Edovan was sure he had died and gone to paradise. Not Sovngarde, that old school Nord concept of the afterlife for brave and valiant warriors, who feast forever in a giant mead hall with the heroes of olde. No, this was his own PERSONAL paradise, and he knew it was, because he was in Yagaritte’s bed, and she was was with him. Well, more like wrapped around him. They were naked and lying on their sides, facing each other, completely entwined, not in an active, aggressive sexual manner, but in a blissful, lazy, post-coital, afterglow kind of manner. Technically Edovan had never even had actual sex yet… but it was clear to him that in this paradise, they had.  

His leg was again trapped between her thighs, her slick, warm sex pressed against his skin. Her right leg was wrapped around his pulling him to her. Her arms were squeezing him tight and his face was nestled in that perfect mid space of maximum deepness in the valley between her breasts as her left arm cradled him from behind supporting him so he would not slip from between them. Her right arm was wrapped around his shoulder and she was gently stroking his hair as she clutched him to herself tenderly.  It was a perfect moment… in a perfect place, and he never ever ever wanted it to end. 

So, of course, it did.

Not all at once… first she rolled over on top of him, not crushing him, but gently burying him underneath her much larger frame. But then her pressure on him began to decrease… he felt less and less of her weight, until he realized that she was herself weightless, and rapidly drifting upward and away from him.  He tried to hold on to her, but her arms were stiff and unresponsive, and she kept rising till she was out of his reach. And he wanted to sit up but he couldn’t for some reason and he cried out to her, ”Why… why are you leaving me?!” and she kept rising and he could see an open doorway of pitch blackness behind her and she kept rising toward it and then she said, “Because I am not here.” and vanished into the blackness.  Suddenly the window to her room burst open and a howling cold wind blew in and chilled him to the bone, and yet he still could not move.  He just lay there, shivering.

And then someone started poking him in the face.

* * * * *

That part, at least, was real.  Someone was poking him in the face… with a stick.  He opened his bleary eyes, and then felt the freezing wind across his skin. Okay, apparently that part was real, too.  He looked up, scrunching his eyes  A very short and heavy Nord woman with white hair and a face like a shriveled potato (who had to be at least three times as old as Margara), was on the other end of the stick. She poked him again.

“I think that's enough sleep for you, golden boy.  Up and at ‘em,”  her voice sounded a lot like a guar... deep, gravelly, and more resonant than a woman that size should have, like she was bigger on the inside somehow than the outside. And possibly filled with rocks.

Edovan sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. He wrapped himself with his arms, shivering.  

“If you are so cold why did you open your window?” the woman inquired, and then made a little exasperated sigh.  “Oh, here, let me go close it for you since you can’t make up your mind...”

She walked… waddled really... over to the large double window and swung shut both of the heavy wooden shutters which were covered with thick horker skin on the outside, then fastened the latch. The room was still cold, but at least he wasn’t contending with the northern winds any more.  

“How you feelin?” She said as she turned back to him.

Edovan took a quick physical inventory, moved and stretched, tested his bones and muscles. Nothing hurt. He reached up to the side of his head to feel the gash but it, too, was gone.

“I feel pretty good actually. You must be a miracle worker!” he exclaimed.

The old woman waddled over to him and pushed his head to one side with her walking stick without any warning. Then she poked him where his broken rib should be. He winced in anticipation, but nothing hurt, other than the stick being jabbed in his ribs.  Lastly she aimed her cane at his nose and Edovan deflected it quickly with an arm, pulling his head head back out of the stick’s reach.

“My nose is fine… trust me. Doesn’t hurt at all,” he assured her.

The old woman peered at him as if he was trying to trick her, or at the very least deprive her of the fun of poking him in the nose with a stick.

“Yeah, yer damn right I am.  A miracle worker every day around here. But not for you. They said you were pretty bad, but by the time I made my second round you had started to heal on your own.” She continued, “ I don’t use magic... no gods or healing words.  Just good old fashioned medicine, potions, salves, and poultices.  Takes longer, mind you, but gets the job done. I just figgered you still had some mojo goin’ from that three ring circus you called a fight, hah!” she shouted, rapping her stick on the floor for emphasis..

