I don't own the song "Brandy", so on and so forth...

~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~

A year had come and gone. Erick's promise to return was as strong in my mind as it had ever been, ever since he had first made it. I waited impaitently, looking over my shoulder every half hour, every day as I served the sailors their usual favorites.

"You seem out of it, Brandy." One commented. "You feelin' sick or something?"

"Something." I replied shortly, and left it at that, despite his attempt to drag more information out of me. Where on earth was Erick?

~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~

That night, I locked the door to the tavern, and slowly walked up the stairs to my room. It was good fortune that Mr. Rend allowed me to stay in the tavern; I hadn't enough money for a place of my own, and the streets in Noca were dangerous at night anyhow.

Still, I couldn't quite relax. When Erick had been here, we would go on walks up to a small hill not far from the tavern to watch the boats and sailors in the port; I figured that this might help me calm down. Halfway up the stairs, I turned and went back down.

'Besides, even if the worst iSHOULD/i happen,' I thought, 'I've got a knife from the kitchen, and it's not like I don't know how to fight.'

I stepped outside, locked the door for a second time, and breathed deep. It was wonderful to be outside in the night air again. I walked up the street, looking for the hidden path that Erick had shown me.

A hand fell on my shoulder, and I jumped. "It's that way." I turned, and sighed in relief. It was Erick.

"What took you so long?" I demanded. "I've been worried for the past week that something happened to you before you could come back to me!" Erick gave a weak smile, and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, I did say a year, didn't I?" He murmured. "Come on. Let's go up to our old spot and talk like we used to."

~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~

Once on top of the hill, Erick and I were talking as we always had. The year that had at first seemed an eternity, seemd now to be only a few short weeks, and yet so much had happened that we wanted to share with each other. We often found ourselves talking over each other in excitment to share what had happened.

"Then Sarah dropped the entire tray..."

"And remember how I told you it's not a good idea to...? Well, Mart..."

And so the conversation went, until I mentioned the dress I was making for one of the serving girls at the tavern.

"Jessie found this beautiful fabric, and for really cheap too. I promised to make her a dress out of it..."

"Speaking of which," Erick interrupted, reaching for his pack, "I've brought you back a few things."

"Like what?" I wanted to know. Erick smiled, pulling out a beautiful dark blue dress and laying it in my lap. "Oh, Erick, it's wonderful!" I exclaimed. The dress was made of silk, and I held it against my body to envision what it would be like to where it.

"It'll go well with the necklace I gave you." He said, lifting the locket. I nodded in silent agreement. "I also brought you this." Erick pulled out a Japanese tea set.

"Lovely!" I commented giddly, "But...what will I do with it?"

"Host a tea party for all your friends!" He joked, then said more seriously, "Display it. If I see it in your window the next time I come to visit, I'll know you still work here."

"You're leaving again?" I demanded.

"In a week." Erick replied softly. I gave him a perturbed look. "It's not like I have a choice, Brandy." I gathered up the tea set into the dress, and stood up, ready to leave.

"Great. You come for one week just to drop off a couple of gifts, and leave again." I huffed, making my way slowly down the hill. Erick followed close behind.

"What were you expecting? A proposal?" At this, I stopped and glared at him. True, I had hoped that he would ask me to marry him. We had been so close when he left the first time, that I was sure that he would propose soon. Yet he continued to treat our relationship as if it were not as serious as it had become.

"I suggest that if you are going to have that attitude about me, that you do not come into my tavern anymore." I replied haughtily, before walking the rest of the way down the hill, Erick following me all the wall, asking me to wait.

When I finally reached the door, I unlocked it quickly, slipped inside, closed the door and locked it again before he could get inside to make any further protest.

~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~~^*^~

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! Please review!