"Oh, all right."

Albain smiled and continued to stir the contents of the pot. The two ate and Lielay fell asleep a little while after. Albain stayed up for a couple of hours after Lielay fell asleep and watched out for trolls or any other dangers, even though there weren't any around. He patrolled the perimeter of the camp with his sword in hand. In the morning the two awoke and started to gather their things and clean up their surroundings. Lielay was feeling better, but Albain still insisted on carrying her things in case she collapsed or stumbled for the packs weight.

"I'm not a child, I can haul my own things." Lielay said.

"Well, you're not strong enough yet." He smiled to her and continued walking.

"Fine. So where are we headed now?" she asked kindly.

"I was thinking of going to Freeport and on the way we can stop at Kelethin. Home sweet home."

"Really! That would be great!" she hugged his arm.

It took Lielay and Albain three days to get to Firiona Vie since they took caution of dracnids and other wild animals. The two camped out on the docks and waited for the boat, which they only had to wait a short time before it arrived. The Maiden's Voyager came swiftly in the late afternoon and as soon as the ropes were tied to the docks, the crew unloaded cargo and the passengers were allowed to scurry on. When the two were on the boat they sat against the cold cabin wall where they first met.

"I can't believe we have only known each other for about a week now, it seems so much longer." Lielay playfully smacked Albain's leg.

"I still think it's funny that you were that excited about going to Firiona Vie." he chuckled.

It took two cold nights for the Maiden's Voyager to reach the shuttle trade off where the majority of the passengers where getting off. Lielay had to shake Albain awake so they could get on a shuttle since he was in a deep sleep. It only took the shuttles half the night to get to the Butcher Block docks. When morning came the two set off down the long path through the Butcher Block Mountains to Kelethin. The path was zigzagged and sometimes confusing, but the two never got lost since they had traveled this path many times before.

"I always hated this path, it's too long." Lielay complained.

"Well, just think what's at the end of the path, Kelethin. Now that's worth the long walk." Albain smiled gently.

Lielay smiled back and the two continued on their journey towards Kelethin. They walked for two hours, and had passed Kaladim and Felwithe; they were nearing their destination. They walked on until they saw the first part of Kelethin, the city built up in the treetops, the city of wood elves. Lielay watched the leaves of the lush trees sway in the breeze. She let out a long breath that she was holding in and grinned.

"Kelethin." they said in unison.

Lielay looked around when they reached the lift, she saw small children playing under the guards' watchful eyes. She was surprised that there weren't any orcs sneaking through the brush or hiding behind trees. Albain was looking around too; he peered at Lielay and watched her bite her bottom lip, he finally spoke up when he saw a trickle of blood dribble down her chin.

"What's wrong, Lie?" he placed his arm around her slender shoulders.

"There...there aren't any orcs in sight. Where are they? There was always orcs when I lived here."

"It seems strange, but who cares, I never liked those orcs. We can go ask someone if you want."

"I know who to ask." Lielay said.

"Really? Who?" Albain half-smiled.

"Well I have an old friend here...and I also have..." she didn't finish.

"Go on. What else?" he raised his brows.

"My brother also lives here."

"You have a brother? Why didn't you tell me?" he chuckled.

"You never asked." She shrugged her packs up.

"That's true. Well, what are we waiting for? I feel like going to my favorite tavern." with that said he walked onto the lift.

Lielay stood for a couple seconds thinking of her past life in Kelethin, then she too stepped onto the lift after a few small children ran on. They reached the top and gazed around. It was more beautiful then Lielay remembered. She let out a long, relieving sigh.

"Well, I'm off to the tavern for some elven wine." Albain grinned.

"Oh, OK. I'm going to my house to talk with my brother." Lielay said smiling.

"Sure thing. When you're done meet me at that tavern," he pointed to a tavern to the right," I'll be there for some time."

"Yeah." Lielay muttered to herself. "I bet you will be."

Lielay walked up one of the ramps leading to the resident houses. She got to the top and saw a mother and her son outside their home. She smiled when she saw them playing a game of some sort together. Lielay walked past them, behind her she heard a female let out a small scream. Lielay stopped, turned around, and saw the woman staring and pointed at her.

"Is it you?" asked the wood elf.

