Samandriel turned his head to meet Carrick's eyes. "You're wrong," he whispered, "for the truly ancient, to love is to breathe anew, to find meaning and purpose in a heart that still beats. To take the pain of loss and not let it weigh you down, but to remind you that you are still alive and there are still things in this world worth bending for. You are a child to me Carrick, a lonely, wounded young man still searching for his place in the world. Perhaps one day, you'll find it, and one day, we might actually be friends." He paused, swallowing, "but until you learn that loving is also letting go, not forgetting, but honoring those of the past who held your heart by not leaving yourself stuck in grief and pain...all you will know is misery and displacement."