“How long have I been asleep?”  Edovan queried.

“You? “ The old woman answered as she moved about the room straightening things, righting a chair that had fallen over by the window, rehanging a painting that had fallen off the wall next to the window.  “Since noon yesterday, when you got your beak bashed by that young zerk’s snapper.”

Edovan flushed bright red at the memory… which was now coming back to him… in extreme close up AND slow motion. To be honest he was more than a little grateful he had been knocked unconscious after that unforeseen turn of events.  He didn’t know how he would even face her now, or everyone else for that matter. 

“I feel bad for her. She must really hate me now.”

“Oh you think so, huh?  From what I heard she LIKED you a little TOO much...” the old woman said, cackling to herself.  “Speaking of…  did you see her here in your room before I came up here?”

Edovan blinked twice at the outrageousness of the thought.

“No, I just woke up. And the fact I’m still alive makes me think she couldn’t possibly have been in  here, because she would definitely have smothered me with a p-”    

He let that sentence die a merciful early death, but it was too late.

“Ohohohhohoho… ahahaa… ehehehe!” The old woman tried to stifle a cough, brought on by her cackling. “Oh she’ll  smother you alright... ahahahaha.   You are funny one! I’ll give you that!  But I don’t think she hates you.  She’s been asking about your condition every hour or so.  The reason I asked you if you had seen her is because she saw me carrying your things up to you a half hour ago and offered to carry them up herself.  And I KNOW she was here, because there are your things.”  

She pointed with her walking stick at a bundle of furs, clothing and boots wrapped with red cord that was laying on the floor at the foot of his bed.  The old woman was right... Utha HAD been here. But where was she now?

The old woman interrupted that train of thought quickly.

“So anyway, this isn’t a social calI.  I got orders. From the boss lady herself,” she said sternly.  “You are supposed to pack your shit and go. Post haste. Out with you. Get thee gone!” She motioned to the door with her cane. “Big man wants to see you out, so he will be waiting downstairs.  I don’t want the world clomping around in my infirmary.”

And with that, the strange little woman waddled out the door.

Edovan’s face went numb. He couldn’t breathe.  It felt like the world was spinning.

It couldn’t be. He had survived!  That had to count for something, right?  Staan had told him that didn’t have to win… he just had to make a good show of it.  He’d only won one round, though. And the other two defeats were pretty decisive.  Ultimately it was up to the Commander.  And honestly after the mess he had caused yesterday, he could see her taking any excuse available to get rid of him.

This was awful.  Nearly every good thing that was happening to his life recently hinged on him being accepted to this fighter’s guild.  Now he wouldn’t be able to pay next month’s rent to Margara, he wouldn’t get to hang out with Staan… and worst of all, he had proven himself unworthy of the faith put in him by the woman he loved.  He wanted to just run to the ocean and chuck himself off the pier.

He wouldn’t do that, of course.  But didn’t know what he would do, either, honestly.  The thought of leaving everyone and all his new friends made his blood freeze.  His brain couldn't process it.  The only thing he COULD think to do was take his stuff and get out like they said. He would go back to the Boar and talk to Margara. She might know what to do.  Hell, with this effect he was having on women, maybe she should have HIM whore. 

He reached down and grabbed the huge bundle and hauled it up onto the bed. There were two sets of clothes. On top was his newly repaired suit and oversize coat and boots that he had walked in here with. But underneath that was clothing and gear he had never seen before. There was an immaculately tailored matching dark brown seal leather jacket and pants, which was lined with seal fur on the inside for added insulation. Also a pair of hard leather boots with fur linings, and a large cloak-coat combination garment riddled with pockets and a slit at the top… perfect for a staff to fit through. Out of curiosity, he tried on the jacket. Not only was it a perfect fit, but the shoulders and arms were sewn in such a way that gave him free range of movement.  

