Elunara was drawing beneath the tree on the hill, when Jordan appeared.
"Is it ok to sit?"
She smiled. "It always is. I enjoy the company."
Jordan sat down, and Darguni crawled into his lap.
"Oh, hey."
"He likes people. You should visit more often." She ran her hand on the soft fuzz of Darguni's head. "Jordan."
"oren?"
"Close enough, my little love."
Jordan played with him. "He really is adorable." He sighed.
"Why are you here Jordan?"
"Huh?"
She shook her head. "Don't play dumb. You and I both know you've never done this."
He frowned. "You told me to figure out what I wanted. I decided that, for the immediate need, I just wanted to be beside you. I thought, perhaps..." He nodded. "Perhaps if I spent more time in your company, then I would figure out if it's something worth doing."
"I can't fault your logic." She shrugged and returned to her work.
He resisted the urge to play with her hair. Instead he focused on entertaining the baby. "Renwa and Zelinnia, it just seems so illogical, and yet you look at them and they're perfect for each other."
"Mm, I agree."
"I guess nothing seems odd in your world view."
She laughed. "People who avoid their hearts are an oddity to me."
He winced. "I guess I deserve that."
"You're not the only person that could refer to, dear."
"Yeah." He pushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear. Realizing what he'd done, he dropped his hand and stared at the child.
"It has always been my belief that a person should seek out that which they desire most. Even if the object of their affections turns out to be less than expected, at least they took the time to find it. This belief is why I never fit in among my own kind. I was not willing to conform to the standards set out before me. I made who I am work for me in the end, and that's the important part."
"Are you trying to tell me we wouldn't be compatible?"
She shook her head. "Jordan, the things I know about you, could probably fill a teacup. I can't tell you if we'd be compatible or not. What I am saying, is that I think you should see this through, but don't be disappointed if you find something you dislike. I'm no one's fantasy, Jordan. Renwa can tell you that."
"I know you're not." He stared down at Grogek. "But I have convinced myself that... seeing this through, will be the answer I'm looking for."
"All I ask," Elunara put a hand over his. "Is that, no matter what happens, you will stay. Renwa would be crushed if you left, especially if he finds out it was over me."
He took her hand into his and kissed the back of it. "I promise."
"Dude..." Andrew frowned up the hill. "Is Captain Jordan putting the moves on Elunara?"
Joseph shook his head in disbelief. "It sure likes like it. Wonder if General Grogek noticed."
Andrew shrugged. "No idea, man. This could get ugly."
The gesture did not go unnoticed by Grogek. Only Elunara would have recognized the makings of a smile on his face. The bangle remained on her arm, where it had been since it'd been given to her. He didn't need to see that subtle reminder that she belonged to him. Tulani held a special place in his heart, but Elunara was his soul mate. Regardless of how hers branched.
Jordan had no idea why he was standing in the center of Elunara's house, staring at her things, but he was. He wandered around, looking at the amazing pictures on the wall. It didn't matter that most of them were naked men, they were remarkably well done and no detail over looked. He was fairly certain that each individual hair on their bodies was even placed correctly.
She had left a shirt hanging over the back of her chair. He picked it up and breathed deeply. No one smelled like Elunara. He ran his fingers along the back of her books. Tulani's desk was very neat and organized, even the little pins and needles lined up in a row. But Elunara's was messy. Some of the papers were left out and he pushed them aside, surprised to see her working on the casual portrait of him. In fact, it made him happy to see that there were quite a few. "I wish he'd smile more." She'd written in a corner.
He looked in the baby's room and was delighted to see the portraits she'd chosen to hang, and of course, the pictures of silly little animals that children so often loved. It wasn't his intention to have any, but it wouldn't bother him to be in Darguni's life. He stepped back in to find a furious Elunara approaching the baby's door. She stopped and blinked at him.
"Oh, Jordan. I thought someone had broken in."
"I'm sorry, you said I could read your books, and I was looking at the pictures you drew. I really like your sabre cat pictures."
"Yeah, they'll always have a special place in my heart." She laughed. "I left poor Yondre in Darnassus. I haven't seen her since."
"You were a hunter?"
She shook her head. "Mount."
"Oh." He walked around the room. "I'm not interrupting, am I? I wasn't sure and your sign wasn't out."
"No, I just came back from a consult." She began tucking papers away.
He watched her as she tucked the papers away, organizing them in her way, putting things together, and changing arrangements. She emptied her board of used pages and tucked them neatly away.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want a book?"
"I... I hadn't gotten that far yet."
She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She sighed and pushed away the board. "Jordan, why are you here?"
"I..."
"If you're not honest with me, this will never work."
He scratched at the back of his head. "I guess I just wanted to understand you. Not in whatever is written in those things, but the now you." He shook his head. "It sounds stupid, because I will need to read those eventually, but that's not what I wanted... I kind of want to see how I would fit into your life, if that's where we go."