"Am I who? Do I know you?" Lielay let her heavy packs fall.

"It's me, Birria! Remember me, your best friend!"

"Oh my goodness! It is you!" Lielay was filled with joy.

"Lie, where have you been? You have been missing, gone, for five years." Birria said.

"I have been exploring. I have been to the new and distant lands of Norrath."

"Really. Tell me about them." Birria took Lielay's arm and led her to the house.

Birria and Lielay talked for an hour about anything and everything. Lielay told Birria about Albain, the lands she visited, the people she met, and the attacks she encountered. She even showed Birria the scars from the sarnak attack. Lielay was so happy she got to stop and talk to her best friend and discuss how their lives had changed.

"All those adventures sound so exciting."

"They were." Lielay sighed happily.

"So what do you think Caleb is going to do?" Birria lowered her voice.

"I was headed that way to go talk to him. He is seven and he is old enough to come travel with me now."

"You're going to take him with you? Marcus and him play together all the time."

"I'm going to ask him if he wants to come with me, I'm not going to force him into anything he doesn't want to do."

"Oh." Birria muttered. Lielay said goodbye a few minutes after their conversation about Caleb and walked towards her family home where her brother and Caleb were.

*****

Albain had been drinking heavily for the past hour. He was extremely intoxicated and was telling stories to a group of old friends. "...and anyway (hiccup) I meet a beautiful wood elf. She is here with me, but she went to go see her (hiccup) brother first. Then she's (hiccup) coming here." He drained the wine in his goblet.

*****

Lielay neared her house with every moment passing. She was very nervous about seeing her brother and son again. Five years was too long. The house was in view and Lielay slowed her pace. She stopped right in front of the door and slowly knocked three times. The door opened and a tall, handsome wood elf with dark blonde hair stood in the doorway.

"Hello?" he examined Lielay.

"Hello. It's nice to see you again, Joshua." Lielay smiled.

The wood elf looked at Lielay and studied her. He seemed to be concentrating very hard, trying to remember something. "Lie? Is that you?"

"Yes, who do you think I am?"

"Lielay where have you been, you've been gone for five years... I've missed you, so has Caleb." The two siblings embraced each other for a long period of time.

"Joshua, I have missed you and Caleb so much." Lielay hugged her older brother tightly.

Joshua invited Lielay inside their home and sat her down in a chair in the living room. "Should I go get Caleb or would you like something first?" Joshua asked.

"No. I'm fine, please, I would like to see my son."

Joshua walked off towards the back of the house while Lielay wrung her hands. Lielay was still very nervous, she hoped her son would remember her. She sat in the chair again with her hands held tightly together waiting for Joshua to come with Caleb. Lielay looked around and saw a picture of herself, Caleb, and her husband, Danny. She picked up the picture and tears filled her eyes. She remembered those happy times ever so strongly. The bright sunny days she had spent under the trees with her baby and her husband. Those times ended abruptly when her husband, Danny, blindly wandered into Crushbone trying to impress her. Scouts never reported the finding of his body. Joshua came back into the room and broke Lielay's thoughts.

"Lie, he's here."

Lielay stood up with the picture still in her hands. A small boy of the age of seven stepped out from behind Joshua. He held onto Joshua's vest with one hand and stared at Lielay.

"Caleb you remember your mother." Joshua pushed Caleb forward.

Caleb stared at her without a word. Lielay hoped that he would smile, run to her, and give her a hug. "Caleb. Do you remember me?"

There was silence for a few seconds before Caleb spoke. "I can remember you. I do. Why did you leave me? Didn't you love me? Did I do something wrong?" The little boy had tears running down his cheek as he stared at Lielay with his big dark green eyes.

"Oh Caleb, I love you with all my heart and soul. You're my everything, you would never do a wrong in my eyes."

Caleb ran over to Lielay and hugged her around the middle. He started to cry, he wasn't the only one, Joshua and Lielay were both crying too. Lielay knelt down and pressed her son closer to her. She never wanted to let him go again. Joshua knelt beside the two and wrapped his arms around them. The three sat down on the rug and started to talk. They were going to need a long time to talk to straighten things out.

*****

Still drinking in the tavern, Albain sat with his drunken friends. "So Albain (hiccup) do you really like this (hiccup) wood elf your with because (hiccup) from the sounds of it (hiccup) she's beautiful."

