p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Shanor still grumbled about knowingly walking into a trap./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""You are welcome to stay in Goldshire while we meet the little wretch." Kilazar mused. Ahliarin suspected he knew the dwarf would never do such a thing. They would be stopping in at Goldshire for the evening. Kilazar said they would be enjoying the festivities for the night, and in the morning their contact would have a meeting arranged, letting them know where to meet with the goblin./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""He is right though, Kilazar." Telladi added. "Do you think Grylis has the information. With your history, he could just be using this as an opportunity to kill you."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Goblins are tricksters, they are cheap and always looking for the upper hand. Grylis is worse than that. He is however, not coming into a negotiation without his end of the deal. If things go wrong for him, it will be used to guarantee survival. He'll have a plan to kill us all, when it fails, he will bargain, if not with this, than other information he thinks we will want."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Ahliarin was already starting to find herself suspicious of Kilazar's methods. Not that she didn't trust him, he had already said she must. It was more whether their timed arrival during the celebration was part of his plan. It was extremely difficult to tell if his decisions were meticulously detailed and well thought outr, or impulse and reactionary. She decided to give it more time to come to a decision on that./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"With much of the celebration that would be undertook at Ironforge, many of the citizens of Goldshire had their own celebration for Brewfest./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Many from the outlying farms of Elwynn and many others that wanted to avoid the population of Stormwind would be here. Was he aiming to blend in with those that gathered. Truth be told, a dwarf would be more expected than night elves in this region. Even with the celebration, it was likely they would stand out. Unless Kilazar wanted people to know he was here, in order to draw them out. The mystery that was him frustrated her./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"The closer they came, the louder the sounds of dwarven music and cheerful celebration grew. As the sounds grew louder, the more Shanor's face went from disgruntled to the underlying of a smile./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"There was an area set aside with vendors selling bread, cheese and sausages. Another was set with a small entourage serving up brew. There was not near as much as there were closer to capital cities, but to serve up the small gathering of Goldshire citizens, its visitors and the surrounding farm workers. An area had been set off with a band playing and people dancing. Joyous dwarven music filled the air./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"They let their mounts be taken by a stable boy, except for the nightsabers, which wouldn't let anybody but their riders lead them in. Taking their things they went into the inn. As soon as she entered, she wanted to turn around and leave. The tavern had a large common room, with tables pushed back, another band playing and more dancing. Here they had a bard however, doing tricks of illusion and sleight of hand to impress the patrons. The crowd inside was unexpected and the ambiance was unsettling. Everywhere she moved there was somebody too close to her./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Strange smells and sideways glances, made her uncomfortable. Every corner was filled with laughter and whispers. They weren't talking about her specifically, they couldn't have been, but it felt like it. She was sure it was her guilt. Random glances seemed to burn and the room started to feel like it was spinning. It gave her a sense of powerlessness./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Kilazar paid for the rooms, with only two available he would share with Shanor and Ahliarin with Telladi. She sat down on the bed for a moment, Telladi all but dropping her things and leaving the room again. Ahliarin needed a moment to compose herself. She was not as ready for her re-immersion like she thought. She wondered about where this life would take her. She had slowly adjusted to life at the abbey. She was uncomfortable there at first too. A lot of the time she was isolated as well. The common room of the Lion's Pride brought about more sensations than she expected./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"What was life going to be like with the Serpents of Dawn. Judging from some of the attitudes with the three, she wondered if this night for brewfest was the only rest they ever got. For the most part, she had been resting for six months so she felt ready to go. After settling in, Ahliarin went downstairs and found them sitting around a table. Telladi indicated a chair, so she sat./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"There were a few odd looks from patrons. Dwarves had been part of the Alliance for over a decade, so have elves, but night elves, had a different color of skin, a different accent and dialect, so many were not used to this new breed of them. They have only ventured forth on this continent in the last few years, when their homeland was destroyed and their immortality stripped from them./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"The room was filled with so many smiles, on the old and the young. This was what she was fighting for. But how could she get around the the feelings she was getting. It took all of her energy to keep from running back upstairs to her room. The barmaid brought her a beer, which she accepted gratefully. It was a dwarven mix, but not a bitter one. Although it did have a relatively hoppy flavor, and a fruity flavor she thought was apricot. The drink she took was much larger than she expected and like that the glass was empty. The serpents stared at her with a mixture of concern and acceptance. Shanor smiled and signaled the barmaid for another./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Ahliarin looked at the three of them. "Sorry," she said. "Being out in the world was more overwhelming than I expected." When none of them said anything she continued on. "What did I miss?"