Wanting to get an early start, everyone arose before dawn and began packing up for the day's journey they faced.  As Petra arranged the last few items, Lilith approached her old friend and spoke, "Hikaru, you'll be riding with me.  Lyranda and Marren have already left to begin scouting ahead, so I have an empty seat.  Besides, it will give us a chance to catch up with each other even more since we last saw the other."

"That sounds wonderful", the old monk replied, "there is so much I want to know about how you and everybody at the Enclave have been doing all these years, Lily."  As Cailin tied Miri to the back of the wagon and Petra finished packing, Petra called out, "mount up folks, we be burnin' daylight and we have a long way to go before makin' camp."  Heeding the dwarf's call, Lilith and Hikaru climbed aboard her wagon and settled in for the road ahead.

As the sun began to rise and shed its light and warmth, Lilith turned and spoke to her old friend,  "Hikaru, I know that you still remember me as a little girl, but I'm a grown woman now.  I ask that you call me Lilith, as the little girl is no longer here."  Looking into the young woman's eyes, Hikaru responded, "you are right my dear.  Though you will always be my heart's daughter, there is a time when a father must accept that his child has become an adult.  Lilith is a beautiful name, strong and proud... like the woman who bears it.  I will do as you ask, my child."

"Oh , and about that 'my child' thing", Lilith began to speak.  Raising his hand as if to silence her, Hikaru chided the woman with a wink and a smile, "you're just going to have to live with that one... father's privilege."  At that moment, both broke into light laughter.  Leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek, Lilith replied, "OK, you win this one... Father."  Once again the pair began to laugh, giving each other a hug.  As they rolled along the trail, both of them began chatting about what had transpired over the the years they had been apart.

Turning to his young friend, Hikaru bluntly asked her, "tell me Lilith, do you truly love Lyranda?"  Shocked by the old man's question, Lilith blurted out, "what do you mean, Hikaru?"  "Come now Lilth, I'm not blind", the man responded, "I see the way you two look at one another and the way you also act when together... so I ask again, do you truly love her?"  Lowering her gaze and turning her head from her old friend, Lilith answered, "yes I do Hikaru, I'm sorry."  "Sorry?  For what, my dear?", Hikaru said, "I'm happy for you both!"  "You're not appalled that two women are in an intimate relationship with each other?", Lilith questioned.  Taking Lilith's hand into his, Hikaru spoke in a soothing tone, "do you not remember that I too once lived among the M'buri?  I will admit at first, same gender relationships stuck me as 'unnatural' but that all changed.  I learned that when two people truly care for each other, there is nothing unnatural about it.  Love is a beautiful thing."  Turning back to her friend, with tears of joy in her eyes, Lilith whispered, "I love you Hikaru, I wish you really were my blood father."  After a few moments, Lilith turned back to Hikaru and in a slightly sarcastic tone said, "oh, by the way... you say you're a monk.  Yet you've seem to been quite a... how shall I put it?... rascal, with the ladies in the past.  Aren't monks supposed to be celibate?"  Responding to the young woman's question, Hikaru replied with a grin, "never said I was a devout monk."  At which point both burst into laughter again.

Early evening, Lyranda met with the wagons and approached Cailin with some news.  "The way ahead is clear and we found a suitable campsite, Marren is waiting for us there", she informed Cailin, "it's about another two miles ahead off the trail a bit.  But we found something strange."  "Strange?", Petra queried, "what is it?"   Answering the dwarf, Lyranda continued, "It's nothing that should cause any harm, but it's best if you see it yourself.  At that point, everyone in the caravan strained to see down the trail and try to spot what the druid spoke of.

"Well, appears we have another mystery in our journey", Cailin addressed the group.  "Let's not keep Marren or it waiting too long, shall we?",  Cailin remarked, "lead the way Lyranda, we're right behind you."

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Coming in somewhere at the middle of Cailin's saga and want to start at the beginning?
Then click here:
Cailin's Journey - - An Adventure In The Making
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for viewing and a very special thank you for all who have begun to follow my story about Cailin and her continuing journey.
Comments, critiques and/or suggestions are always welcome.
Remember... when viewing mine and other artist's work, check out the full size view... bigger is always better!