"She is (hiccup) beautiful. Why do you want to know?"

"Because if you don't (hiccup) like her that much (hiccup) I'll take her."

The drunkards sat there talking about "that beautiful" wood elf. Each elf's face grew redder and redder from their numerous mugs and pitchers of alcohol.

*****

It took two hours for Lielay to tell Joshua and Caleb where she had been and what happened. She didn't tell them about Albain yet; she was waiting for them to ask more about the past five years. She finally slipped in the information after a half an hour. "So anyway I also met a very nice wood elf who has been exploring with me since I encountered the dracnid." Lielay's cheeks grew red.

"What about him, Lielay?" asked Joshua.

"Oh I just brought that up because I'm exploring with him and he's here at a tavern right now. Plus," she paused, "I wanted to ask Caleb if he would like to come explore with me."

"Ummm." Caleb was thinking.

"But first before you decide, dear, you have to meet Albain. If you don't like him you don't have to come with me and I'll stay for...." Lielay stopped.

"Well I have to meet him first." Caleb tapped his forehead.

Joshua pulled Lielay away and told Caleb that he had to tell her something in private. "What, Joshua?" she took her arm out of his grasps.

"If he doesn't like Albain he'll stay and you'll leave. Crushing both our hearts again. How would he trust you again?" he placed his hand on his chest.

"My gods, I didn't think about that. I love to explore. Exploring is my life, I couldn't stop exploring." Lielay began rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, my point. Let me meet this Albain first." Joshua reached for his cloak hanging on the wall.

"Yes, OK." Lielay was still in shock of what Joshua told her.

"We'll drop Caleb off at Birria's house on the way there." He patted her shoulder.

"Good idea."

They walked back into the living room and told Caleb that they had to do something important and that he was going to go to Marcus's house for a bit. The three walked out the door after gathering Caleb and Lielay's cloaks and started off towards Birria's house. Caleb was in the middle holding Lielay and Joshua's hands. They reached Birria's house shortly afterwards. Birria came out with her son Marcus.

"Birria can Caleb stay here for a little bit, please? Lie and I have to go somewhere real fast." Joshua asked.

"Sure thing, Joshua. Caleb is always welcome here. Now get along and go do whatever you need to do." Lielay thanked Birria and started with Joshua towards the tavern where Albain was.

*****

Albain hadn't had a drink of anything for the past half an hour so he wasn't as red in the face as the others around him. His drunken friends were, of course, still drinking nonstop. Watching his friends fill their already bloated bellies with more ale and wine, Albain couldn't resist the urge anymore. He shouted at the bartender. "Bartender, a bottle of your finest elven wine over here."

As he was shouting that demand, Lielay and Joshua walked in the wide tavern door. The drunks looked at Lielay and some whistled towards her. Albain turned to look too, but he saw that it was just Lielay. He had no idea who was the guy next to her but then he thought it was her brother. Slowly he pushed off the table and stood up.

"Lie, over here, dear." Albain winked at his friends and grinned.

"Is that Albain?" Joshua whispered into Lielay's ear mockingly.

Albain was waving his hand in the air telling Lielay and Joshua to come over to the table. The two walked over and sat in two empty seats next to Albain. The drunkards at the table stared at Lielay. She gave them a faint smile and turned to Albain.

"So Lielay this must be your brother, hmm?" Albain said stupidly.

"Yes. This is Joshua. Joshua this is Albain." The two murmured their greetings and then both looked at Lielay.

"Lie, tell him about Caleb." Joshua was rushing her.

"I will, hold on, please Joshua." Lielay pleaded.

"You better do it soon or I'll leave." Joshua blew his bangs out of his eyes.

"What was that, Lie? Albain turned and smirked.

"Nothing, really." Lielay answered.

The bartender then walked over with a very large bottle of elven wine. He poured everyone at the table a glass, left the bottle in the middle, and then went back to behind the counter where he began cleaning out glasses with his off-white apron.

"Albain, how much have you had to drink so far? Please tell me not that much." Lielay looked worried.

"I had a decent amount," the table snickered, "I am not totally drunk, Lie, I am fine."

"Men." Lielay muttered under her breath.

