Heron Lake Plateau I'm staring down myself, counting up the years

She'd somehow managed to avoid crying this entire time, yet those seven words, out of the mouths of (her) babes, suddenly set off the waterworks. The tears fell fast and hard as Wildfire leaned back into Kiwi, sobs clawing their way up her throat and bursting from her mouth in ragged gasps. Her son had come here, threatened to kill her and her daughters, spat at her in shame... but none of that even compared to the agony of Kiwi having to worry about her own nomi coming here to end her life. That thought alone destroyed Wildfire.

Clutching now at her daughter, she took turns whispering, "I'm sorry," and, "I love you," against Kiwi's neck, dampened by her own tears. "I'm sorry you have to deal with any of this. It shouldn't matter, it shouldn't matter..." In a perfect world—or, hell, a world just slightly less imperfect than this one—Artaax and the others would come visit them from time to time and vice versa, just like Wildfire had always done with the Redhawks. And though she could never regret her relationship with Thuringwethil, the children they'd made together, all the memories... in this moment, Wildfire deeply regretted ever allowing any of her children to grow up in that wretched Drageda.