[Novnarwen]

The blessings of Rhais, he says, the Priest thought melancholically; I would rather not have any of her blessings or anything else for that matter.. It is a wicked goddess..

All of a sudden, he felt the urge to nudge the female next to him hard in the ribs. A man had just greeted them, but Tarkan didn't know this Elf. Did Zamara? If it was her acquaintance, then she should say something, not wait for him to speak. All three of them were silent, as if petrified by the loo of each other. He gave her a reproaching look, before turning to the stranger, deciding upon doing his best to seem civilized. It was only appropriate that he should greet this man also. After all, it was great to know that someone obviously knew him without himself knowing who this elf was.

"I do not believe I've had the honour of meeting you earlier," he said quietly, not knowing if that was for the best or not. He knew though, that new acquaintances could not be bad. The Priest had always liked Elves in general. They were some fascinating creatures. They were tall and firm, had a nice body structure, usually beautiful, pointed ears and all of them expressed a certain confidence that the Priest admired. This elf was a perfect example of a typical elf. His stature was great, and knowing that, the Priest could already by then guess what his position with the King was. He was fair, yet his age seemed to have a good grasp of him. Yet his eyes, vague but blue, and his black hair reflected youth. ”I do believe I have seen you, though..." He smiled faintly, digesting all the first impressions. He continued politely, "Yes, it comes back to me now. You're the King's favourite General!" The male Priest laughed gently, acknowledging the Elf’s position, expressing admiration. Zamara didn't move; he could see her out of the corner of his eye. By the look she sent him, she seemed to be surprised by the Priest’s behaviour, so polite and merry.

"Thank you, High Priest, but you're too kind," The elf answered humbly, his cheeks turning slightly red.

The ringing tune of the elf's voice calling him 'High Priest', for the second time, made him want to get to his knees and praise Rea. He restrained himself from looking happy or surprised by this and spoke hastily; "Let us not be too solemn by using such formal names; it only emphasizes our differences rather than our similarities, which are, I believe, far more important. We must set our focus on the King today, and this Emissary,” he explained eagerly; “Tarkan will do for tonight, kind Sir." Not knowing whether he should include Zamara in the conversation or not, he grew afraid that he would appear manipulative or arrogant if he didn’t. Also worried about the fact she could point out that Tarkan had received a title he did not earn, he was hesitant whether he should giver her the chance to speak. He turned his gaze to Zamara, and found her looking at him as if in wonder.

The Priest had turned from being a cold and sorrowful man, into being a man filled with merriment. His eyes shone with pleasure and delight, expressing satisfaction, but also confidence and a certain degree of happiness. He looked questioningly at Zamara. She nodded carefully, "I do agree. At this banquet, which is held in the honour of the newly arrived Emissary, it is important to focus on the King support him."

"Now, I beg you please ... Will you tell me who this Emissary is? I have not had the privilege to meet him yet, though, I'm already very curious about his coming. Do you know what he wants with the King, or are you as ignorant about the matter as I am?" he questioned the elf as fast as he could after Zamara had closed her mouth, not allowing her to say anything further.

The Priest smiled weakly, paying attention to the male Elf who told all he knew thus far. He listened attentively, but only with one ear. The woman next to him, stood still. By the look of her, she was still surprised, but he was not convinced any longer that it was for the better. If he could have penetrated through her mind and seen her thoughts, he would have done so instantly. The two of them had never had a good relationship. The truth was that Tarkan was envious of her position in the Temple. It was not that he adored Rhais over all, such as Zamara did, but the position in itself ‘High Priest' was something he truly longed for. He was just a Priest, and so the elf had greeted Tarkan wrongly, using a formal title he did not even have. He hadn't lied, the male Priest assured himself; he had told him that his name would do; he had only chosen not to mention that he wasn't a High Priest. If the elf eventually found out, he had nothing to approach the poor creature of.

The male elf finished his sentence, letting his gaze wander uneasily around. The Priest nodded carefully; satisfied by the little info he had gained. "You seem anxious to leave. Pardon me from keeping you here; I did not mean to. Please forgive me . . ." he said, in a desperate try to get he elf moving again away from Zamara and the humiliation of being just a man without a particularly great position.