Edovan had seen this kind of of custom mage wear before, and it was not cheap.  Whoever had paid for these... had his full measurements, had had them custom tailored, and by a tailor who knew how to sew for a combat mage.  They had to be a further gift from Yagaritte, a congratulations gift that he had failed to earn.  His heart clenched. He knew they couldn't return them. There weren’t a lot of Bosmer mages in the world to begin with, let alone any under five foot tall.  And there certainly weren’t any others here on THIS island.  His only hope was to try to freelance (the gear would help) and maybe he could pay her back? Worse come to worst he could fall back on working at the Boar.  Or maybe he could take Mint’s place? He was old, right? Had to retire some day.

He put on his old clothes and bundled up the rest carefully with the red cord. Then he grabbed his staff from where it was leaning against the wall, slung it on his back, and headed downstairs to say his goodbyes.

His room appeared to be one of many leading off of a long hallway that looked like it ran the length of the building. He wasn’t the only one up there.  He glimpsed Baryk through one of the open doorways, who looked every bit as bad as Staan had described, and possibly worse. Lying unconscious and bandaged almost from head to toe, he looked positively ancient. But IF he ever recovered, at least he would have his place in this guild.  That was more than Edovan could say.

He found the stairs at the end, and as he rounded them he could hear a huge commotion coming from below.

“You hussies are not gonna turn my infirmary into another Horny Boar!  Now go away before I send for the Commander!”, squawked a gravelly voice that could only be the old woman.

At the bottom of the stairs Edovan could see about fifteen feet of stone floor, and then a large set of double doors set into the wall, one of which was cracked open with Staan leaning his back against it, trying to hold it closed... with considerable effort. The potato woman was down there too, jabbing at someone on the other side with her stick, and several hands could be seen protruding through the door along the edges of it, both on the side and on the top. She jabbed savagely several times, then slapped the invading hands one by one with the end of her cane, each one retreating as it was struck, with a curse and female yelp coming from the other side of the door.

“NOW!” she shouted at Staan, who, with a big grin, gave a strong final shove, closing the door flush, with nobody losing limb or appendage in the gap. The old woman used her cane to strike a latch which was holding a huge wooden timber, that was being held at a 70 degree angle. Staan barely managed to jump clear as the huge hunk of wood slammed into metal slots in both doors, effectively barring them closed to anything short of a large battering ram or a full on siege tower assault.

“Finally. Some peace and quiet!” she said over-loudly as she waddled off to the left into the room out of his field of view.

Edovan continued his slow, grim descent, one step at a time. He was in no hurry. Staan dusted off his hands, stretched his muscles, and then happened to look up and see Edovan coming down. His face instantly split into its customary huge grin upon seeing his little friend, which was very confusing for Edovan. He thought they had gotten rather close in the short time they’d known each other… he would have sworn that Staan, of all people at the guild, would be sad about his predicament, or at least have some sympathy. Yet here he was, beaming at Edovan as if he couldn’t be happier.

“Eddo... there you are! You’re late! We gotta get you outta here, clock’s tickin’!”  he cried joyously. With that, he hurried over to Edovan, but stopped short, looking up at him quizzically, partially up the stairs. “Hey, why aren’t you dressed?”

Now Edovan was really confused.

“I am dressed?” he said, very much puzzled  “I’m wearing exactly what I had on when I came here,” he said, looking down at himself.

“Nononoo… that stuff yer carrying...” Staan pointed at the bundle of expensive gear. “You’re supposed to be wearing all of that. It’s gonna be cold where you are going. You’re gonna need it.”

He gently turned Edovan around and prodded him back up the stairs, all while Edovan wore a quizzical look upon his face..

“The client gave very specific instructions that you are to be wearing that gear when you go to meet them!”

Edovan was not moving, despite the very convincing urging from the big man behind him. Somewhere, inside his big brain, logical brain was trying to work out the pieces of this puzzle.

“Wait… what client?” he stammered.  “I thought I got kicked out for failing the challenge?”

