* 100 * 3/30/13

Lily marched to the tavern with purpose, rather excited to be outside again. When she entered, she was almost disappointed to see Sal bartending as normal. She liked having had Duncan around.

When she knocked on the ranger's door, only a second or two passed before it was ripped open. Then, when he saw her face, his grip on the handle loosened, and an at least somewhat pleasant-looking Bishop stood before her.

"Can I come in?" Lily asked, trying the familiar words again. It felt like a long while since she had used them, despite it truly only having been several days.

And how he had missed those words.

Bishop nodded, "Yeah."

Lily went inside his room, but didn't sit. She didn't really feel like it at the moment. She immediately got to the point, as they didn't have much time before the group was due to leave. "So, we're going into the woods again!" she proclaimed.

Bishop only gave her a hard stare. They had just yesterday talked about how that was a bad idea when she hadn't fully healed.

Catching his gaze, she tsked. "Aw, come on, don't give me that look. It'll be all of us."

"'All of us'?"

"Yeah, everyone. All eleven of us are going to learn how to maneuver in the woods at night. Elanee agreed to help us. I was thinking you and Ela...nee..." She faltered as it suddenly hit her: Bishop and Elanee would be together in teaching the group.

Bishop made sense of what she was trying to say. His amber irises flashed downward as he felt guilt flood his senses again. "Maybe it's better if I don't go," he suggested.

Lily paused. "Why you and not her?"

"Because I know you like her, and you sound like you've already asked her to do it." He didn't want her to think what happened between Elanee and him would happen again, but he also just didn't want the two of them to be connected in her mind period, and not going would be the best way to ensure that.

The elf nodded, thinking, her features concentrated.

He had suggested it, but Bishop didn't actually like the idea of staying back. He figured this would be amusing, for one: he'd pay to see Casavir make a fool of himself in the woods. And he wanted to be with Lily if she was going to venture off into the woods again. She had even personally asked him to not long before she ran off.

"But..." Lily started. Bishop encouraged her to continue with a look. He wasn't too sure of how she felt about he and Elanee working together, and he was driven to clear up any misunderstandings.

"But I want you to go, Bishop," she finished. Her bright green eyes flashed at him. They paralyzed him, and her words made this only worse, especially since he had gotten unused to her gaze and attention over the past several days.

He wanted to go. But he didn't want to be associated with Elanee. But, did he really have a choice? He looked at her for a long few moments.

Not able to bear her sad eyes any longer, he relented.

"I'll go," he finally said, purposefully looking away from her prying eyes when he did.

"Good!" she replied enthusiastically. She took his hand and placed the single petal that was left of the vanilla flower in his grasp. Then, giving him only an adorable smile and no time to change his expression from curious disbelief back to a strict frown, she waltzed bouncily out of his door like a sprite to rejoin the others in the Keep.