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The girl walked into the tavern with a free step that swung her arms instead of her hips*. She had hair that was curly and long, which she wore loose down her back, it was a pretty shade of brown with red highlights. She was not tall, only about 5 foot six or so, but her stature made her appear taller. Her eyes were hazel and her nose actually on the large size though it framed her oval face well. Her lips were curved like bows, but slightly small and her ears had a startling appearance about them, the very tip pity tips were pointed like a horses'. All the men hailed her as Ro' or Rowan and smiled all the greater as they clustered about her. Rowan's clothing was not fine, and looked like she spent the better part of her day trying to keep them from looking worse than they did. She greeted each man individually and looked earnestly into his eyes as if searching to see something that may or may not have been there. Eventually the men let her sit down and they all resumed the conversations they were having before she had arrived. Rowan approached the bar and asked Oisin for a tankard of fresh water. Daoine had been quietly waiting in the background, watching her, but now he had to get more drinks for his patrons. Daoine walked slowly up to Oisin who was chatting away with Rowan and timidly cleared his throat for Oisin's attention. Oisin immediately looked up and laughed, "My dear Rowan, I have forgotten to introduce my special friend Daoineâ€|." At this Oisin looked embarrassed at having been caught not knowing his "special friend's" last name. "FosterChild." Supplied Daoine, who didn't really speak, but mumbled. "ForestChild? Why that's the most wonderful name I have ever heard. Imagine, to be a child of the forest, how lucky you are." Rowan's voice was low and not very feminine, slightly throaty, very soothing and wise sounding. She looked into Daoine's eyes and something passed over them, as a shadow had passed over Oisin's face when he and Daoine had spoke the first time. But Rowan did not look into Daoine "ForestChild"'s eyes for nearly as long as the other men's. Daoine was tempted to tell her that she had heard wrong when she said his name was "ForestChild", but he stopped. How was he supposed to explain who his "foster" was? And why did he have a foster at all? Questions of his background that even Oisin would not be able to quiet would arise. 'Better she think she heard right, I did mumble anyway.' Daoine thought to himself, 'It's safer this way.' At the end of Daoine's self-consultation, which only took a few fractions of a second, Rowan turned on her heal and strode over to a table where the six men the size of ox hailed her welcome. "She likes you, you know, she must to leave so quick." Oisin supplied as
an answer to Daoine's unasked question. "Womenfolk always get nervous around
men they like, even a sheila such as Ro' acts like a woman on occasion. Would
you like to know a bit about her 'fore you start your courtin' and the like?"
Oisin more grinned these last words out from between his tongue and teeth
rather than say them. Daoine kept looking at Rowan as if he had no ears at
all, and never heard Oisin's embarrassing speech. "Yesâ€|I would like to know
her, but do not tell me anything she would not like me to know." Daoine
replied at length. Then he quickly snapped out of his trance and collected
refills for the men drunk enough to think they were still sober.
---*Thanx to the band CAKE from whose lyrics I took that sentance.
 
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