Whitefish River the hamiltons move uptown

For all the agony that Dragomir was suffering through, it was hard to watch Vercingetorix suffer, too. His abduction had rattled many things about him that were fundamental to his character—no doubt he would be changed when all was said and done—but Dragomir's empathy, which had little cause to show itself before now, would remain intact. The tears that dripped down his snout were as much for his father's evident pain as for his own hurts. What anger Dragomir had held toward Vercingetorix before seemed trivial now.

Ditto Aurëwen. It was perhaps too much to say that all would be forgotten, but this event was enough for him to forgive his parents their follies. He could have died. He might never have seen them again. In his moment of clarity, Dragomir recognized that losing them was the worst thing that could ever happen.

Ai hod yu in, he repeated, sniffling into the crook of one forearm and wincing as pain lanced through the side of his face. The assurances helped. He seemed permanently suspended somewhere between losing his mind with fear and being detached from himself, so assurances and real shows of emotion helped him keep his wits about him. It was a rare, quiet moment today where Dragomir was neither plagued by frightful memories or withdrawn into himself; it wouldn't last long, so he cherished it by stretching his neck toward his father and placing his jaw tenderly upon the ground.

You can't promise that, he said regretfully. No one could promise something like that. He would have believed it before, but now he couldn't. Sanguinus had tricked him and no amount of preparation on his parents' part could have stopped what happened. Just stay, Dragomir pleaded. Don't leave me again.