Editing Lo'ren's Story (section)

===After the Concert===

Lo'ren climbed up a tree. The branches were perfect for a ten-year-old to climb. She was compelled to do it, no child faced with a tree like this would turn down the opportunity. She found a branch and settled herself.
She saw those Gold uniforms again and watched them. ~Starfleet... they are heroes. They helped us.~

Lo'ren had seen her father in the crowd as she sang. He had been proud of her, she could tell. She had kept her eyes on him most of the time, too nervous to look anywhere else. She had noted every time he had adjusted his glasses - an ancient device he prefered over the corrective procedures he could choose from for his distance vision. Momma had been very proud too, she had clapped the loudest as Lo'ren left the stage after their duet.

Lo'ren had enjoyed the musical portion of the evening, but when the conversations started, she found herself bored and had gone exploring when she discovered the tree she was now perched in. She sat back and listened to the Haren birds calling to each other. They sounded like the lullabies her mother sang to her. Lo'ren asked to be sung to every night, she loved the lullabies - a rare luxury, all too often missed during the Occupation. Now, Lo'ren asked, just so she could go to sleep feeling safe and knowing the Cardassians wouldn't come back.

"Lo'ren, come down." Her mother was at the base of the tree, looking up at her. "Come, I want you to meet Master Tesel."

Lo'ren clambered down the tree and followed her mother, off to meet a man who would become her guide and compatriot in passion for music.

[[Category: Character Notes]]