Mericlou blushed slightly. "Okay then. If you insist …"
"I do," Aldrec said, eliciting laughter from both of them. "But I feel that I need to warn you not to be so hard on your sister. I admit that I don't know how tough dealing with her has been for you, but you should remember that you were the one who freed her. You just have to stay strong. She loves you deep inside, and I'm positive that she will always be grateful for what you did for her."
"I'll try," Mericlou said, and shrugged her shoulders, "but I won't make any guarantees."
"Duly noted," Aldrec replied with a confident smile.
"So," Mericlou began, "what kind of history have you been working on recently?"
***
It was a good thing that she had heard the elf approaching when she did, Alaema thought as she settled down into the mossy ground. Her hiding place behind a nearby grouping of Dwarven blood oak trees was the perfect spot, not too far away, and so she could see this elf friend of Meri's in all his glory. He really was as handsome as she imagined, but no more so than the others of his kind. He was taller than most; that was true, but he seemed to be no different from any other elf.
Distracted as she was, Mericlou failed to notice her leaving, so things could not have been more perfect for her plan. She wanted to see them in action … hopefully in both senses of the term.
She smiled wickedly as she watched on.
***
" …Aside from that, I haven't been able to get much done in the way of writing my histories," Aldrec concluded, wistful. "But nothing's been really happening in the world. Ever since the Liberation War, it's been the same thing. But then again, it's been the same thing for a long, long time, now."
"Just how old are you, anyway?" Mericlou asked, now quite curious after Aldrec's latest expression of world-weariness.
"How old are you?" Aldrec retorted with a sly grin.
"Hey! You know that it's rude to ask a lady about her age!" Mericlou felt her face grow even redder than it already was.
"Well, no one ever said that a male was obliged to give away his age either," Aldrec said nonchalantly, returning to his work. "But I'll make it interesting. Legends say that if you save an elf's life, that elf is obliged to grant you any wish you want. Am I right?