The first thing Leodhais did upon entering his and Gilderoy's room was to remove Alaric's ring from his finger and put it on one of the leather thongs he kept in his pockets, should he need to tie his hair. He held it in front of him, observing it thoughtfully as the simple band of gold swung gently, reflecting the moving candlelight; before, sighing, he put it around his neck. 

While he lived at the court, everything seemed simple and straightforward, and he obeyed the wishes of the man who had made himself his adoptive father without questioning them, it was the least he could do in return for the love and care Alaric bestowed upon him. But now... After what he had seen and felt during this journey... whom he had met... The world was so much bigger and more complicated than the court, offering endless possibilities, love, maybe, among them. Leodhais had never cared much for love, knowing that to please Alaric, he would have to settle into a marriage of convenience, sooner or later. But, after having met Annwyn tonight... Alaric himself had married for love, so why couldn't he follow his heart too?

He startled upon hearing Gilderoy's voice. The dwarf was almost invisible in the large bed set in the dark corner on the other end of the room, out of reach of the tremulous light shining from the only candelabrum and Leodhais had forgotten that he wasn't alone.

"You can't do that, Leodhais," Gilderoy said, his voice troubled. He could guess how Leodhais was feeling after the encounter with Annwyn; his own feelings for Aryana grew with time and distance instead of diminishing. 

"What do you mean?" Leodhais asked nonchalantly, removing his cloak and shirt, the ring coming to rest on his bare chest as he dropped the garments on the free bed and walked to the table set by the door, which held a large basin and an ewer.

He proceeded to wash, faking indifference to Gilderoy's opinion, but he kept his ears trained on his friend's words. He knew that he would be judged and criticised by many for this action; he wanted at least his friend to understand and accept his decision. Because he had just decided that if Annwyn would give him a chance, once this quest will be over, he will renounce everything and try to win her love. No woman had ever treated him like she did, as if she could see right through his facade into his heart and liked what she found there. It was liberating, elating, quite wonderful. For the first time ever Leodhais realised that the life at court that Alaric had constructed for him after his parents deaths, didn't feel like it belonged to him, that he had never been truly happy before Annwyn set her ice blue eyes on him tonight. Not even becoming the king of Silmarea would feel this good.

Gilderoy sighed. "You can't refuse Alaric's daughter after you accepted to court her. You can only hope that she will refuse you..."

"Then let me hope, Gilderoy," Leodhais said, his voice muffled by a piece of soft, bright cloth he used to dry his face. He inhaled deeply, trying to discern the scents belonging to Annwyn trapped within the fabric beneath those of burning wood of the many fireplaces that permeated the building. 

"I just want you to be happy. Good night, Leodhais."

"You are the best friend I've ever had..." Leodhais trailed off as he walked to his luggage and chose a clean shirt, then blew out the candles and lay down on the bed set opposite of Gilderoy's. He fell asleep to the diminishing sounds of music and voices from downstairs, thinking, then dreaming of Annwyn.

Leodhais never recalled once that she was Peregrine's younger sister and that the fact might be a problem, until he saw the two downstairs together, when he and Gilderoy descended from their room at sunrise to find Annwyn and Peregrine seated at one of the tables in the now empty inn, deep in conversation.

She was clad in a long cerulean gown hemmed with wide strips of the most delicate snow-white lace, the colours matching her eyes, the style making her look regal and gorgeous and... 

Annwyn giggled when her eyes found Leodhais the moment he appeared in the doorway at the foot of the stairs, already dressed in human clothes just like Gilderoy, ready to walk through the standing stones into the world lying beyond.

Leodhais smiled at her as he approached the table, laid with breakfast for all of them, where she sat with Peregrine. The pair of what Alaric's dressmakers called blue jeans, combined with a tightly fitting black 't-shirt' and a hooded 'cardigan' spun of thick grey wool weren't the most flattering clothes he had ever worn but he didn't quite dislike them. 

Gilderoy, dressed in a similar fashion, climbed onto the bench next to Peregrine, while Leodhais asked the dragon shifter, "Won't you get changed?"

"I'm changed," he replied, moving his legs in a way to show that he was wearing a pair of jeans too, but black, matched by a black shirt similar to the elf's stretched quite tightly over the muscles of his chest, and a black leather jacket. But his black cloak was still tied around his neck, his hat hung down his back, and his sword lay on the bench at his side. "And you'll have to leave that here," Peregrine added, pointing to the great silvery bow slug across the elf's back. "It would attract too much attention in the human world. You too, Gilderoy, your sword must stay here," he turned to the dwarf whose mouth was full of freshly baked bread, and so he only nodded in reply. 

