Iylldrraen smiled when he heard her melodic giggle. His eyes fell upon her, eyes full of tenderness and passion. “I love you, Aelena.”<br/><br/>He still wanted to kick himself mentally; how could it have been so difficult for him to say those words all of those years? The druid quickly shook the thoughts away, realizing that he’d already been over this, and thinking about it now was moot; they were together. He watched her movements, her fluidity, complimenting his every action. He was watching more than movements, though;  like the way that tail would swing energetically, the way those hips would shift and sway with each clopping step she took. Mostly, the way her hair danced around her shoulders, neck and face as she eagerly helped him prepare their meal together.<br/><br/>Unable to contain his love for her he stopped what he was doing, slowly, and leaned in to kiss her. It wasn’t one of those fierce kisses he’d assaulted her with earlier; no, this one was tender and affectionate, a kiss of love and gratitude. When he felt her lips, he wanted to press in hard, to pin her against the wall again, or hoist her up on the counter. He pulled back though, smiling sweetly, pausing only a moment before resuming. The duo had thrown together some of the fresh meat Rivern’s scouts had provided, as well as some of the seasonal vegetables. The clever druid had even acquired some of the water from the hot springs and made tea for the two of them.<br/><br/>Before carrying the food and drink to the small, intimate table, he pulled out a seat for Aelena. Once she was seated, and he had placed a soft kiss on her cheek, he returned with their meal. As he seated himself, Iylldrraen realized that there was no real difference here that had not existed before; the only difference was that, despite their lack of full intimacy, they were now lovers. His face strained with a smile, and he had to inhale deeply to hold back a few tears. The druid was truly overwhelmed with emotions, all thanks to this tender shaman that decided to return his age-old love.<br/><br/>Eating mostly in silence, their eyes and gestures communicating all they needed to know from each other, Iylldrraen decided to add to their plan for tonight. “I was thinking, Aelena, perhaps you should put your earth elemental on reserve near the goblin outpost. That way, should anything go wrong, it can come to your aid if I am not able.”<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>