"Why would you think that?" Holly answered sarcastically, throwing a glance back into the reception room. "I know I am being foolish. I know that. I know he could never hurt me. I know Lairiel wouldn't either." Holly soaked her hands in the water. "I guess the journey really has taken alot out of me." Holly turned to face Mariel. "I have to know...what happened to make Lairiel this way?"

"Why not?" Morohtar simply replied. "You cannot say you are happy Lairiel. You cannot tell me you are healing. I want to help heal you."

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"Lairiel was, to put it gently, used by her step father and his friends. After that, when she got away, it took her forever to even look at a man. Then she met Gabriel Erilion. A hunter. She fellfor him, and he won her heart over. Then..." A pained look came over her face. "After about three years time of them seeing each other...he up and left. She was heart broken. This very spot is the place where her former cabin sat, where she and Gabriel shared many moments together. When she visits on rare occasions, she always gets like this. She was broken after that. Never was the same." Mariel frowned. "I don't understand. I mean, she is this broken up over one man...but she really did love him. I can only imagine how I would have felt had Gray done the same to me.."

"I don' need no healin'." Lairiel muttered. "Like th' woman said, 'm a lost cause." she finally turned her eyes to him, and it seemed as though her very soul was looking through them. A shattered soul.

Holly paused in her chore to listen to Mariel. Her shoulders sank as she heard of Lairiel's intense heartbreak. Holly could not blame Lairiel for being the way she was. Afterall, she would be the same, should Morohtar choose to leave. "Did she try to find him?" She asked quietly. Would Holly want to find Morohtar? Only to have her worst fears confirmed? Another woman. Holly finished cleaning the dishes and dried her hands. Turning, she leaned against the sink, a tear rolling down her cheek. She rubbed it away swiftly.

Morohtar gazed into Lairiel's eyes. "You are not a lost cause Lairiel. I would not be sitting here with you if you were."

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"No. They met once after that, and he treated her with complete disdain." Mariel shrugged. "She didn't bother after that."

"Jus' lemme drink.." she hissed, leaning back against the couch.

"They saying never helps when you are going through agony such as she is, but it really is his loss. I am sure Morohtar will agree to that. I have always said that Morohtar is a good judge of character. He would not be focusing his time on bringing her round if she was not worth it. I like to think I know Lairiel quite well, even though we have spent very little time together...She is an extraordinary woman. I am honored to be following in her footsteps."

"No Lairiel." Morohtar took her hand gently. "Come...we need to talk about this. You need to get over this. It is not doing you any good, burying it under alcohol."

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Mariel snorted. "She may be my friend, but she is not extraordinary. She is selfish. She'll end up killing herself one of these days with how reckless she is."

"I don' need help!" she jerked her hand away "Ye' have no idea what it's like!" her bleary, red rimmed eyes snapped.

"Well perhaps it is our duty to put a stop to it. Those are certainly steps I do not want to follow in." Holly shrugged herself off from the wall and approached Morohtar. "Be gentle..." she cautioned, unsure of how to progress. Lairiel had always been so composed in her company. Holly had no idea how to console her now. She was determined to find a way. Hitching up the skirt of her dress, she kneeled down on the floor beside Lairiel's head. "Come now..." she said softly. "You are amongst friends. Let us help you through this Lairiel."

Morohtar sighed faintly. "Ordinarily I would accept that you don't need help. But...the person I see before undeniably needs help." He looked to Holly briefly. "I know I don't know what it's like for you Lairiel, but why don't you help us to understand...maybe then we can help you get over what hurts you."

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Lairiel stood, swayed, then stomped to the door and yanked it open. "You can't help." her voice was suddenly clear. She was shaking. She needed to dull her senses, needed to be lost in that pit of a stupor where her memories seemed so distant...

Mariel paused in the doorway that led to the kitchen. Her expression was unreadable, except for the anger that tightened her lips. "Why did you even come back?" she hissed.

"I came back so they could be safe! So they could have what I never will!" Lairiel hurried onto the porch.

"Now just wait one minute!" Holly was quicker than Lairiel, she grabbed her arm and yanked her back inside. The door slammed shut, a further click announced that it was locked. "Sit down!" Holly's voice boomed. "I've had just about enough of your self pity Lairiel. It stops now." Holly's voice was thick with anger and frustration. "Yes he was the love of your life. Yes it hurt when he left. Does it not strike you that if that was the type of man that he was, that you were better off without him? Why are you letting one pig of a man ruin your future happiness?" At this point red sparks danced in Holly's hands and around her wrists. This didn't stop her. "The only person standing in the way of you getting what you want or what Morohtar and I have, is you Lairiel. For goodness sake, get a grip of yourself!"

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"Holly. Don't." Mariel laid a hand on Holly's shoulder and gripped it. "Don't you think she's had enough? If you try to force her, it will only make her resist you more. She has long years on you, and has lived through much. She is an old one, an immortal soul who won't die. She doesn't need more pain right now."

Lairiel glared at them, especially Mariel for revealing that she was immortal. She had not wanted anyone to know that bit of information.

Holly shrugged herself out of Mariel's grasp. "Fine," she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I can see I am of no help here. I'm just going to go for a walk." she murmured, approaching the door. She glanced to Lairiel. "Sorry for snapping...It's been a long day." With that she stepped outside, wrapping her cloak tight around her.

"Don't mind her," Morohtar frowned. "She's just tired. She doesn't mean what she says." Morohtar shook his head slightly. "Listen Lairiel, why don't you get some sleep? Get some rest, you know. Some time to yourself," he suggested soothingly.

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Mariel watched Holly, feeling a motherly instinct take over her feelings for the young girl. She glanced at Lairiel and scowled at the other woman, then went to the kitchen. She boiled water and made tea, then set four cups on a tray and filled them.

Lairiel slumped back onto the couch, her face a mixture of pain, exhaustion, and anger. Yet exhaustion ruled them all out.

Mariel swept past her, handed Morohtar a cup of tea, then went out on the porch, offering the steaming beverage to Holly.

Holly sat on the porch, her head in her hands. Her eyes were tightly closed as though wishing for sleep to take her, or blocking out a memory. With opened eyes, she stared up at the sky. Her thoughts were disturbed when the door opened behind her. She smiled softly to Mariel. "I'm sorry for...what happened in there." she looked down at the hands that had moments before carried red sparks. Cautiously she reached out for the tea. "Thank you."

Morohtar tugged the throw from the back of the love seat. "Sleep, Lairiel. It will help," he whispered before disappearing into the kitchen to give her space.

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"Tis Lairiel's fault. She causes everyone to snap at some point or another." she smile gently. "No worries."

Lairiel needed no more prompting. She settled down on the love seat, then closed her eyes. Sleep instantly took her. A rare look of peace was her expression as she slept.

"No," she sighed softly. "I take full responsibility for that one." She sipped her tea. "She is hurting...I was not understanding enough. I have probably just made things worse." She paused for a moment. "I just don't know how to help her. I know I cannot see her in pain any longer though."

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"She will be in pain for all eternity." Mariel shook her head. "I've lost hope that someone will ever be able to change her." she sat back in her chair, watching the sky. "You may not be able to change her or help her, but you can be a friend. Lairiel doesn't realize that she is hurting others because of her own problems, at least I don't think she does."