"But you will carry your sword, I take it?" Leodhais asked, narrowing his eyes on Peregrine. 

The dragon shifter sighed his impatience even as one of Annwyn's hands came to rest squarely on his chest while the other closed around Leodhais' hand.

"I must carry my sword, elf, I always do. It's the only blade that can kill a Highlander, should we be tracked," he replied, forcing his voice into civility. But a deep scowl never left his face as he observed Leodhais and Annwyn's now joined hands. "It belonged to my father, and his father before him, it's imbued in our magic. And I'd do something about those ears if I were you," he added, changing the subject.

Annwyn laughed and stood up, her eyes pouring into Leodhais' as she touched his hair, pulling a few strands from the thong tied around his ponytail, arranging them in such a way to cover the pointed ends of his earlobes, her breath catching as he closed his eyes momentarily and leaned into her touch to better remember it.

"Peregrine told me that there are no elves in The World Beyond The Stones. The humans wouldn't like our ears," she said in a voice just above a whisper. 

Leodhais reached out to her face, his fingers vanishing in the black silk of her hair, pushing the shiny strands behind her ear, revealing a pointed tip as white as alabaster, his fingers unable to resist touching it with gentle reverence. He smiled, then inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes and tilted her head into into his caress, wishing he could bring his lips to hers, she was so close and perfect and unpredictable and incredibly responsive...

Peregrine cleared his voice loudly behind them, making her eyes snap open even as Leodhais, his lips very close to hers, took a step back.

"Sit, elf. Eat quickly, then let us go. The journey is still long, and we must leave our horses here."

His mind void, clever words of rebellion which he always had in store for Peregrine scattered by Annwyn's closeness, Leodhais simply let himself drop on the bench next to her, suppressing a content sigh when she inched closer to him, her thigh flush against his, her left hand finding its way into his right, leaving him to feed himself left handed, wishing the moment would never end.

But it did, Peregrine didn't give Leodhais and Gilderoy more than ten minutes to finish their breakfast before he urged them to their feet again.

"Thank you, Annwyn. If everything goes well, we will be back in a few weeks with Alaric's daughter," the dragon shifter said as he stood in front of his sister, glancing significantly at Leodhais whose arm was now wrapped, quite invisibly, around Annwyn's waist from behind. "You know Shadow, and he knows you, and thank you for keeping the other two horses as well."

"Take care of yourself, promise... promise you'll be careful, Peregrine, you're... the only family I have," Annwyn begged, voice breaking even as her eyes welled up with tears, and she, freeing herself from Leodhais, wrapped her arms around her brother's neck.

"As always, I promise, Annwyn. You mustn't worry about me," Peregrine replied, his voice suddenly husky, hinting at suppressed tears. "I'll wait for you outside, hurry," he added, looking between Gilderoy and Leodhais even as he put his large hands on Annwyn's waist and removed her from himself gently.

Then he was gone, and Gilderoy stood in front of Annwyn, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. "Thank you for your hospitality, fair Annwyn." She smiled down at him through her tears, and then he was gone too, adjusting his satchel on his shoulder as he rushed towards the door in Peregrine's wake, leaving her alone with Leodhais. 

She turned to him, and they stood in front of each other without touching, their eyes devouring each other, committing the tiniest details of the moment to memory. 

"His name is Asfaleem," Leodhais said finally after a long moment of silence, only disturbed by Peregrine and Gilderoy's muffled voices reaching them through the closed door. "He's a good horse; he won't cause trouble..."

"Ray of Sunshine," she translated quickly, smiling at him. "I like it."

Leodhais raised his eyebrows at her, ready to tell her how surprised he was by her understanding Elvish, but he didn't have time to open his mouth before Peregrine's fist connected with the hard wood of the door, the noise scattering the magic between them followed by the dragon shifter's words, "We are leaving, elf. You either come with us or find your way back to Alaric's castle alone. You're not staying here!"

Without thinking, Leodhais pressed his lips to Annwyn's forehead, inhaling the scent of her hair. "I'll be back, fair Annwyn," he pledged, walking towards the door without looking back for fear he would lose the courage to leave, opening it wide before she whispered, "I'll wait for you."

She escaped up the stairs then, even as Leodhais joined his companions outside.