[Nurumaiel]

Adrama suddenly smiled widely as her mother’s hand grabbed her own and held it tightly. Tears of joy threatened to come to her eyes, so with her free hand she brushed her eyes quickly. The evening before it had seemed like their fight was the end of the world, but now her mother loved her again.

She lifted the skirt of her dress up to a little below her knees so she could walk more freely, but at her mother's disapproving look she let the skirt fall down to her ankles again. The skirt of the dress was dark blue and very flowing. The top was white and long-sleeved. There was a green leather jacket that was split in the center of the center with a long strip of leather crisscrossing over the white shirt up to the top of the jacket, which was a little below the collar of the shirt. Adrama had gone to have her hair fixed early that morning, and now long dark curls spilled down her back.

"Mother, you do look very lovely yourself," Adrama said softly. She hesitated a moment, then spoke again in a faltering voice. "I'm sorry about last night. I didn't know I would be gone so long. But I swear, Mother, I was doing nothing dishonorable."

Pelien made no answer, but slipped her arm around her daughter's waist. Adrama took this as a sign of agreement and reassurance, but the truth of the matter was Pelien was at a loss for words, because she didn't know if she could accept what Adrama had just told her.

As they went out onto the balcony, Adrama left her mother's side for a moment to look down at the street below. Her dark eyes fell upon Addruran, who was passing by, and a sorrowful sensation passed through her. "I miss him," she said, going back to her mother.

"Who?" Pelien asked, pulling out a chair for her daughter.

"Addruran." Adrama sighed wistfully and sat down. Her eyes were cast downwards, and she looked quite the picture of woe.

"He comes to see you all the time, but you always send him away."

Adrama didn't answer for awhile. Would her mother understand? "Well, you see, he's not the same anymore." And Pelien left it at that. They began their lunch.