He gently ran a hand over her face, tracing every line. "Shh... You are my..."

"Me?" she gasps, leaning desperately into her hand.

He smiled softly and nodded.

She smiles, launching herself into his arms. "Mine!"

He gasped, slightly surprised at her sudden jump at him, then laughed lightly. "Yes," he murmured.

"Mine." she says, snuggling into him tight.

He smiled softly, running his fingers through her hair and holding her close.

"Mine." she coos, feeling peaceful.

He just continued to hold her.

She smiles softly. "Daylight.... thankyou."

"For what?" he asked softly. "I see no reason to..."

"Thankyou for this." and then she kisses him softly, teasing his lips, showing him how much she feels.

He smiled softly, ears gaining a slight pink tinge. "Now... Let'ss go back out there... I want this to be special for my little sister."

She smiles, then blushes. "I'm sorry I dramaed."

"It's alright," he answered, smiling wider, glad that she understood. "Shall we, then?"

She hooks her arm in his and lets him lead her back.

Quinn's eyes go bright. "So much matchmaking. So Lira, Dorian, any of your family crushing on anyone else?"

Dorian looked at Quinn oddly, "Crushing? Matchmaking... most people in my clan are put into pre-arranged marrages at birth."

Lira and Quinn passed some pleasant conversation about family gossip and then Jade became insacure and ran off again... Lindy followed and Dorian closed his eyes for a moment before looking down on his son with an affectionate smile and cooing at him a bit feeding him from the bottle again.

Dorian had seen self inflicted suffering like that witch Jade imposed upon herself before. He was only glad that she had found Lindorath... he knew that Lindorath was a paitent and honest man. He knew she would be able to heal eventually with his help and his love.

Quinn's face falls. "Well you lose some."

Jade comes back in with Lindoreth, smiling softly. "I am sorry about the outburst."

"Oh, It's quite alright, Miss Jade," Lira answered with a bright smile. "I'm just glad you've returned."

Lindoreth's smile widened. "Indeed. It should almost be time for the toasts."

Jade nods and sits, waiting for Dorian to start them off.

"Toasts?" Dorian asked softly... a look something between panic and embarrassment crossing his features before they were hidden away behind a slight smile. "I... I hadn't realized... I haven't prepeaired one."

((LOL... 'toasting' is not something they do in Dorian's culture, LOL. They have simaler things but most are more akin to long and formal speatches than 'toasts', and usually they are prepaired in advance...))

Lira giggled slightly then whispered, "You don't have to speak. Lindy probably has something to say to us." She laid a hand on his arm and gave him a soft smile of reassurance. "It's traditional for the family to toast an engaged couple."

"I... I know," Dorian said softly, looking slightly more relieved... until his glance cought sight of the expectant look Jade was still giving him.

Lindoreth grinned, hearing his sister and soon-to-be brother talking. He decided to save Dorian any more discomfort by finding his wine glass, after a tad bit of feeling around, and lifting it.

"Liramil, Dorian, you are about to take a very important step in your lives. I am happy for you. Liramil, you are my sister and I wish you only the best, just as you deserve. Dorian, since I've met you, I've begun to think of you as my brother. Live in love and happiness and joy will be with you forever." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the roll made in the shape of interlocking rings. "May your life together be sweet."

Then he sipped the wine.

Lira grinned and reached for the plate with the roll, looking to Dorian so he would know to do the same.

Dorian smiled brightly at the words that Lindoreth spoke.

Lira grinned and reached for the plate with the roll, looking to Dorian so he would know to do the same.

Dorian gave Lira a soft smile and reached for the role as well... not quite sure exactly what all was expected of him.

"May our bond be eternal," she murmured, "and may it nourish us and make us stronger. May life be sweet." Then she broke her half off and began to eat it.

"May our bond be eturnal," he repeated her words softly, with a sound of revrence to them, "and may all of our days bring us the happiness and joy that this day does." These sorrt of symbolic events had always heald special meaning to Dorian.

He smiled brightly at her and then began to eat his half of the role.

His words were true and what she wished for as well. Her eyes met his, full of love and joy.

Then Nethire began to fuss a bit. Lindoreth, hearing him, wore a soft smile and a slightly curious expression. "May... May I hold him?"

Dorian smiled back at Lira.

Then Nethire began to fuss a bit. Lindoreth, hearing him, wore a soft smile and a slightly curious expression. "May... May I hold him?"

"Yes, of course," DOrian answered softly. Dorian set down his role and took one of Lindoreth's hands in his freed one and guided Lindoreth's over to Nethire's hand. Nethire reached out and gripped one of Lindoreth's fingers.

"Yes, of course," DOrian answered softly. Dorian set down his role and took one of Lindoreth's hands in his freed one and guided Lindoreth's over to Nethire's hand. Nethire reached out and gripped one of Lindoreth's fingers.

Lindoreth's smile widened slightly, and he very carefully moved his other arm securely around the baby, picking him up and holding him in his lap. Lindoreth would never attempt walking with Nethire in his arms, terribly afraid he might trip and drop him, but like this he was fine. He cooed softly to the baby. "Is... Is he hungry?" he asked softly.

"Is... Is he hungry?" he asked softly.

"Likely," Dorian answered, and placed the bottle securly in one of Lindoreth's hands and helped guide his hand to feed the child. "They eat freequently when they are so small," he said softly.

Jade silently melts as she watches her Daylight with the little one.

Quinn meanwhile has steepled his hands and is smiling. "So Dorian, will you be needing a nanny?"

