anywhere i would've followed you

To Ara, her father was perfection. She could not imagine in ever faulting, and even if he did, she would forgive him a thousand times over. It seemed impossible to her that he had flaws; that he was not some immortal creature that would exist forever. Even in his tired, aging state, he simply seemed unbreakable. Quietly she would snuggle closer to him, happy to feel his warmth at her side.

"It really is lovely there," she expressed happily. "There are flowers everywhere, dad! Marigold and lavender and so much dandelion." For many children, it simply would be a fun place to romp, but it meant so much more to her than that. Ara knew she would be spending some time there, but she also knew it would be a good place for her parents to go. Soothing, maybe; the air there was light and scented with flowers and plants, quite unlike the dry air here.

"What were the lands like in your pack, dad? When you met mom?" Had he lived in such a place? Or perhaps it had been in some deep, dark forest; or even on a mountain top! There were so many possibilities, and now that her father was growing visibly older, she wanted to know as much about him as possible.