<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/EnaqY2i.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/wuXWCt8.jpg)</div><br/>Tehr enjoyed the feel of the Halfling community as he passed from Ravos hall through the town.  He smiled as he walked, using his elaborate quarterstaff as a walking stick.  The halfling people seemed to be moving at a slower pace than residents of Londinium, and he noticed several bowing, and quite a few staring.  He was forced to wonder how many of those smiling or staring were doing so because they were at the magical duel this morning.  In fact, he had to consider that some of those stares might be people who were affected by his magic earlier.  Then again, in fairness, some of the smiles might be for that exact thing as well.<br/><br/>The inn at the center of town was quite large, and obviously was built for travelers of a taller height then the local halflings.  Weathered stone made up the walls of the building and as Tehr approached the main doors, which swung on well oiled hinges he saw the name of the inn on a plaque by the door.  "The Coach House huh?"  Tehr muttered as he saw the image of a gentleman driving a pair of horses on a carriage.  "Not terribly subtle."<br/><br/>With that he pushed into common room of the inn.  Like most every inn that Tehr had ever seen, the first floor of the inn appeared to have a large open common area on the first floor.  Tables spread out for dining, drinking, or socializing, and even a small stage raised about a foot higher than the rest of the floor, sitting in the far corner of the room..  Likely for minstrels or the like, though it was empty at the moment save a single high topped table and two high bar stools next to it.  Tehr glanced about, but the Elven man had spotted him at the doorway first.<br/><br/>The elven man waved in greeting, and gestured Tehr to come close.  Tehr had been hoping to speak to this man, Duke Caelor, or the amazon he'd fought this morning.  So he smiled and made his way to the table.  The duke made no move to stand, but instead gestured for Tehr to join him as the man ate a late lunch.  Tehr noted that the elven man was wearing next to nothing, and was not surprised knowing that the Hlaford family sometimes dressed as such, practically half naked by polite standards.  It was an elven custom and style of dress that Tehr's parents had often emulated.  Tehr took a seat and carefully leaned his quarterstaff against the wall nearby.<br/><em><br/>"Master Tehr ir'Wynt, I had heard of your visit here but didn't expect that I'd first see you in a fight quite like that.</em>The duke said as Tehr settled into his seat.  Tehr smiled and chuckled lightly in return, first seen indeed.<br/><br/>"Yes," Tehr said clearing his throat slightly, pretending to be embarassed, though he wasn't really. "Well, I certainly hadn't expected my display of magical skill to be a display of my phisique.  I can promise you that.  But I suppose when we set foot into the arena, well....."  He trailed off<br/><br/>The duke smiled again and chuckled lightly and quoted, "But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane<br/>In proving foresight may be vain:<br/>The best laid schemes o' mice an' men<br/>Gang aft a-gley,<br/>An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,<br/>For promised joy."<br/><br/>Tehr smiled, "Robert Burns, aye?"  To which the duke nodded as he popped a morsel of food into his mouth.  Tehr chuckled, already liking this nobleman for his casual sparring and said, "But odd that a proud Welsh nobleman like yourself would sully his tongue with the words of a scottsman."  He smiled and the duke laughed, recognizing the simple jab towards the northern folk.  For it was only a few hours ago that he'd been defeated in combat by a woman from the north.  But Tehr's tone and meaning were obviously not meant in insult, more in shared recognition of defeat.  "I'd think that you'd prefer a bard from your neck of the woods."<br/><br/>Tehr paused for a moment as he recalled the exact passage, "I always liked the welsh bard, Edward Thomas, his poems sometimes bordered on bawdy."  Tehr cleared his throat and recited, "...At Mrs. Greenland's Hawthorn Bush' said he, 'I slept.' Though none knew which bush."<br/><br/>Duke Caelor laughed and lightly clapped his hands, "Indeed!  Devilish that Thomas, he, oh, but here comes my daughter finally!"<br/><br/>Tehr turned and stood looking in the direction the duke was looking.  It was then that time itself had seemed to stop.  Tehr had bedded the most powerful woman in the world, the queen of the most powerful realm in the world.  He'd been nearly blinded by the unearthly beauty of a forest nymph.  He'd been blessed with a houseful of beautiful and horny women that seemed eager to jump into bed at a moment's notice.  He'd deflowered young women and bedded their much more experienced mothers.  He'd seen the amazing ability of a halfling taking his substantial shaft, and he'd experienced the pleasure of a pleasant meal with an attractive dwarven woman.  His whole life he'd grown up around half elven women who were clearly gorgeous.  But until that moment, as Tehr turned and stood, and saw the woman descending the staircase, did he think to himself that he'd ever truly laid eyes on beauty at all.<br/><br/>Her hair seemed to almost glow a silvery platinum white, catching every ray of light that came through the windows and seeming to hold it for a moment before reflecting it.  Her face was angelic, almost unearthly, every line perfection, every curve sculpted.  Her eyes wide and shining, lined with dark color that offset her pale white beauty, were deep pools of grey that drank in the room.  Her nose like the rest of her features fine and delicate, seemingly crafted by a porcelain smith.  Her lips wide and full, tinted red with what Tehr assumed was just a hint of makeup.  She was dressed in a gown of cream and white, with lace and ruffles, though far simpler then was in style at the time.  Her own dress while modest enough caused her breasts to spill upwards into a generous decolletage that seemed to invite Tehr to tear the dress from her and feast upon her sumptuous curves.  Earrings winked from beneath her pointed ears and her arms were bedecked with a cream colored stocking that was more fishnet then cloth.<br/><br/>All of this  Tehr took in and memorized, the vision of her descending the stair case burning into his memory permanently in a single breath.  In fact, Tehr realized that he'd been holding his breath.  Letting it out in a gasp, he realized that she was looking right at him, smiling as she closed the last few feet to the table.  He realized too that the Duke had been speaking, but he'd missed what the man had said as time sped up to catch back up to the frozen moment he'd shared.<br/><br/>Tehr blinked and the duke's words finally made sense.  "...my dear Rosalyn, this is Master Tehr ir'Wynt.  The young man we saw this morning at the duel."<br/><br/>Tehr couldn't tear his eyes from the woman, he knew he was staring but he didn't care.  This went beyond a sexual desire, this was no spell of charm, this was something Tehr had no experience with.  So it was not surprising that he completely failed to recall the elven rights of noble greetings.  Instead he simply reached out to the woman and took her hand.  Pulling it towards him he bent low over her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles.  He spoke before he even rose from the bow, "It is my greatest honor to meet you miss.  I am humbled by your presence and..."  Tehr realized he was at a loss for words.<br/><br/>He stood up and looked her in her eyes, they twinkled, and he hoped it was with amusement, and said simply, "My name is Tehr, may I hold your chair?"  He winced as he realized how lame that sentence sounded, the unintended rhyme making him seem foolish to his own mind at least.  But he gestured to a chair, hoping that she'd join the duke and himself for a meal.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">http://kultasuu.deviantart.com/art/II-Ohla-Telesiel-268291201 (http://kultasuu.deviantart.com/art/II-Ohla-Telesiel-268291201)<br/>Possible image of duke Caelor?<br/><br/><br/>Knowledge nobility roll for Tehr to know about Duke Caelor<br/>Roll Result: rhev rolled: 1d20, adding 10to the total<br/>Comment: knowledge nobility<br/>Result: 18, <br/>Total: 28<br/><br/><br/>http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-best-laid-schemes-of-mice-and-men.html (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-best-laid-schemes-of-mice-and-men.html)</div></div>