“HA!” The potato lady cackled from her side of the room.  It was one of the biggest alchemical stations that Edovan had ever seen

The big man tilted his blonde head.  Now he looked confused. “What?  No. Of course not.  Why in Oblivion would you think that?”

Edovan didn’t say a word, but his eyes unconsciously shifted toward the old woman who was intensely puttering away with tubes and beakers. Staan caught the glance and looked in her direction as well.

“Majj!  What did you do!?!” he said accusingly.

The old woman ignored them both for a few seconds, but they both continued to stare at her until she looked up, exasperatedly.

“Whaaat?  I just told him what the commander said,” she answered, resuming her work at the station, swirling some blue liquid around in a beaker while holding it up to the light.

The look on Staan’s face showed he wasn’t buying it. His visage became surprisingly stern.

“Majj… what did you say to him?  Your. Exact. Words.” Staan said with a sudden air of authority. “Don’t make me pull rank on you.“

It occurred then to Edovan he didn’t even know the guild rank structure, though he had to imagine Staan was pretty high up to outrank the lady in charge of the infirmary

She put down the beaker she was holding and looked up at them sullenly from under her eyelids, with her head tilted toward  them.

“Whaaaat? Just said what she said. He needed to pack his shit and go. Not my fault that the rookie took it the wrong way.”  

She ignored them both again and  went back to her blue beaker. Now she was tapping it lightly against a shelf like she was trying to shake something out of it.

“Oh for the love of Mara. That’s not what she said at all! She said to make sure he took all his gear and got out of here by a half hour till sunrise. The client gave express orders that they are to meet at sunrise!”

Staan turned back toward Edovan, looking as apologetic as possible. “I’m sorry, Eddo.  Majj may be great at healing people, but she’s not so good at peopling.  Anyway, we don’t have time for this.  We have to get you dressed and on the road, or the Commander will have both our hides!”

Eodovan started to move slowly, despite Staan’s big hands on his shoulders.

“So I’m in?  I get to stay?” The fires of hope had started to burn in his heart again, but he wanted to be sure before he threw wide the doors and started his internal celebration.

“Are you kidding me? You knocked Mountains on her ASS.  Nobody has ever done that before, since she started her challenges!  Hahahaha!” He started to clap Edovan hard on the back as they climbed the stairs together, but caught himself and changed it to a solid pat on the back.

“And she totally cheated with that shield.  Nobody even knows where it came from, and she isn’t saying. But it’s not like whatever that weird metal was is lying around everywhere, right?  If she hadn’t had that, you would have fried her the second round, game over.” Staan sounded almost giddy at the thought of it.

They topped the stairs, and stopped outside the room Edovan had been given. Staan pointed to the open doorway.

“Go change. I’m gonna go check on Baryk real quick. Holler at me when you are ready.”

And with that, he turned and headed down the hall, chuckling to himself.

Edovan had to stop and take a  few deep breaths.  It was a bit much to take in. In the last ten minutes he’d been in bed with Yagaritte, found out that wasn’t real, been poked in the face by a mean potato, kicked out of the guild, found out that wasn’t true either, and now he was supposed to be putting on the nicest gear he’d ever seen and going to meet his mystery client on his first guild mission.  Was THIS real?  Was it another dream? He kept expecting to wake up back at the Boar and be told he had laundry duty and find out all of this so far was a dream.  Well, if it was, it was good one right now. He better make the most of it!

Just a few minutes later he and Staan headed downstairs with a now fully outfitted Edovan,  there were also fine deerskin fingerless gloves with cold resistance enchantments, well actually pretty much everything had cold resistance enchantments, but hey, fingerless!  The best thing though was the big hooded coat cloak combo,  which was surprisingly light and moveable for its size.  Edovan had mistakenly thought that it had slot for his staff to slide through. What he found when he examined it closer is that it was a pocket, specially made to hold his staff, perfectly measured for its length.