/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""As you may have noticed," Kilazar began, bringing her attention back from the dancers, "our numbers are not what you may remember." She didn't realize that these three were the whole of their group before. She knew at one time there were more and figured maybe they would just be meeting up with them somewhere./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""We are all that is left from our original charter," Shanor said regretfully. "You are the first in our rebuilding strategy. "/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""What happened to the rest?" she asked hoping not to pull up painful memories./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Some of them died in the field." Shanor answered. "Some have chosen to go their separate way. Others were let go their own way and they sort of melded with the Argent Dawn themselves."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""We wanted to take this time to properly understand you, Ahliarin." Kilazar jumped in, his eyes seemingly taken her in, but she had the distinct impression he was actually watching everybody else in the room. "With us needing to rebuild, our enlistment strategy has become more strict. Truth be told you didn't fully meet the qualifications we have set forth."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Hence your presence with us now." Telladi continued. "Shanor's idea for your real world test, intrigued us enough that we could judge you based on your own merit and not that of the Brotherhood. Noriella had explained that you had shown yourself to be adept on your guided patrols at the Abbey, but defending against kobolds, is a lot different then infiltrating enemy camps and standing against an onslaught of the scourge."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Part of the reason, the three of us still stand," Kilazar said. "is our ability to filter our emotions in time of need. That doesn't mean we don't feel things, of course we do, or we wouldn't have the drive to do what we do. However, we have trained ourselves to ignore our feelings and maintain our nerves in the face of imminent defeat. What we do is not easy, and we have lost several members that could not put their fear in check."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Ahliarin sighed. She was re-evaluating what she had signed up for. True she had spent the last six months believing this is where she belonged, but somewhere deep inside, where even though she was there for one of their missions and her freedom helped them overcome that adversity, she had no knowledge of their activities, or other missions. She realized now, that she had fallen in love with an idea that wasn't necessarily the truth./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""I will not state that this is a match made in the light. I cannot even say it is where I belong. There is no way to know that. I can only say, the passion for the idea is what has kept me going. The idea of the changes that you have made and even that I have seen, are the driving goals of my continued existence. I feel, with every fiber left of my being, that this is the path I should follow. The one less traveled."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""For that, you have been given the chance to prove yourself. Not to us, or to the Brotherhood of Northshire. Not to the Argent Dawn or the Kirin Tor. You must prove to yourself that this is your path. Without that, it doesn't matter how we feel." She admired Shanor. He seemed to be dedicated to his chosen path in the light and when he spoke you could feel that dedication./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Excuse me," they all turned to look at the timid sounding voice, to see a young boy, perhaps eight years old, staring up at Ahliarin. "May I have this dance, milady?" Her heart went out. The sweetness of this child as he stared longingly up./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"She turned to look at the others but Telladi was already nudging her out of her chair. She quickly set her beer down on the table so as not to spill it, the nudge from Telladi causing the liquid to splash around./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Taking the young boy by the hand they strode to the middle of the room. She took a deep breath. She realized she had never been so uncomfortable in her life. She felt like every eye in the room was watching her, perhaps judging her, but they were all beaming brightly at her and her partner./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"As the next song started she felt herself let go slowly. She made small steps in time with the music and in sync with her tiny partner. Slowly the music picked up and she felt herself let go, giving into the moment. The crowd around was clapping in tune with the dancers, laughter and joy filling the room. She was impressed with the boy's grace. This wasn't his first time dancing./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"After the second dance she made her way back to the table for another drink of the beer. The boy followed, waiting expectantly./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""I don' know if I can continue dancing without knowing my partners, name," she mused./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"He looked up at her, with a wide grin. "My name is Dehvin, milady. And it has been my honor to share the floor with you."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"A couple more dances, and a few more beers in and she felt herself free. By now Shanor had taken to the floor, dancing in the dwarven fashion but still drawing the cheers of all. She had forgotten the discomfort. She had let go of her inhibitions and fully allowed herself to be free. In one night, she felt like she had done more for herself than she had her entire life./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Nightfall soon fell and slowly people retreated back to their rooms or homes. Dehvin had long been escorted out by his mother who thanked Ahliarin. The thanks she had received from Noriella was curious, but this one was refreshing. It gave her purpose and meaning. The feelings she had upon entering the inn were all but gone by the time she lay down and shut her eyes./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""You are welcome to stay in Goldshire while we meet the little wretch." Kilazar mused. Ahliarin suspected he knew the dwarf would never do such a thing. They would be stopping in at Goldshire for the evening. Kilazar said they would be enjoying the festivities for the night, and in the morning their contact would have a meeting arranged, letting them know where to meet with the goblin./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""He is right though, Kilazar." Telladi added. "Do you think Grylis has the information. With your history, he could just be using this as an opportunity to kill you."