The group at the table sat, talked, and then started a game of cards. Joshua was so involved with the game that he didn't even notice when Lielay took Albain by the arm and led him outside to a small balcony.

"What is it, Lielay?" asked Albain.

"I need to tell you something very important." Lielay was getting nervous again.

"What is it then?"

"I... I ha... I have a.."

"Just say it, Lie." He crossed his muscular arms across his chest.

Lielay took a deep breath, "I have a seven year old son living here with my brother."

"What!" Albain was enraged. He was getting much redder from all the anger building up inside. He started to curse and yell at Lielay for not telling him about her son. "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me that you had a son! Damn it, Lielay!"

"I'm sorry. I thought you wouldn't want to travel or be with me if you knew I had a son waiting at home." Lielay cried.

"Look, Lielay, I'm sorry I yelled but I will always be with you." He calmly took her hand. She pulled it away.

By this time Joshua and some drunks had come over. Joshua put his arm around his sister as she cried softly. Albain was shaking his head with his hands running through his dark hair. The whole tavern had turned their direction to see what the yelling was about. Joshua led Lielay outside of the tavern for to get away from the hectic scene. He sat her down on a bench a good couple yards away from the tavern. Pulling a small square cloth out from his vest pocket, Joshua handed it to his upset sister.

"Are you going to be all right Lielay?" Joshua asked in concern.

"I can't believe he blew up like that." She placed her hands on her cheeks.

"Maybe it's because he's so drunk."

"I have no idea, Joshua I don't know what to do."

"Everything will be fine. You always have Caleb, Birria and me."

"Yes I do." She smiled, wiped her nose, and handed him his cloth back.

Albain came out of the tavern and stumbled over to Lielay. When he reached the two, Joshua gave him a deep glare and stalked off so Lielay could be alone with Albain. Albain took a couple of deep breaths of air before talking. "Lielay. I am really sorry about that. I've had too many drinks and I'm not thinking straight. I would love to meet your son. Please."

"He is at a friend's house right now and I don't want him to see you drunk, got it?" she barked at him.

"Yes I get it. How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is good." Her voice became harmonious again.

"So who is Caleb's father?"

"His father was a strong wood elf named Danny Oakfeller, I used to be Lielay Oakfeller, but I changed my name back to Liltreehuggr. Danny was killed by orcs and we never even found his body. That was over five years ago though. After that, I knew that he wasn't coming back, I left Caleb with Joshua and silently fled Kelethin. I began to travel after that."

"I'm so sorry about that, Lie."

Albain sat on the bench beside Lielay and the two just stared off into the dark listening to the night's noises. Time didn't seem to matter as they sat there in silence. Joshua watched them from inside the tavern where he began playing cards again. Suddenly, a wood elf in full armor came running up one of the ramps, he was shouting something. Lielay looked up and stood, so did Albain. Joshua and others came out of the tavern to see what the yelling was about.

"This looks bad." Lielay whispered to Albain.

"Wait, what is he yelling?"

"I don't know."

The babbling elf scrambled to surrounding elves and clung on their arms. Some elves mistook him for a drunk and shook him off. Others seemed concerned and tried to calm him. The wood elf stopped yelling and collapsed in front of Lielay and Albain's feet. His breathing was rapid and he had to force the air out of his lungs.

"Get him some water, fast!" Lielay yelled at a nearby elf. She propped him up and put his head in her lap so she could give him the water. After five minutes he sat up slowly and cleared his throat. There was a bright flash in the sky that burned brightly. It sounded like a giant explosion; most elves covered their delicate ears. "What were you yelling?" Lielay asked the wood elf after she torn her eyes away from the blinding light.

He looked at her and slowly began in a loud voice so everyone could hear, shouted, "The orcs are attacking again. Many have already gotten out of Crushbone. Everyone who is able to fight is ordered to get a weapon and armor and head for Crushbone. to save our Kelethin." With that he fainted in Lielay's arms again. Part of the crowd ran towards their homes to tell others and gather weapons. Small parties of drunken elves waved their hands aimlessly and wandered back into their taverns. From inside the taverns, barkeepers yelled and screamed for them to go home and help with the battle. Many of the drunken elves were thrown, kicked, or shoved out the doors.

Lielay looked up at Joshua and Albain. "That means us too." she said softly.