Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Romance

All the adventurers thanked the elf for her sister's help. Only Leo knew that she too had intervened directly. In fact, he was extremely respectful to her, but he didn't say anything about it. She had saved his life, so the least he could do was respect her wishes.

Goldmi wasn't too worried about being discovered either, but she preferred to go as unnoticed as possible. She was there with only one goal, and she didn't want to get into other trouble

"That Leo... Maybe, he likes you. Have you noticed how he looks at you?" Darigla asked during dinner. She seemed more than interested in finding out about it.

"It's only because of my sister, he has no interest in me," Goldmi assured her, though she felt somewhat guilty of not telling her the whole truth.

"Are you sure? He's handsome. Maybe you should talk to him..." the merchant insisted.

"What for? Do you want me to tell him about you?" the elf joked.

"No, no, of course not!" she denied it, while blushing.

Goldmi looked at her in surprise, for she didn't expect that reaction. The human blushed even more when the elf stared at her. It was evident that she had been exposed.

"So you like..." Goldmi whispered, and smiled mischievously.

"Don't talk nonsense!" the merchant tried to deny it again.

However, she could no longer fool the elf, so she turned away embarrassed, as she didn't want to meet her gaze. It was then that the elf looked up at the adventurer. She realized that it was not her he was looking at, nor her sister.

With a mischievous smile, she got up and walked over to him, while Darigla was looking at her nervously. The lynx only showed indifference. She thought they were too complicated.

"Hi Leo. Tell me, are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked directly, without further ado.

"Uh... This... No..." the latter replied stunned, as he had been taken completely by surprise.

If someone else had asked him something like that, he might not have even answered. However, he not only owed his life to her, but he was impressed by her abilities, even somewhat intimidated.

So were the other adventurers, but they didn't know who it was actually who had helped them. Very few suspected the elf, for she was already a tamer, or so they believed.

"So, what is your interest in Darigla? Why were you looking at her so intensely?" she asked, still smiling.

"Eeeh... I wasn't looking at her! I was just..."

"So you know who she is, you know her name," she interrupted him.

For a few seconds he didn't know what to answer. Not that it was strange for him to know her name, but he hadn't mingled or spoken with them. If he knew, it was because someone had told him. If he was slow to respond, it was for something else.

"What do you want?" he asked, as looking away from her.

That gesture was all the confirmation she needed. She couldn't help but widen her smile.

"I can introduce you. I can even give you some time to talk. However, keep in mind that she's my friend. You better not fool her," Goldmi offered, and also warned him seriously.

"Really...!?" he turned suddenly.

Right after, as seeing the elf's expression, he realized that he had fully confessed. It made him lose control of his emotions and blush.

"How about you wait there? I'll bring her in a while."

He nodded. He was unable to speak, while the elf was chuckling. The young man was an adventurer with more than five years of experience, as he had started at fifteen. However, his experience with the other sex was rather poor.

He had spent too much time training and preparing, and even believing himself above certain kinds of feelings. However, the red-haired merchant had captivated him.

He had sneaked up on her just to hear her laugh and voice. The adventurer had convinced himself that he wanted to find out more about the strange elf, but instead, he couldn't stop staring at Darigla whenever he got the chance.

Now, his heart was pounding, and he wasn't the only one. The merchant had been staring at the elf when she got up, and when she was talking to the adventurer. At first, she had been afraid that her friend would say something about her. However, when the young woman saw the elf's smile, and that he was ashamed, her heart sank. She believed that Goldmi wanted to seduce him.

She felt angry with her friend. Although she had encouraged her at first, her flirting with him after finding out about her feelings wasn't an easy thing to forgive. She felt jealous and betrayed. So, when the elf got closer, she didn't even look at her. She didn't know how to face her.

However, as soon as the elf spoke, she realized how much she had misinterpreted that scene.

"I've told him that I'll take you with him, so that the two of you can talk alone. So, finish your meal and get ready."

She looked at Goldmi quite embarrassed and terrified. She was a people person, as she was a merchant. However, the red-haired woman had also firmly rejected all her suitors, as wanting to focus only on her career. As the adventurer, she was young and believed herself above those feelings.

"You can't do this to me! I can't...! " she begged.

"If needed, I'll drag you," the elf threatened with a smile, a threat that they both knew she wasn't going to comply with.

"But he... What is he going to think of me...?"

"Well, given how much he's looking at you, he must think you're beautiful."

Darigla turned, and the gazes of the two young human met for only a few moments. It was just the time which took the two of them to blush and look away.

"Seriously, I can't..." she continued resisting.

She actually wanted to go, but she was terrified. Her feelings were overwhelming her.

"So, do I tell him to come? He's very cute when he's embarrassed, like someone I know" the elf made fun of her.

"You won't dare...!?"

It took her a while longer, but in the end she managed to convince her to go. That her clothes were good enough. That she didn't need to wear more makeup or wash. That she only needed to go and to talk to him.

The adventurer was waiting for them nervously. He was thinking that it was inappropriate to wear the armor and the dust of the road. He believed that she would think that he was too rough, too inelegant, too dirty.

"Hi. We're already here," Goldmi greeted cheerfully.

"He... Hello," he greeted nervously.

"Hello..." the merchant greeted, almost in a whisper.

"Well, I'll leave you guys alone. Have fun," Goldmi said goodbye.

""Wait!"" the two exclaimed at the same time

She turned for a moment and looked at them with a huge smile.

"You make a great couple."

After that, she left, while they were totally red. It took them a long time to break the ice, to dare to speak. They almost ended the patience of the elf, who was Camouflaged, and spying on them.