Who was this guy who dared approach Chloe? Young panting High Elf, like all the rest, shyly approaching her? She'd had offers from many such shy guys, and she'd curtly rebuffed them all. She didn't want to bother with such asswipes. This particular asswipe, now cringing before her was close to obtaining the same send off.
But before she turned all haughty, she took a look at his quivering self. ''Eh, what to do with him, hmmmm.'', he MIGHT be interesting.''' sTill, she'd never given men a first chance, let alone a second chance. It was getting to be rumored among Felwithe that she might be a lady with a certain distinction of perferring her own sex. Not that she'd shy away from such inclinations, if she had them.
She'd simply not had them. ''Meanwhile, this quivering asswipe before me . . .
. . . I SUPPOSE just once I ought to give a guy a chance . . .''
''Yes, it IS a 'nice night','' she answered to his query. She would not elaborate on the tingly properties she herself had so puzzlingly sensed.
''So, what do you do?'', she ventured as a way of continuing the conversation. ''I'm an Enchanter,'' Kaaldar brightly proffered. Perhaps TOO brightly, for he would not want to be seen as trying too hard. Still, his heart pounded wildly.
''My mother always told me to stay away from Bards and Enchanters,'' Chloe haughtily replied. This would have detered a weaker Elf. It didn't discourage Kaaldar, however, for his curiousity was piqued. ''Why Bards? Why Enchanters?'', he queried.
''Actually, I'm not sure why BARDs, but I suspect the caution on enchanters is because they can always put on an illusion, and you can never be sure just WHO they really are . . .'' Giving him a closer scrutiny, trying for an 'eye to eye', ''How do I know YOU"RE really a High Elf?'',, she said with a particularily searing intensity.
''Gulp!'' was all Kaaldar could respond with. ''Hmm, I could test your language skills. Bratta bleap High Elf? Iska wanna biff sure. Do you know what I'm talking about? Sif randle iskiss non prap?''
''Ahhh?'' wasn't much of a reply. Kaaldar did know some whitey elven but not enough to really converse.
''Caught you up, did I?'' , returning to entirely Common. ''Ulp'', Kaaldar replied, with a sheepish grin he tried to make as charmingly as he could.
''So you AINT HIGH Elven, what about that?'', as she gave Kaaldar a shove. Now HER curiousity was piqued. She'd soon solve the mystery. Back in the greater Faydark, a Wood Elf ranger had explained to her how he is able to track a territory. ''It's in the SMELLS. Different critters SMELL different.'' She wasn't herself able to distinguish an orc from a spider, but she WAS able to tell the difference between the intelligent species. Wood Elves did indeed smell woody and earthy. High Elves seemed mostly of cinnamon. The humanoid races, Barbarian, Human and Erudite, stunk. Really, they gave off a pungent smell to even casual noses. That's not just an Elven prejudice.
She'd not had much experience with the other races however, so of the wizarding races, that pretty much came down to Gnomes and Dark Elves, or Inkies, as they are often called, on account of their deep blue skin. ''Augh, the thought of Kaaldar being a knee high little Gnome is too disgusting. Augh! But what if he were Inky? The arrogant asswipe, could he be? Insult an High Elf and dare to approach her with his inky self? Hmmm.'' ''You smell funny, funny, but nice'', she told Kaaldar, and then explained her learnings of tracking.
''Nice, that's good . . .'' before he knew it,one of his pointy ears was being seized in a pinch. ''OUCH, that hurts!'' ''Mm, you've got EARS, still, an ugly Gnome has ears, too.'' ''But is the physical sensation part of the illusion as well? And could those body scents be disquised?''
Kaaldar, in afit of great daring, or great stupidity, time would tell, ventured a kiss on the fair ladies lips.
THAT seemed to shut the lady up for a while, and he smiled while kissing her. ''Did THAT seem like an illusion,'' he laughingly queried.
Chloe might have slapped him clear across the land, to the mountains on the other side, for that impudience, but instead, she was dumbfounded, and said simply ''No.'' She was beginning to be impressed by Kaaldar's courage in daring such a kiss. Maybe she'd found someone who wasn't a disqusting wimp. She might just give him a chance. Kaaldar was back kissing her again, this time more intensely. Oddly, she didn't rebuff this strange maybe elf. Curious, indeed, as she spread her lips open for the kiss.
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