Hello! And welcome to kiaga and Laramie's collaborative fanfic. This first chapter was written by kiaga. Enjoy!

The laughter of many bards fell across the room, mixing in with the sweet smells of perfumes, wines, ales, and food. It had been a relaxing evening, one filled with much joy. It was fairly warm, especially for fall, and all had forgotten their worries. Cadvan, on the other hand, had not calmed any of his feelings.

The night had started out perfectly- he had escorted Maerad to the large hall where they feasted on delightful food; mushrooms, roast pheasant garnished with basil, nuts, berries, fruit, and the best wine around. He had shared smiles with her, laughing at trivial things, he even sang with her for the other bards, their voices drifting across the room in perfect harmony. "Why is that not enough then?" Cadvan asked himself, as he sat watching the dance floor. He had drunk much wine, but he knew enough to realize that Maerad was enjoying the company of another man. "Other men," his mind corrected.

He watched as she was twirled around the dance floor, oblivious to the scowl he carried on his face. The young man was a good dancer, easily capable of performing the lifts in the dance. It was quite apparent that Maerad did not fear this man, either. She had met him earlier that week, but had yet to introduce him. "Stop. It is merely a dance; instead of watching, why don't you just ask her?" He asked himself, lifting his wine glass to his lips. He laughed at himself for the action. "Drinking wine is such a good way of making a rational decision, Cadvan." He told himself sarcastically.

Lifting his gaze from the goblet, he looked back at Maerad. "She's so beautiful." Despite his jealousy, he smiled, grateful he could call her a friend. "That's more than most can say," his mind added. Finally, the song came to end, causing a loud applause amid the shouts for more music. Obligingly, the musicians began to play again. Cadvan set his wine down, and made his way towards Maerad. She had failed to notice him, instead taking the same young man into the new dance. Wincing, he took a deep breath. "It had been a stupid idea anyway," he thought as he turned to leave. He instantly ran into a woman he had met a long time ago. "Erin, my apologies. I'm sorry that I -"

Her face lit up, and she cut him off mid-sentence. "Light, you don't need to apologize. Would you like to dance?" she interjected, offering her hand.

Looking at the outstretched hand, he forced a smile. "Of course," he lied. Taking her hand, they began the dance. It was fairly fast paced, and against his better judgment he held her close; holding one hand while resting the other on her waist and they danced around the room. "Wait, wait; stop, Cadvan!" She laughed as she tried her best to keep up. Cadvan found this amusing, and he too laughed. Dancing even faster, he found himself smiling even more, forgetting about his troubles. Those who were not dancing were clapping the dancers along. Cadvan barely had time to take in the on-lookers; he was more concerned about not tripping over Erin, who obviously needed dance lessons. "She has a good heart, nonetheless." Finally, the dance came to an end.

"Cadvan, you're a wonderful dancer. Perhaps we can dance again?" Erin begged.

"Yes, we shall," Cadvan responded gently. "But for now, I must decline your request; I'm quite tired."

Laughing, Erin agreed. "Yes, it is quite late. But I would have thought you would stay all night….have you grown too old for endless nights, bard of Lirigon?" she asked playfully.

Hearing this, he started to walk away, smile covering his face. "Me? Too old?" he called back, laughing. Erin smiled, watching him find his glass, and leave the room.

--

The air was too close, heavy with the heat of persperating bodies and the smell of alcohol; she needed to escape. Leaving the dancehall in order to find fresh air, she found a bench in a nearby corridor. Sighing, she set her glass down on the floor. "It was a fun night," she thought. "I wish I didn't have to dance with Thoron. But what choice did I have? I didn't even see Cadvan once the dance started…I suppose it's not that bad; at least I spent sometime with him…" It was true that Thoron was a handsome man. She had met him only a few days ago, but Maerad had been able to trust him fairly quickly, and they became fast friends. Her mind wandered back to the dance. His hands holding her close, the feel of his warm breath against her neck, the thrill of being held up high during a lift…closing her eyes, she thought of these things; but it was not Thoron she imagined, it was Cadvan. "Why can't this be real?" she cursed inwardly. "Why can't you be mine?" she whispered, thinking of many occasions when she thought Cadvan showed his love for her in return. "WHY?" she yelled frustrated. She was thankful for the music and noise coming from the hall as they concealed her voice easily.

She stood up and looking around, her face covered in irritation. She noticed her glass she had set down, and kicked it. The sound of the shattering glass against the floor pleased her, thankful that something else was hurting a little more than she was, even if it was a mere glass of wine. Crossing her arms, she examined the path of glass and wine. She felt like a child acting out in rage because she didn't get what she wanted. She felt anger at herself rising in her stomach, as she heard soft footsteps coming down the hallway. "No! What am I going to do?" she asked herself, panicking. She wouldn't be able to lie about the mess, yet she couldn't tell anyone why she was upset. She quickly assessed the situation and decided to leave the hall before the person saw her. "I can pick it up after they leave."

She decided to escape through an archway to her left, forgetting that the hall produced an echo. Walking as quickly as she could, she kept her eyes fixed on the other entrance. Reaching the corner she turned, running distractedly into Cadvan, who was unable to save his drink from spilling on both of them.

To be continued...

Oh dear, that means me, doesn't it?