Lindoreth smiled, content to hold the little boy in his arms. Vaguely the blind elf wondered what Nethire would be like when he grew up. Gently, he ran his fingers over the child's face, trying to make out his features. There definitely was a vague resemblance to Dorian in his mind, though the features were yet too small to tell. Nethire continued to drink. A finger brushed a boar tooth and, curiously, felt the rest of the necklace. It was crude and yet well-made. Much care had gone into it. The tusks had been polished and holes bored into it by hand. "What..." he murmured, curiously feeling it. He wondered where they had gotten it and why Nethire wore it.

"What..." he murmured, curiously feeling it. He wondered where they had gotten it and why Nethire wore it.

"His... his mother," Dorian said softly, slightly uncomfertabul, "she was convinced she would have a daughter... It's a - a gift for a shameness. She... left... it with him."

Lindoreth gave a soft smile. "A shaman?"

Lira laid a gentle hand on Dorian's arm, giving him a reassuring look. "Yes. She knew her child would be special."

Quinn smiles. "Well the little tike could be a seer like his dad...."

Lira laid a gentle hand on Dorian's arm, giving him a reassuring look. "Yes. She knew her child would be special."

"Yes," Dorian said softly.

Quinn smiles. "Well the little tike could be a seer like his dad...."

"He is," Dorian said with a soft smile in Quinn's direction, "and likely to be a stronger one even than I... He has a powerfuly strong feel of magic and connectedness to the universe, fate, destiny, and time," he said vaguely, "stronger than any I posses... I can see some of the connections already... vaguely..."

Lindoreth gave a soft smile. "He is indeed a blessing for you," he murmured, holding Nethire gently, almost as if the child was his own.

Lindoreth gave a soft smile. "He is indeed a blessing for you," he murmured, holding Nethire gently, almost as if the child was his own.

Dorian smiled to see the affection Lindoreth gave Nethire... He knew now more than ever that he had made the right choice in coming here, the right choice with Lira... and even that the events leading up to Nethire's brith had been "right" even if not desireabul. He "Yes," was the only answer he could give to Lindoreth, "and so have the rest of you been to me."

Quinn smiles, then nods. "Dorian, Dorian, Dorian. You're like family to us. Ok, maybe not to Lira, that'd be incest and so much ew it wouldn't be funny. But the point is, you've cared for us all, and we all care for you."

Lira smiled softly and leaned up to give Dorian a light kiss on the cheek. "Quinn's right... You've brought me nothing but joy since the first moment I met you."

Lindoreth chuckled softly then took up his wine glass again. "To the blessings we have all brought to each other through love and friendship," he said, offering another toast.

Lira smiled softly and leaned up to give Dorian a light kiss on the cheek. "Quinn's right... You've brought me nothing but joy since the first moment I met you."

Dorian blushed slightly at the kiss, but did not pull away. "And I," he said softly to Lira, "have known no joy as I do at your side."

Lindoreth chuckled softly then took up his wine glass again. "To the blessings we have all brought to each other through love and friendship," he said, offering another toast.

Dorian smiled brightly and raised his own glass to that clinkling it gently against Lindoreth's.

((Fast-forward soon? Mezzik and Emily are sort of ahead and I'm sure Dorian would love to show Nethire off around town as much as Mezzik will keep his in for their safety.))

Lira smiled. "And to many years of happiness to come," she offered after drinking Lindoreth's toast.

"To your son, Dorian. May he grow to be wise, and may all the days of his life bring him great joy," Lindoreth offered after drinking Lira's toast.

Quinn and Jade join the cheers, Jade squeezing Lindo's hand beneath the table.

Lira smiled. "And to many years of happiness to come," she offered after drinking Lindoreth's toast.

"To your son, Dorian. May he grow to be wise, and may all the days of his life bring him great joy," Lindoreth offered after drinking Lira's toast.

Dorian smiled brightly drinking to the toasts as well.

((And fast forwarding to a few days latter.))

After a day or so Nethire's burn had healed prettymuch compleatly, though the brand he had now in the shape of a bow and arrow would stay with him all his life.

The mornings and evenings were still cool, but the afternoons were getting progressivly warmer. Dorian hadn't seen much of Mezzik and Emlily around lately so he thought perhaps a visit was in order... he was quite certin that by now their children should be born.

So late one morning while Lira was buissy with some of her wears Dorian headed off to pay them a visit.

"Today, we are going to go visit some friends of ours," Dorian cooed at his son in elvish as he walked, "and you see these?" he said dangling some perfectly clear polished stones in front of Nathire, he reatched out for them as they sparkeled in the sunlight. "They're blessing stones... for good luck and good health," he said with a smile, "just like the one you've here." He patted a simalar stone hun off of a silver chain.

"A gift for our friends," he said with a smile.

WHen he came to their house Dorian knocked on the door.

((Continued in Emmily and MEzzik's.))

Jade stands in the water of a cold stream, bathing. She found it on a walk to get some nice flowers for her Daylight and had eagerly decided to try it out. She scoops some water, letting it drizzle over her head and she dreams of Lindo, what he'd do if he could SEE her now.

Lindoreth lay in the grass nearby, letting the sun warm him and taking in the pleasant scent of the cool water and the blooming flowers, the pleasant sounds of the gurgling stream and a teasing breeze running through the grass, just the general feel in the air, an aliveness and warmth that only spring could bring. The summer was lazy and drifting, the autumn flitting and cool, the winter cold and forbidding... But the Spring... The spring was alive with chattering birds, with young ones playing, with lovers...

He heard Jade splashing in the stream nearby but paid little mind, just too happy being alive. Vaguely he attempted to recall the images of spring from his childhood.

She opens her eyes and slipping just a shirt on, goes to look for him. When she finds him, she flops down beside him smiling. "Your shirts are almost dresses on me Daylight, they make me feel safe."

He smiled softly. "I'm glad, though I will need that back sometime. I only have so many," he murmured, in good humor.

"But it smells so good. It smells of clay and sweat and you. Its the only memento of you I'll need."

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