Tamlin found his room empty, Jera nowhere around, and that was alright: it gave him time to think, gave him space without the good-natured elf asking questions, endlessly poking and prodding for information, wanting to know everything.  There wasn't much to tell-- he and Ranuk had danced, then sat in the garden and talked-- but there was so much more than that at the same time, swirling in his head and his heart.  The prince could barely think, could barely breathe, and he got ready for bed in contemplative silence.  The demon drink gave him strange dreams, things he only half-remembered, and they were gone by morning.<br/><br/>Mirin was only vaguely surprised to find Jera's bed empty when he finally went up to get some rest; he knew the elf well enough to suspect (and suspect rightly) that he was warming the sheets with another, somewhere in the castle.  It was none of his business, and as long as Jera was smart-- a high hope to have, but Mirin tried to be an optimist-- he would be fine.<br/><br/>Tamlin woke in the morning with a slight headache, but a few splashes of cold water worked to clear his mind.  Once more, his servant was nowhere in sight, and like Mirin the prince had a fair idea of what his friend was up to.  Ah, well.  He dressed for the day, choosing his favorite hunting clothes; they were softened over the years, designed to let him move without sound, to let him run and climb and leap, so much better than the stiff, silk robes and embroidered tunics of the court.  His hair was just a single long braid, stretching to the middle of his back in a thick, twisted gold plait.  Nothing fancy today, just himself as he was, and that made the prince happy.  His boots were last, and then he collected his weapon of choice: a beautifully carved ashwood bow, and a quiver full of handcrafted arrows.<br/><br/>Jera stayed with Ursalo through the night; there was not much sleeping until the earliest hours, but any tiredness was well worth it.  He was delighted by his new friend, at least he hoped to call Ursalo such a thing, and very much looked forward to spending more time together...  And even though the snake demon could not kiss him, Jera had planted plenty of his own wherever he could, leaving a sweet one on the other's cheek while getting redressed.  They'd clean up, find something to eat, and then get a move on for the day.  Jera was careful as he took Ursalo's hand to lead him around the castle, but he did not let go even as the touch made people stare as they passed by.<br/><br/>By the time they found Tamlin, he was outside at the gates, having already prepared some provisions and supplies for the hunt.  Jera tried to hide the pleasure he felt at knowing the prince had said yes to the hunt, which meant he and Ursalo could continue their little tryst, but he couldn't hide his delight altogether-- he laughed and joked as always, but there was a flush in his cheeks that revealed the rest.