When the impossible happened and Asta kissed him in an instant that shattered his world and made it new, Coldan was for a mere fraction of a second too gobsmacked to react. But then his arms went around her, pressing her against his chest, and he returned the kiss with all the dammed up passion of three years of hopeless yearning -
- or rather, he would have, if Harrenon, whom he hadn't so much as noticed all the time, hadn't picked that very moment to interrupt them. Cursing under his breath, he turned to Harrenon, who prepared to make an awkward retreat as soon as he realized what had been going on, while Asta pulled away from him with a smoldering look in her eyes that presaged little good for the young Gondorian. His only consolation was seeing somebody else blush and stutter in embarrassment for a change.
"No, vait", he sighed, holding Harrenon back by his shirtsleeve. "I vas going to talk to you anyway. Asta, don't kill him yet - ve need him." He grabbed Harrenon's shoulders and brought the two of them face to face, willing him to overcome his befuddlement and concentrate. "Now, Harry, zink - ven vas ze last time you saw Aldarion? Any idea vere he vent zis morning? And did you do vat I asked you last night - you know, about Sador?"
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