[Pitchwife]

Coldan blushed. That happened to him all too easily; he hated it, but he just couldn't stop it.

"Vell, you see... you're a married man, Rollan, and you, Amdír, have been, so both of you should have some experience viz, er, viz vomen." He sighed deeply, exasperated with himself. "Oh, whom do I zink I'm fooling! It's about Asta, of course. I guess you've noticed how I feel about her. Manwë's teeth, I bet zere's nobody in the whole company who hasn't figured it out by now, including herself! But I heven't ze faintest how she feels about me. Most of ze time she barely seems to tolerate me, zen again she can be quite nice at times. Right now she's angry with me - vich is at least unambiguous, if not vat I'd vish for. I just don't know vat to make of her.

Yes, I know, you'll probably say I should just ask her. I've tried to, but somehow I never get around to it. It's a crying shame, really - I zought nothing of picking a fight with a veteran soldier who probably could have tied me into a knot, and boy, you should hev heard the speech I gave him! But ven it comes to Asta, my tongue is tied, my palms sweat, and I blush like a little girl. It's intolerable.

You know her quite vell, Rollan - after all, she's your sister-in-law. What do you zink, is zere a ghost of a chance that she might, you know, take a liking to me? Vat vould a man hev to be like for her to vant him?"