They stopped in front of the barred doors downstairs.  Staan started to reach for the large timber. Majj was still playing with her beakers and burners.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you...” she said nonchalantly  and went back to swizzling some murky green glop into a dark red glop that looked like blood, if blood were boiling and chunky.

Staan pointed to the door,  she shook her head in a back and forth motion looking while looking straight at him. He pointed upstairs and she nodded and gave him a thumbs up.  “

“Ok Eddo, I don’t suppose you have anything to make us fly?..or even just make us float for a bit?” Staan asked, only half seriously.

“Why? “ Edovan asked.

Because I think Majj wants us to go out a window.

* * * * *

They had gotten out of the window in Edovan’s room easily enough. Fortunately it opened on to the roof of the lower floor.  Unfortunately, the lower floor was apparently just shy of 20 feet tall and that was way further than either Edovan or Staan wanted to drop to reach the ground on the side of the infirmary.  Edovan knew that levitation was a real thing, though a much higher level spell, but much to Staan’s disappointment he didn’t know it.   Also fortunately , so far they hadn’t drawn attention from  the huge crowd of women that was still milling about the doors on the front of the building. 

They were both somewhere between just jumping and hoping for the best and giving up and climbing back in the window when the top of a ladder suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the side of the building.  Edovan walked over and peered down.  There was a tiny redguard girl with bushy dark silver hair. Well, tiny wasn’t fair.  She was still bigger than him by at least a foot, but she was not a giant twice his size like everyone else seemed to be around here.  

She waved up at him and then “Shhhhhhh”ed him loudly with her finger to her lips like she suddenly realized they were not supposed to be noticed.

Edovan whispered to Staan, “I think she’s here to help”

Stan walked over and looked down and waved and smiled.

“Oh, hey Kiki!  Did the Comman--”  He cut off mid sentence as both the redguard and the bosmer “shhhhhhhhh”d him forcefully.  

“Woops sorry.” Stan continued in a low whisper. “Did the Commander send you to help us?”

“Yesssssss” she whisper-yelled up at them both, motioning them to come down.  

Edovan slipped down the ladder quickly,  his bosmer ancestry working to his advantage for once. Staan was a different story, gingerly placing his huge hands and feet on each rung as he painstakingly descended.  They both waited for him patiently at the bottom.  Edovan was kind of enjoying standing next to someone  he could almost see face to face.  Kiki was a good head taller than him, but only a head, as opposed to a neck, chest, belly and.. other things.  She was very striking for a redguard, with chestnut  skin and big violet eyes. Her long bushy hair was her most striking feature. It had appeared silverish at a distance, but up close he could see the shock of white that run through the middle and also how the silver strands darkened at the ends to almost black. Along with her somewhat pointed face and her large eyes it gave her an exotic almost animal like appearance.   Kiki noticed him looking at her as Staan reached the halfway point

“Oh no.. is..is something wrong?  I have something on my face don’t I! AUUGGHGH”  She let go of the ladder and starting furiously wiping at her face with the sleeves of her deer leather jacket.  The ladder, which had been placed a bit close to the building in order to reach all the way to the roof, began to teeter backwards.

“Um.. guys? The ladder..” Staan said looking a little white.

“No..no.. There’s nothing on your face.” Edovan tried to reassure her,    “I’m just.. It’s nice to meet someone I can see face to face and not face to ..well, you know.”

The unattended ladder was starting to lean to one side now as well.

“Face to what?” A look of sudden recognition dawned on her face.   “Ohhhhh..  Ahaha you don’t like staring at nord crotch.” she said grinning as she looked up directly at Staan’s and licked her lips.

.

Staan was clinging to the ladder, his knuckles turning white, he was gripping it so hard.  It began to fall both left and backward at the same time.  “Guys?  A little help?

Edovan almost choked at her answer, “No..I mean..” he stammered for words.  It was not what he expected her to say at all.  That’s when he noticed the ladder listing dangerously to the left.

