#earthrunes

A resigned shrug.

Then a breath "Tell me about this hot air balloon?"

Clearly changing the subject " I meann.. was it romantic?" A wistful thought .

"It was, aye. Beltaine was pleasant."

"Nice.. I had.. " embarrassed "I had THREE fellows flirt with me. It was.. nice. They made a fuss. I got to talking to them, they gathered around me, like I was the smartest pretties girl in the world I.. I don't like to think of myself as vain, but... I guess I did bask in it a bit. Made me miss Cadman, or for that matter having a fellow period"

"Well, why not seek Cadman again? Or another?"

"Cadman's got a quest. I can' intrude on that. And. .well we never said we were exclusive but I really do like wariror poets" Annoyed "It's okay when you've got a type, but it's annoying when a guy who IS that type knows it" A troubled look "Never thought of myself as a flirt but I do miss i. Maybe it's belaine on the brain"

"Well - flirt then. Make Cadman compete for your favor."

"Zara...doesn't that seem.. manipulative? Even a bit.. scandalous?"

Yet she looks tempted.

"Nay - it seems fae."

A pause then a head ttilt "Hey, is this some 'now that I've got my true love I get to have my single friend get into romantic shenanigans vicariously' kind of thing?"

Innocent look.

"I better not end up in your next book as the farm girl whose all practical on the outside but creamy on the inside" mmph then "More tea?"

And the gals have more tea, because of course, Zara would never think of incorporating Clem like that...

when there are even better ways to do so

(End Scene)