Elven Roses

"So you were certain about what you had to do from the start," Aldrec said, nodding his head. "I wish it was that certain for me."

For a long moment, Garen stared at him. To Aldrec, it seemed like he was peering at his innards.

"By the Divine, you've got it bad for her!" He said, with a delighted bark. "She's single and available! If you're really so serious about her, then just do what I did: swallow your fears come clean. The worst she can do is turn you down!"

"You're right about that," Aldrec said. "It is the worst thing she can do."

"Don't tell me you're one of those hopeless romantic, 'I'm-gonna-die-if-she-doesn't-love-me-back' kind of folks," Garen warned, squinting his eyes. "That's not exactly a healthy state of mind, especially for an elf. I know just how passionate your kind can be in matters of the heart."

"It's not that, my friend," Aldrec said, waving off his comment. "It's just that … well … I'm an elf of complex means. It may seem that the problem is a simple one, but there's far more to it than you know."

"Do you love her?" Garen asked, his speech not one bit slurred by ale.

Aldrec said nothing, only sat there. An uncomfortable look was on his face. He mouthed out silent beginnings of words, indecisively shifting his eyes back and forth.

"Do … you … love … her?" Garen repeated, spacing out his words with a stern cadence.

"Yes …" Aldrec whispered after a long silence. His words, however, were barely audible, and more than a little uncertain in their tone.

"Aldrec, I want to hear you say it," Garen said, clasping the elf's shoulder with his large hand.

"Yes, I love her," Aldrec said with a great deal more resolve. "Actually, I've loved her since I first met her."

"Good, because you can tell that to her right now."

Before Aldrec could utter a word, Garen directed his gaze back towards the tavern's entrance.

Following the direction of Garen's eyes, Aldrec quickly turned around in his stool. Sure enough, Mericlou was there, backed into the corner beside the entrance door, the bartender towering over her much smaller form. Aldrec turned and hastily placed his money on the counter, but found that Garen had beaten him to it. The man smiled understandingly.

"Go to her," he said, relaxing his head in his hand.