I am running through the tangled web of the forest, trying in vain to avoid the roots that stretch out to trip me.  I must protect the precious bundle in my arms.  I must find the Lady of the Forests.

The babe lets out a faint wail, and I hold her closer to me.  "It's okay, Tanya.  Mother's got you, and you're safe.  I promise."

My body hurts, both from the struggle of birthing and the haste of my escape.  Will I ever be able to rest again?

"Avania," a gentle feminine voice calls, light as the breeze, and I feel my heart spring towards the sound of it.  "My child, why do you come in such haste?"

From the shadows of the trees steps a woman dressed in a flowing dress that matches the foliage about her.  With her deep auburn hair framing her face, she stretches a delicate hand out to me.

"My lady," I say, inclining my head, "I have come to see what the fate of my child will be.  For it is said that you hold all the wisdom of the world within these forests, and I fear for her.  Merely a week ago, her father, my husband, was attacked and killed by the enemies that crawl these once sacred lands.

"Within the blood of this child lies the last of her father, he who was great among the mortal kings.  If our enemies find her, they will kill her, and I know not how to hide her."

The Lady of the Forests reaches for my child, and I relinquish my hold on Tanya, watching anxiously as her ageless face studies my daughter's newborn one.

"You have given life to the last of the great kingdom of Pleria," she whispers.  "Her lifespan, as she is now, will only be two years before she leaves this world."

A sob escapes my throat, and I press a fist against my mouth as I stare at my daughter, the child who has only lived five days.  "My lady, is there nothing that can be done?"

Sea-colored eyes find mine, and I see the glow that makes many believe Lady Miliphrene is a star fallen from the heavens.  "I can save your daughter."

"You can?" I gasp out, my knees weakening with relief.

"However," she continues, running a hand lightly over Tanya's head, "it will be a long road for her.  Many days, she shall feel abandoned and alone.  Many years, she shall live and die, hoping to find answers.  The road shall be painful and coated with blood."

My next words are stuck to my tongue, but I manage to choke out, "You mean to make her immortal?"

Her eyes meet mine again, and this time, I'm struck by the ages and the pain within the orbs.  "Yes, I mean to make her immortal.  And send her to another realm where they will never find her."

"My baby," I mutter, reaching for her.  "Oh, my poor baby."

Innocent light violet eyes stare up at me, and I watch as a spot of wetness appears on her cheek.  Tanya scrunches up her face as if to wail, but she sneezes lightly instead.

Five days is all I've gotten to hold this precious daughter, and now I must choose if I will give her up or let her die.  Sentence her to a life of loneliness or a life of briefness.

"Save my daughter," I manage to choke out as I kiss her soft forehead one last time and hand her to Lady Miliphrene.  "Allow my kingdom to live on within her."

She takes her carefully and whispers in a lilting voice, "I bless you with immortality."

Through the blurry film of tears, I see the shimmering form of the Lady of the Forests lean down and kiss my babe's forehead.

Tanya wails in pain, and I feel my heart start to break when I realize this will be the last time I ever gaze at my daughter.

"I'm sorry, little one. One day, you'll understand."

A blinding light starts to form around the two, and I shut my eyes, feeling my tears tumble down my cheeks.

When I open them again, the bundle with her arms is gone.

With a strangled cry, I fall to my knees and weep for the loss of the last bit of my husband.  I cry for my abandoned daughter, who will never know me.

"I'm sorry, Avania," Miliphrene whispers, and her arms encase me in an embrace.  "I fear that the pain shall never fade.  It will only dull with time."

"Was it the only way to save her?" I ask, struggling to not start sobbing again.

She sighs, and now, I am gazing into the eyes of a mother who has lost nearly all her children to the war.  "It was.  It was the only way."

Even with that knowledge, the loss sears my heart.

"Goodbye, my little Tanya.  I will love you until my last breath.  You'll never know it though," I mutter to the trees before succumbing to my tears once more.