She may look softer now than she once did, motherhood leaving its mark on her figure in good ways and bad...  Mostly good, as the spirit of Phoenix obligingly smooths away all evidence of the bad.  Her eyes are kind now most of the time, the voices of her children see to that.  There's still fire in her eyes at times, burning dark with the memories of the past, or... brightly with thoughts of her husband.

Somaril's memory has dulled with time, bittersweet now most days, their daughter Clara so very much her father's daughter, even if she calls another man "dad".  At least Diyin was a friend to him, a brother-in-arms at the last moments.  It reassures Melissa to think he'd approve.  The pair of them still plan to make Iztrielador suffer immensely for the loss, and then kill her permanently, but that endeavor is beyond Melissa's understanding.  Diyin will find the door, and she'll kick it down with him.

Looking out over the city from the top of a watchtower, she sets her eyes on the river docks, but her brother's sails aren't there.  The streets are bustling near there anyway, other ships bringing goods and taking them away.  A trio of tiny figures brings a smile to her lips, her mother haggling while her father sneaks little Vaianna a sugar-drop.  "Grandpa spoils you, doesn't he."

None of her family are from Hartvale, but now all are of Hartvale, and it's been good to them.  All of them really, many other survivors of that battle settled here too, started their own families.  Trades among old comrades in arms are now measured in child-minding instead of choice rations.

---

Children
Clara: Her eldest daughter is halfelven, from Somaril.

• Nine years old, born almost exactly a year after The Battle.  (Gestation time for half elves is one year, whether the mother is human or elven)
  
• Training to be a Swordsage, learning from her adoptive father Diyin.

YueLaohu: A son, and her first child by Diyin.

• Seven years old.
  
• Dark hair and yellow eyes like his father, but with Melissa's nose.
  

Vaianna: Her youngest daughter

• Six years old
  
• inhereted Melissa's red hair, and the redhead temper.
  
• Learning lockpicking and other such skills from Leta.
  
• Hates having her fingernails trimmed, despite not actually having claws yet.

Siella: Her youngest child

• Five years old.
  
• not yet getting into quite as much trouble... except when tagging along with her older siblings.