“Staan!”, he called out in alarm as it started to topple.  Kikki shot out a single slender hand and caught the ladder, effortlessly pushing it back upright  and against the wall, her large violet eyes never leaving Edovan’s now beet red face.  Staan hurriedly descended another 3 rungs and then stepped off the ladder and dropped the last 4 feet to the ground.  He looked very relieved to be back on the ground.  Edovan was very relieved to start a new topic of conversation.

“Staan.. Are you afraid of heights?”  he asked credulously. 

Kiki took the empty ladder and laid it over easily on its side and then picked it up at the middle point with one hand and started to walk away with it.  “No, not heights” she casually tossed over her shoulder.  “He’s scared of ladders.”  she said and walked off across the yard, hoisting the ladder from it’s low position to her shoulder with a single upward yank.

“Long story,” Staan said.  “And we don’t have the time. We gotta get you on the road!”   

He reached out a big hand to herd Edovan along the outer wall till they made it to the other side of the large elegant headquarters tower.  One there they slunk through the smithy area,  The large orc over the forge barely grunting at them in acknowledgment as they passed through.  Then down to the sparring yard and hurrying toward the big gate.  Staan pressed a large scroll  into Edovan’s hands.

“Your client marked this map for you. You are supposed to meet them at the exactly the spot on the map at precisely when the sun rises over the city.  That’s not far now.. So you gotta go!”

He started to push Edovan toward the portcullis, but then suddenly dropped to one knee and wrapped the little bosmer in his bulging arms.  

“You’re gonna do great Edo! I’m proud to have you as a guild brother!  Be safe!’ he said and then stood back up quickly and rubbed his eye. 

Edovan wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn the huge nord was trying not to cry?   Today had been such a strange day he thought to himself as he hurried across the first the long wooden drawbridge and then the dwemer stone bridge back down to the city below.  His mystery client was waiting. It had to be someone important for them to go to all this trouble.  Someone with ties to the guild, or someone who knew Margara perhaps?  He’d been specifically requested for this job, so he knew they needed a mage, or possibly someone who could read dwemer runes? Yagaritte had to have put in the good word for him. She must have told the client about him and convinced them to ask for him specifically as a way to get him in the guild with no challenge.  Well, that had almost worked out.   

He thought of Mountains as he hurried down into the city proper following the landmarks on his map. Had she really asked about him? Why would she suddenly care?  No doubt she wanted another chance at him maybe?  A chance to prove she was the better combattant or just a chance to pay him back for her humiliating and unorthodox victory? Some mysteries would have to wait till he got back.  The sun would be coming up soon and he had to make it before that moment.  “An hour early is better than one minute late ” his father had always said.  An hour early  was out of the question at this point. Maybe he could manage a few minutes?  The sky was starting to turn pink.  It was going to be a rare clear sunny day on the island with no snow,  a perfect day to start his new career with a new  adventure!

He found the little shop He’d first met Yagaritte in there on the corner  That was his next to last marker on his map. . It was dark inside and the door was still barred for the night, but it didn’t stop Edovan from taking a few seconds to stand on his tiptoes  to peer inside through the little window in the door.  There was the table where it had all started.  He could hear her mesmerizing melodious laugh again in his mind as clear as if she were right in front of him. He could see her smile.. the curly wisp of strawberry blonde hair that always stubbornly dangled down across her face.  

And suddenly it hit him, hard.  He missed her.  He missed her terribly.  She was the reason he was doing any of this at all, not just the one who had made it possible, but the motivation to see it through.  One thought had shown like a lighthouse in his mind this entire time. That she would be there. at the end of it all, waiting for him.  When he returned from his adventure, his client happy with his work, she would be waiting, to hear his grand tales, to celebrate his success.  To look at him and be proud for once, not that awful look of disgust that was literally his last image of her as she carried him to her door and tossed him into the hall, and out of her life.

The sun was rising for sure.  The sky turning from pink to orange to gold over the many cliffs and bluffs to the east. He looked at the final map marker.  He was almost there. He hurried around a corner  and stopped dead in his tracks.  This.. This was the wall.  The very wall she had pinned him against when she thought he had stolen her herbs.  He heard her low husky voice again in his head.