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Goblins are tricksters, they are cheap and always looking for the upper hand. Grylis is worse than that. He is however, not coming into a negotiation without his end of the deal. If things go wrong for him, it will be used to guarantee survival. He'll have a plan to kill us all, when it fails, he will bargain, if not with this, than other information he thinks we will want."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Ahliarin was already starting to find herself suspicious of Kilazar's methods. Not that she didn't trust him, he had already said she must. It was more whether their timed arrival during the celebration was part of his plan. It was extremely difficult to tell if his decisions were meticulously detailed and well thought outr, or impulse and reactionary. She decided to give it more time to come to a decision on that./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"With much of the celebration that would be undertook at Ironforge, many of the citizens of Goldshire had their own celebration for Brewfest./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Many from the outlying farms of Elwynn and many others that wanted to avoid the population of Stormwind would be here. Was he aiming to blend in with those that gathered. Truth be told, a dwarf would be more expected than night elves in this region. Even with the celebration, it was likely they would stand out. Unless Kilazar wanted people to know he was here, in order to draw them out. The mystery that was him frustrated her./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"The closer they came, the louder the sounds of dwarven music and cheerful celebration grew. As the sounds grew louder, the more Shanor's face went from disgruntled to the underlying of a smile./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"There was an area set aside with vendors selling bread, cheese and sausages. Another was set with a small entourage serving up brew. There was not near as much as there were closer to capital cities, but to serve up the small gathering of Goldshire citizens, its visitors and the surrounding farm workers. An area had been set off with a band playing and people dancing. Joyous dwarven music filled the air./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"They let their mounts be taken by a stable boy, except for the nightsabers, which wouldn't let anybody but their riders lead them in. Taking their things they went into the inn. As soon as she entered, she wanted to turn around and leave. The tavern had a large common room, with tables pushed back, another band playing and more dancing. Here they had a bard however, doing tricks of illusion and sleight of hand to impress the patrons. The crowd inside was unexpected and the ambiance was unsettling. Everywhere she moved there was somebody too close to her./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Strange smells and sideways glances, made her uncomfortable. Every corner was filled with laughter and whispers. They weren't talking about her specifically, they couldn't have been, but it felt like it. She was sure it was her guilt. Random glances seemed to burn and the room started to feel like it was spinning. It gave her a sense of powerlessness./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Kilazar paid for the rooms, with only two available he would share with Shanor and Ahliarin with Telladi. She sat down on the bed for a moment, Telladi all but dropping her things and leaving the room again. Ahliarin needed a moment to compose herself. She was not as ready for her re-immersion like she thought. She wondered about where this life would take her. She had slowly adjusted to life at the abbey. She was uncomfortable there at first too. A lot of the time she was isolated as well. The common room of the Lion's Pride brought about more sensations than she expected./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"What was life going to be like with the Serpents of Dawn. Judging from some of the attitudes with the three, she wondered if this night for brewfest was the only rest they ever got. For the most part, she had been resting for six months so she felt ready to go. After settling in, Ahliarin went downstairs and found them sitting around a table. Telladi indicated a chair, so she sat./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"There were a few odd looks from patrons. Dwarves had been part of the Alliance for over a decade, so have elves, but night elves, had a different color of skin, a different accent and dialect, so many were not used to this new breed of them. They have only ventured forth on this continent in the last few years, when their homeland was destroyed and their immortality stripped from them./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"The room was filled with so many smiles, on the old and the young. This was what she was fighting for. But how could she get around the the feelings she was getting. It took all of her energy to keep from running back upstairs to her room. The barmaid brought her a beer, which she accepted gratefully. It was a dwarven mix, but not a bitter one. Although it did have a relatively hoppy flavor, and a fruity flavor she thought was apricot. The drink she took was much larger than she expected and like that the glass was empty. The serpents stared at her with a mixture of concern and acceptance. Shanor smiled and signaled the barmaid for another./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Ahliarin looked at the three of them. "Sorry," she said. "Being out in the world was more overwhelming than I expected." When none of them said anything she continued on. "What did I miss?"