Evening washed over the village of Astranaar. Birds sang beautiful songs, pleased that they survived another another day as they wished each other a good night through song. Many of the local residents of the village either still slept past the golden light filtering through the windows of their houses, or were just being lulled awake from the passing of the warm rays, soon to relish in Elune's graceful light.

One that was already awake was Tiradis, who had learned to wake with the golden colored light of the setting sun. The young night elf druid stretched his arms above his head as he made his way towards a nearby waterfall, a place in which he could wash himself and allow the cold water to awaken him.

As he tread down the now naturally formed path that has come from to many walking to the waterfall over the span of hundreds of years, a content sigh escaped his lips. No other villager was in sight or made their way to the falls yet. For perhaps once in the long months that he had been away from his home, he would be able to bathe there in the falls alone in privacy.

When his barren feet came to the edge of the water, the elf gazed out at the water and saw no beings in sight. Hope caught in his throat as he began to remove articles of clothing and took one step inside the cold waters of the falls.

At that moment, another figure surfaced gracefully through the water and tossed her long purple locks back behind her. Beads of water were fixed to her plum colored skin and her silver eyes then opened and gazed at the other elf. A smile crossed her face as she saw Tiradis standing with one foot in the water and how he was only clad in his underwear. "I suppose I beat you here, Tiradis."

Instantly Tiradis withdrew his foot from the water and turned away from the nude female, closing his eyes for a moment as he inwardly winced to himself. "Yes, you did, Kiyara." Still refusing to look at her, he bowed before the female while eyes remained closed and offered, "I shall leave you alone and return later."

Kiyara's face sobered as she heard his words. Bobbing under the water to cover herself up to her neck, she swam towards him and managed to take a hold of one of his hands before he retreated entirely. "You do not have to go, Tira." A smile crossed her face as she went on, "You wished to bathe here this morning, so you should."

The male elf's mouth fixed itself in a frown as he looked down at his taken hand. When his partner's proposition was heard, a lump formed in his throat. There was hesitation in his voice, but he didn't pull away from her just yet. "Kiyara, I am sure that you wish to have your privacy. I do not mind waiting until you are finished here."

She shook her head and tugged a bit at his hand, "Oh, come now. Maybe I wish to have the company of another with me?"

Tiradis hesitated for a while longer before giving into the female elf's tugging and entered the water, still clad in his clothing, despite what little there was. Kiyara smiled at him as she waded in the direction of the falls, "You cannot honestly tell me that you wish to bathe while you are still clothed, Tiradis!"

"I do not mind it," he managed to get out.

"Tiradis ..." Kiyara started before she swam close to him, abandoning what little distance there was between the two druids. "Come now, I'm wearing nothing." A smile formed on her face as she gazed upwards at him and pressed her bare body against him in a hug. "At least let your hair out of the ponytail, will you?"

Tiradis visibly stiffened as she came close and hugged him. If his natural skin tone weren't already purple, he would show reddened cheeks. "Yes, I guessed that much, Kiyara." Daring a look downwards at her, he saw how the morning light, mixed with the water, made her skin glisten, and for a moment his eyes moved ever downwards towards her chest before they retreated. "I – I am fine. I really do not mind being a gentleman and waiting for you to finish."

A slender hand reached upwards and glided lightly against his jawline, leaving a trail of water behind it. "What's wrong, Tiradis? Am I doing something wrong?"

"No ..." Tiradis said as his own hand moved upwards to take a hold of hers. "You are doing nothing wrong, Kiyara."

Now the hesitation was on her part as she continued to gaze upwards at him with her silver eyes, "Do you not like me?"

Golden eyes widened in response to her question as Tiradis shook his head rapidly, feeling the uncomfortable lump form in the back of his throat once more, "No, Kiyara. You are a great ally and a formidable druid." He paused before adding, "If I did not like you, would I continue to be your partner after so many years?"

Withdrawing her hand, a frown formed on Kiyara's face once more. "A formidable druid, is that all?" Eyes still fixed on his, she now leaned upwards towards him and whispered, "Are you sure that there is nothing more to us than just partners, Tiradis Windsong?"

Not only was the lump in the back of his throat getting the best of him at the moment, but the sudden quickening beat of his heart was as well. Despite this, Tiradis leaned away from Kiyara as she leaned in towards him and whispered those words. "Kiyara Shao'lar ..." But those were the only words that the male elf was able to choke out before he closed his eyes once more and pushed her away from him. In their native tongue of Darnassian, he stated, "I cannot do this," and made his way to swimming out of the water, leaving the female elf alone at the falls.