“What's the matter little mouse?  Don’t you find me attractive? Don’t you like my breasts?”

He smiled a bit at the memory.  Even then she had him pegged. Though, as much as he loved the beautiful curves of her body, his answer had not changed.  The reason he had followed her that day..was her laugh. At that moment the sun’s first rays streamed down from the cliffs and bathed  the wall in amber light.  It was time!  He turned and looked toward the dawn, shading his eyes with his hand.  And then he saw his client.

Statuesque, beautiful, strong. The rising  sun struck her coppery hair and made it shine as bright as any precious jewel. Her raw, primal beauty was every bit as strong as that first evening.  She was dressed differently, much warmer, but she was still leaning against the outside of the clothier’s shop, her familiar satchel at her feet, steam rising from the hot fish wrap in her hands as she took huge gulping bites from it.  She looked at him and winked and took another bite, wiping sauce from her chin, and she laughed, that low melodious laugh that made him feel warm inside.  He knew of course before she laughed,  but he had stood frozen in place until that moment, unable to believe that it was actually her, that she wasn’t just a vivid memory..

He dropped his map and sprinted for her as fast as his little legs would go.. And as he neared her he leapt into the air.  She had no choice but to drop her food and catch him up out of the air, clasping him to her bosom.  He wrapped his tiny arms around her neck and shoulders, holding her tight, his little body heaving as he sobbed jaggedly on her chest,  his face buried in the hollow of her neck under her chin.  She held him like that for several seconds in wonder, his feet dangling far off the ground as she squeezed him.

“Whoah hey..  Shhh.. shhhh. shhhh. It’s ok..it’s  ok.  I’m here.  I’m... here.” she said gently, her own voice starting to catch in her throat at his outpouring of emotion.

She patted him gently on his back and rubbed his shoulders till his sobbing quieted to occasional sniffles.  

“Missed me, did you?”  she said chuckling as she used a free finger to rub at her own eyes.  He nodded his head against her vigorously, but didn’t say anything.  She reached down and lifted his little chin up with the same finger to turn his tearstained face towards her.  Then she lightly touched her finger to the tip of his nose with a little pat.

“I’m sorry Little Mouse.  It was mean of me to hide myself away from you for so long.  I just wanted everything to be perfect for you when you got here. If I’d known you missed me that badly..well.. I’d have done something differently.” She paused and thought for a bit, and then continued, chuckling.  “Not sure what exactly, but I would have thought of something.  I only have one question.  Did you really not know the client was me? I really wanted it to be a surprise, but you are so clever, I was afraid you would figure it out.”

Edovan was sure her eyes had never been that blue before. He gazed up at them in adoration and finally spoke.

“I don’t think I ever really KNEW..… but..  deep down inside, in my heart... I’d always hoped?”

He threw himself against her again..lying his head on her chest  and pulling himself to her so tight he almost couldn’t breath.

“ I think.. I think we are supposed to be together somehow...  As friends..partners, maybe more.. I don’t know. I just feel like my whole life has been about getting me here to you.  My.. “  he started to say something about his parents dying.  But something stopped him.  He didn’t want anything bad  to happen to her.  “My family..everything that has happened to me so far..I feel like as terrible as it was… and as much as I wish it had never happened..  I feel like it will all be ok as long as I am with you.”

“Well then,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, that same mischievous twinkle she always got when she was thinking of something particularly naughty, “I guess I better never let you out of my sight then!  Hope you don’t mind sharing sleeping bags!”

She laughed again as he blushed as she knew he would.  But then bit her lip, because she also knew she wasn’t joking.  She needed him fully energized and alert for this job of course, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun with him  along the way.  The journey was long, and the weather would be brutally cold. There would be plenty of opportunities for shenanigans on this job.  Besides as she always reminded herself, as much as the thought of doing things to her little wood elf friend got her excited, if she had to be honest with herself, in the end, she just really loved teasing him!