/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""As you may have noticed," Kilazar began, bringing her attention back from the dancers, "our numbers are not what you may remember." She didn't realize that these three were the whole of their group before. She knew at one time there were more and figured maybe they would just be meeting up with them somewhere./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""We are all that is left from our original charter," Shanor said regretfully. "You are the first in our rebuilding strategy. "/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""What happened to the rest?" she asked hoping not to pull up painful memories./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Some of them died in the field." Shanor answered. "Some have chosen to go their separate way. Others were let go their own way and they sort of melded with the Argent Dawn themselves."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""We wanted to take this time to properly understand you, Ahliarin." Kilazar jumped in, his eyes seemingly taken her in, but she had the distinct impression he was actually watching everybody else in the room. "With us needing to rebuild, our enlistment strategy has become more strict. Truth be told you didn't fully meet the qualifications we have set forth."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Hence your presence with us now." Telladi continued. "Shanor's idea for your real world test, intrigued us enough that we could judge you based on your own merit and not that of the Brotherhood. Noriella had explained that you had shown yourself to be adept on your guided patrols at the Abbey, but defending against kobolds, is a lot different then infiltrating enemy camps and standing against an onslaught of the scourge."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Part of the reason, the three of us still stand," Kilazar said. "is our ability to filter our emotions in time of need. That doesn't mean we don't feel things, of course we do, or we wouldn't have the drive to do what we do. However, we have trained ourselves to ignore our feelings and maintain our nerves in the face of imminent defeat. What we do is not easy, and we have lost several members that could not put their fear in check."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Ahliarin sighed. She was re-evaluating what she had signed up for. True she had spent the last six months believing this is where she belonged, but somewhere deep inside, where even though she was there for one of their missions and her freedom helped them overcome that adversity, she had no knowledge of their activities, or other missions. She realized now, that she had fallen in love with an idea that wasn't necessarily the truth./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""I will not state that this is a match made in the light. I cannot even say it is where I belong. There is no way to know that. I can only say, the passion for the idea is what has kept me going. The idea of the changes that you have made and even that I have seen, are the driving goals of my continued existence. I feel, with every fiber left of my being, that this is the path I should follow. The one less traveled."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""For that, you have been given the chance to prove yourself. Not to us, or to the Brotherhood of Northshire. Not to the Argent Dawn or the Kirin Tor. You must prove to yourself that this is your path. Without that, it doesn't matter how we feel." She admired Shanor. He seemed to be dedicated to his chosen path in the light and when he spoke you could feel that dedication./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""Excuse me," they all turned to look at the timid sounding voice, to see a young boy, perhaps eight years old, staring up at Ahliarin. "May I have this dance, milady?" Her heart went out. The sweetness of this child as he stared longingly up./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"She turned to look at the others but Telladi was already nudging her out of her chair. She quickly set her beer down on the table so as not to spill it, the nudge from Telladi causing the liquid to splash around./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Taking the young boy by the hand they strode to the middle of the room. She took a deep breath. She realized she had never been so uncomfortable in her life. She felt like every eye in the room was watching her, perhaps judging her, but they were all beaming brightly at her and her partner./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"As the next song started she felt herself let go slowly. She made small steps in time with the music and in sync with her tiny partner. Slowly the music picked up and she felt herself let go, giving into the moment. The crowd around was clapping in tune with the dancers, laughter and joy filling the room. She was impressed with the boy's grace. This wasn't his first time dancing./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"After the second dance she made her way back to the table for another drink of the beer. The boy followed, waiting expectantly./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;""I don' know if I can continue dancing without knowing my partners, name," she mused./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"He looked up at her, with a wide grin. "My name is Dehvin, milady. And it has been my honor to share the floor with you."/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"A couple more dances, and a few more beers in and she felt herself free. By now Shanor had taken to the floor, dancing in the dwarven fashion but still drawing the cheers of all. She had forgotten the discomfort. She had let go of her inhibitions and fully allowed herself to be free. In one night, she felt like she had done more for herself than she had her entire life./p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"Nightfall soon fell and slowly people retreated back to their rooms or homes. Dehvin had long been escorted out by his mother who thanked Ahliarin. The thanks she had received from Noriella was curious, but this one was refreshing. It gave her purpose and meaning. The feelings she had upon entering the inn were all but gone by the time she lay down and shut her eyes./p