Bran Held His Voice Leve. "in Time,you

With Respect," Said Red, And His Voice Had Gone So Quiet People Hushed Each Other To Hear Him, "my Tale Is Yet Unfinished; You Should Hear Me Out. And It Is Her Answer I Have Come To Hear, Not Yours.

My World Was Changing, And I Was Not Ready For It.

I Should Have Realized, When Cathal Kissed Me In The Hallway, That My Response Was The First Raindrop Heralding A Storm.

I Had Grown Up. I Had Learned That Being A Woman Was Knowing When To Stand Firm And When To Compromise. I Had Learned To Laugh And Weep; I Had Learned That I Was Weak As Well As Strong. I Had Learned To Love. I Was No Longer A Rigid, Upright Tree That Would Not Flex And Bow, Even Though The Gale Threatened To Snap It In Two; I Was The Willow That Bends And Shivers And Sways, And Yet Remains Strong.

For Indeed You Have A Choice. You Can Flee And Hide, And Wait To Be Found. You Can Live Out Your Days In Terror, Without Meaning. Or You Can Take The Harder Choice, And You Can Save Them.