "c'mon folks, looks like we be setting camp the old fashioned way tonight, let's get to work.  We'll let these two have their reunion in peace, they can join us when they be ready.",  then once again turning to Marren, "and just a reminder sweetheart, it be yer turn cooking tonight."  With that said, the four turned and headed toward the wagons to begin setting camp for the night.

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Cailin's Journey - - An Adventure In The Making
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