nerifina always dreamed of finding love, but she didn't seek it out, and hoped instead that one day, it would come to her. and yet, when she finally found it, it was so unexpected that at first she didn't even notice it happening. when she first met the stoic ranger valygar, she thought him handsome but so reserved that she couldn't imagine it would be easy to get to know him, let alone anything else. and she was right, it wasn't. but as he opened up to her, she realized that every moment of the wait was worth it, that she found more behind his stoic exterior than she could ever have imagined. still, their romance was a difficult path, but she never gave up on it, and finally, she was rewarded with his confession and for a moment, everything was right in the world.
in the depths of the abyss, nerifina turned down godhood to be with the mortal man she loved, and he proposed to her on the spot, a proposal she joyfully and tearfully accepted. following their return to the mortal world, they were married in a beautiful and elegant yet simple ceremony, despite the disapproval of the elven elders. nerifina did not care, and their life together became quiet and serene, something they had both longed for during their months together on the road. for several years, they enjoyed country life, until their children were grown. they had two children, so it is said, a son and a daughter, neither of whom practiced the magic valygar so feared. their son took after his mother, delighting in the odd lock and intrigue, while their daughter took after her father, preferring the quiet woods and the company of animals. they raised them both with love and understanding, and their home was a happy one. once they were sure their children were able to look after themselves, they left the little cabin behind, travelling across the continent and even beyond, though it is not known what they found. some say they found valygar's family in distant lands, and that they found peace there.
as the years passed and the autumn of valygar's life turned to winter, the couple disappeared, to spend the last of their days together, cherishing the love they still shared so many years later. when nerifina returned, she was alone, and no one but her and perhaps their children know where valygar rests, and it is certainly not a secret she will share.
for many years, nerifina was alone, wandering aimlessly and purposelessly, returning only briefly to spend time with her children and their descendants, or the occasional old travelling companion, until eventually, she found love again with an elven lord who ended her long years of loneliness. she fell in love again, and she honored valygar's memory all her days by embracing the chance to live on as he would have wanted her to, never forgetting him or the love they shared. despite the two of them staying together until the end of both their years, it is her love with the human ranger, and their marriage and the legacy of their children, that is the most remembered by the bards and the stories they tell.
