Haha I had this idea in part for a collab fanfic, but when I started writing I realised I had more ideas for it than I had thought, and I couldn't stop writing. So now, enjoy.

Thanks to my unofficial beta, Brie...and landi :D

The sky was an unpromising grey, holding the threat of rain before too long. Maerad glanced up at it before her eyes settled on Cadvan playing with a small child. He was surprisingly good with children. They had stopped in a small village for food and lodgings, and this child had been following them since they arrived. She looked to be around a year old.

The houses were small in this village, and there were few people about. Those who did pass could spare a nod or a smile for the pair. The walls of the houses were grubby and the windows, such as they were, were in a similar state.

Cadvan covered his face with his hands, then removed them again, showing the girl a big grin and saying "peek-a-boo!", causing her to giggle and clap her hands clumsily.

"Why are you following Maerad and I?" he asked the girl gently.

"Mumma gone," she replied, sucking on her bottom lip. This pulled on Maerad's heart; it was clear that where the girl's mother had gone to, she was not coming back.

"What about your dad?" Maerad asked, crouching down next to Cadvan in front of the girl.

The girl stared at Maerad with her big eyes. "No dadda," she said, clinging to Cadvan's arm. Maerad looked up at Cadvan and was surprised to see turmoil on his face. He gently disentangled his arm and put both of them around the girl, then stood up, holding the girl balanced on his hip.

"We can't just leave her," Cadvan said. "I saw a girl like her when I was about ten, in my village. She asked me to help her and I didn't know what to do, so I left her." He bit his lip, and Maerad was surprised to see the shine of tears in his eyes. "I saw her a week later. She was...She was dead."

"What shall we do with her? We can't put her in an orphanage. We know what they're like."

"No. I agree that that's not an option. We should ask a family to adopt her, but I think no one in this village will take her. They cannot afford a child."

Maerad was longing for Cadvan to say that they should take her, but it would not be practical and would also be very dangerous for her.

"What's your name?" Cadvan asked, to stave off the moment when he would have to make a decision.

"Lara," said the girl with a grin. Maerad's heart almost broke that a child in her situation could still smile.

"We should ask at the inn," Cadvan decided. "And make certain she has no parents. We should not make Samaritans of ourselves where none are needed; we would instead be regarded as Darkness itself for snatching a child."

Maerad smiled in approval. "Good idea," she agreed, and Cadvan set off for the inn, Lara clinging to him. Maerad felt a pang she couldn't identify, and hurried to catch up with Cadvan to take Lara off him. The happy girl grinned up at Maerad, and Maerad couldn't help but grin back.

"Aren't you beautiful?" Maerad asked her in a jolly voice. "My name's Maerad. Can you say Maerad?" Lara stared at her for a second, face twisted in concentration.

"Mae-a," she said.

"Mae-rad," Maerad repeated slowly.

"Mae-a."

"And this is Cadvan," Maerad continued, indicating Cadvan. "Can you say Cadvan?"

"Cad-a," Lara returned.

"Cad-van."

"Cad-a." Maerad was too busy with Lara to notice Cadvan was watching her with a smile on his face. Had she been paying attention, she would have seen the trace of pride in his smile.

They had reached the inn, and Cadvan held open the door for Maerad to go through.

"After you, Mae-a," he teased.

"Thanks, Cad-a," Maerad teased right back, and Cadvan chuckled. They approached the innkeeper and asked him if he knew the girl's parents.

"Aye, I do. Her da left them when she were a babe, and her ma died not two weeks back. I've been giving her little scraps when I can, but it's not good for her. I refuse to send her to an orphanage, though."

Maerad and Cadvan exchanged a look.

"Maerad and I would be willing to find her a family, if that would be agreeable," Cadvan suggested diplomatically.

"Aye, that would be most helpful," the man agreed, nodding. "T'would take a load off my mind, it would. We're not the worst off around here, but we can't afford to spare."

Cadvan politely excused them, and they retired to their room. Cadvan was sleeping on the sofa, and Maerad decided to sleep with Lara. This decision was rather forced upon her by the fact that Lara refused to let her go. This quietly delighted her, but she had no idea how they would manage to take her on the horses.

As night fell, Maerad lay with Lara in the bed and Lara seemed to be about to go to sleep quietly, but as Cadvan went to lie on the sofa, she reached out a grasping hand saying, "Cad-a! Cad-a!" Cadvan turned.

"I'll just be over here," he promised. "I won't be far."

"Cad-a! Here!"

Cadvan obediently went over to the bed, and Lara grasped his hand. Maerad noticed him trying not to smile. "Here," Lara said again, and both of them realised that she meant him to sleep there. Cadvan met Maerad's eyes shyly.

"Perhaps…just until she goes to sleep," he suggested, and Maerad nodded; so Cadvan climbed up awkwardly next to them. Lara grasped both their hands and closed her eyes, her long blond lashes laying against her pale skin. She breathed deeply and calmly, blissfully unaware of the awkwardness of the two adults next to her, lying as far away from each other as the narrow bed would allow. After 10 minutes of nervous silence, Cadvan sat up, thinking Lara to be asleep, but Lara's hand tightened around his fingers and he looked back to see her big blue eyes staring at him.

"Cad-a," she said sleepily, and Cadvan lay back down again.

"It's alright, Lara," he soothed. "Go to sleep."

To be continued...

How adorable is Lara? Please review, and if you could tell me what you think could be improved and what you liked about it you would make me sooooo happy :P