Dancing with Grendles

by Enyya Nanya

“Hello barkeep.” Her melodious voices carries in the room, wrapping around the heads of the patrons, causing some to turn and gaze at the calm, and yet thrilling aura that is wrapped around her as snugly as her cloak. “Might I get a taffleberry brandy?” Her soft, charming voice is accompanied by the lifting of a fine arched brow.

Sliding into a stool, and accepting the drink, she looks about her with a calm, knowing glance, her eyes not missing the quick, and grudging glances from the elven lass sitting with the barbarian, nor the smiling face of the dwarven mage sitting at a low table, his eager smile, and hope filled eyes dancing over her. With a toss of her head, and a flick of her slender arm from under her cloak she lifts the brandy to her lips, her rose twining wedding band causing the gleam to disappear from the mages eyes as he resettles himself in his seat.

Winking slyly at Baresh, she sips her brandy, before replacing it on the bar. A quirk of amusement draws her lips up into a grin. Her voice eager and filled with excitement she asks him to fill her in on the news of the lands. The barkeep eager as always rattles on of the comings and goings of his patrons and the wars that have happened in the time since her leave. Her eyes fill with amusement, sadness, joy, pain, and longing for what she has missed at the telling of his words.

Baresh glances at her quickly, his voice low, so as not to involve the others in the bar in their conversation, he asks was she not missed, nodding to the band worn on her hand.

The question halted her in raising her glass. Not unexpected in it’s asking, but unable to answer it in honesty.

“I have been gone far too long it seems. His heart has been captured by another.” Her words are as low as his, though filled with a sadness that all lovers feel when the blush of love has blossomed and faded. Yet there is hope and something else there. “I came back to break him of his bond, to free him to love her with all his heart, as it should be. He is happy, and fulfilled, as I could never do for him.” Here the pain is more evident in the words spoken to herself. The barkeep moves down the bar for a span, leaving the cleric to meditate on the turning of the worlds, and the paths that each choose either from need, or want.

Seeing her glass is empty, he approaches her again. His eyes asking her if she needs more to carry the sadness away, a slight nod to indicate that more is needed, he replenishes her glass.

“Have you seen a cat in these parts? A ranger, one known for his tendencies for mischief, and his loyalty?” Her eyes search the barkeeps, a yarning question burning deeply there. “He is known to contemplate the meaning of stars, and to chase the sun.” Her voice trails off to a wistful sigh. Her eyes take on a weary, glazed look. Her thoughts pushing reality aside, as she drifts to a hill behind a waterfall, looking for the one that shared her soul, and mind, if only for that brief and wondrous night under the stars, as they danced among the grendles.

A low laugh from Baresh brings her back to the bar, where in her body sits. She lifts her eyes once more to his, her calm, and serene demure once more gathered about her, gone are all hints of any pain, or longing. “Pyrdeans one and all seem to fit that description lass.” His warm smile pulls a smile from her as well. She nods in agreement.

“You stand me corrected. I dare not be more precise, for I know not where his feelings and such might lie, nor where life might have taken him since we once were friends. I do know an empath had taken hold of him, and he was smitten beyond this world with her.” Again her words wander off, her voice softens and glides up to the barkeeps ears on a whispery sigh “He was unable to see the love I had burning for him in me, so strong was his need and passion for her.” Shaking herself from this refrain. She smiles lightly up at Baresh and her eyes reflect her inner joy at the life she finds around her, accepting it as it comes, and living it as it goes. “I shall find him I’m sure. And once again we might contemplate those self same stars I saw lighting his eyes, and dance about the grendle fields once more. If only as friends.”

Taking a gem from her pouch she places it lightly on the counter, the ruby glistening and shining among the scratches, and deep groves of the worn top. The barkeep glances from the gem to her, his eyes not surprised at such a large payment for so little drink. For he knows most come here in search of his wisdom, and listening heart, rather then the escape offered in the jeweled filled bottles behind him. But rather his eyes are caught by the ring lying beside the gem, the twining band of roses of her wedding band. He lifts his eyes to inquire, only to see her cloaked stately silhouette, crossing the threshold of the cavern door, she slowly turns, her hair floating softly about her face, her emerald eyes once more lighted with a light from her unquenchable soul, smiling with serenity she once more casts a sly wink at the barkeep, stepping on to the streets of Crossing, to be swept into the hustling crowd as the door slides silently shut.