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With a turn of his body away from the past Allan began his journey south towards the herd lands that had taken in his daughter. Given her a home that he could not, love that he had not been able to do, a life that he would have loved to have given her himself. But time was not his friend in that aspect, and so Allan had to respect the fact that while she was his daughter, she was also a stranger. He didn’t even know her name yet, just knew that she existed and was in a powerful family herd that fiercely protected their own. Hopefully, they would accept him enough to let him have a relationship with her. Whatever she was okay with he would be okay with as well. There was no other option and he would honor whatever wishes she wanted and felt was best.
‘Everything is going to be okay,’ he told himself as he travelled, ‘I’m sure she’ll understand.’
What was she like? What was her favorite color? Her favorite snacks? Her favorite way to pass the time? Had she found love? Had children? Was he a grandfather now? A great grandfather even? So many questions, so few answers, but maybe, just maybe, she’d let him into her life and give him a chance to be the father he had always wanted to be. And if she had children? Be the grandfather he had always wanted to be too. The journey was long, sometimes rainy, sometimes windy, some days longer than others. But eventually, he made it to the edge of his daughter’s familial home. To this, he patiently waited under a large willow tree, allowing the light breeze to cool his skin, willing his nerves to calm down enough so he wouldn’t make a complete fool of himself.
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Why did he leave her?
Why was she alone?
What happened to split them apart?
“You okay, Lyra?” Zival’s voice broke Lyra out from her internal thoughts.
“Yeah, I’ll be okay.”
“Having second thoughts? You don’t have to meet him you know.”
She found her eyes closing as she sighed, feeling Zival climb up her neck and settling on the top of her head between her ears to look down at her, “No, he’s made his way all the way here. At the very least I should meet him, see what he’s like. Hear what he has to say.”
Zival hummed, “understandable, however, I wouldn’t blame you if you found it to be too much for now turned around.”
“No, no. Truly, I’m okay Zival. I’m just nervous.”
Zival settled back down and stayed silent then, leaving Lyra to her thoughts and feelings as they continued towards the edge of their herd’s territory. She knew her father had been told to meet her under the large willow near the river’s edge. There she would eventually come face to face with her past. And maybe her future? Lyra just wasn’t sure. Was there anger? Maybe? It had been so long she had no memories of that time. Should she feel angry? Should she not? What was appropriate? It was all so frustrating. Her gaze found the river then, it’s soft waves washing up on the rocks. As she followed the edge of it her eyes eventually landed on that large willow her sibling talked about, and the gray stallion standing under it. Lyra felt her throat constricting and the light pat of Zival’s comforting presence on her crown.
She could do this.