Hello again! Hope you all like this chapter, I'm planning one with Orien next. All reviews were greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I own the computer I wrote this on. That's about it.

"I want to know about my father."

Birle sighed. She had never actually planned on keeping anything from her daughter- it had just sort of happened. Birle had imagined always Lyss growing up knowing all about what had happened, always asking about it, knowing exactly what had occurred, knowing the name and identity of her father. But, unfortunately for Birle, there was a flaw in this plan which she didn't see until it was too late. In order for Lyss to know what had happened, Birle must first tell her everything, in detail- and Birle did not talk about that time in her life. It wasn't that she was afraid to talk about it, or wanted to forget, or that she was uncomfortable with it in any way, really. It was just... Birle felt as though that had just been like a phase in her life, something... over. And now it seemed it was coming back.

"Did you… uhh… know him?"

Birle frowned. What did she mean, had she known him? How could she possibly have not- …oh.

"Yes, I knew him very well." She answered quickly. Lyss looked slightly relieved.

"Tell me about him."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

Birle thought. She wasn't sure why, exactly, but she didn't want Lyss to know that her father was the Earl. After a moment though, she began to speak. "You look a bit like him, you know. You have his eyes… like bluebells. I always loved his bluebell eyes…" Birle paused for a moment, lost in remembering. Then she shook her head and continued a bit more quickly. "He was a wonderful man, your father. Very caring, very gentle. I… I loved him very much. He could read as well, you know."

"Really? Who taught him?"

"I… don't know who taught him, exactly." This wasn't a lie. Birle had no idea exactly who had taught Orien to read… probably some rich tutor. It wasn't a lie. Luckily, Lyss was much too absorbed in what she was saying to notice her guilty look.

They both jumped as a loud hissing noise broke the silence. Some of the stew had boiled over. Birle hurried over to pull it off the fire, while Lyss got out the bowls and spoons. She had completely forgotten about the stew… she took a small taste, and decided that it was ready. Ladling some into the two bowls held by her daughter, they sat down to supper. It was very peaceful, sitting there, eating the stew, with the cozy light and warmth from the fire filling the room. The storm continued to pour steadily outside, creating a drumbeat on the small cottage that Birle had always loved so much.

The stew was eaten quickly, as they were both hungry and Lyss wished to continue their conversation. They placed their dishes in the small sink to be washed later, and Lyss immediately built on that wish.

"Where did you meet him?"

"Your father?"

"Yes."

Birle smiled at the memory. "Well, the first time I saw him was right outside the inn, actually. By the docks…" She smiled again. "Though I'm not sure you would actually consider that meeting him… meeting him probably happened just a little after the docks…"

"What do you mean, that wasn't when you met? Did you ignore each other?"

"No, we definitely noticed each other," said Birle with a small laugh. "I… well; I sort of attacked him, actually. I had a reason!" she added quickly as Lyss gave her a shocked look. "He was stealing a boat! Or I thought he was, anyway. It looked like it! It turned out to have been his boat after all in the end though."

For the next hour, Birle told her daughter all about the man she had once intended to marry- though that particular fact did not come up. Lyss positively glowed throughout her description, drinking in every word. Then, suddenly, Birle realized with a shock how late it was. The sun had set hours ago, and they needed to go into the village as soon as it rose again, to sell herbs and see to some people who were too old or sick or both to come to them and such.

"Lyss, do you realize how long we've been talking? It must be midnight!"

"Oh, Mama, we don't have to go to bed yet, do we? I'm not tired at all, and anyway there's no way I could get to sleep!"

"We're going into the village tomorrow, remember? Come on, we do need some sleep, even if we are getting up at the crack of dawn."

Lyss sighed and said, "All right… but just answer two more questions first, okay?" Birle tried to interrupt here, but Lyss hurried on, "If you don't answer them, I know I'll stay up all night thinking about them and wondering, and then I won't get any sleep at all, and when you finally do tell me the answers I'll be too tired to even understand what you're telling me!" Birle had to smile.

"Oh, fine, but just two and no more. What's your first question?"

"What was his name?"

"You mean I haven't told you…? No, I suppose I didn't. His name…" Birle didn't think Lyss would recognize it as the name of the Earl- when it came to Orien, people just didn't think of him as Orien, or even Lord Orien. He was just the Earl; he had no name, as far as they were concerned. At least, none that made any difference, or that there was any point to remembering. "His name was Orien."

"Orien…" repeated Lyss, savoring the name. A very nice name, really…

"One more question, and then bed." Birle told her, bring Lyss back to reality. Birle had a feeling that she had been saving these questions for some reason.

"Right… one more question. What I wanted to know was…" she hesitated, and then plowed bravely on. "What I wanted to know was, do… do you know if…" Again, she hesitated.

"Lyss, whatever it is just ask! I promise I'll answer, and I won't take offense at anything you might want to know, if that's what you're worried about."

Lyss took a deep breath, and then asked the question she had been wondering about since she was a little girl, the one that meant so much to her. "You've been referring to my father in the past tense all night… he was this, he used to do that… like he isn't anymore, or can no longer do that. What I want to know is… is he is alive? Do you even know? If not, what happened? And if he is… would it be possible to… to maybe… maybe, find him?" she said, finishing very quietly.

There was a pause, and then Birle said, "That was more than one question."

"Yes, well… they all go together. Are you going to answer?"

Another pause, and then Birle answered quietly, "Yes… yes, I suppose he is still alive, and if he were needed, I suppose I could find him.

"Now, time for bed."

Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter coming soon! For now, if you'd like to review...