~
In the weeks after the funeral, Zhallad was still in the tavern after everyone else had gone, but he wasn’t drinking anything. Hinfane was changing the dressing on his wounds. Rolling the bandage about his shoulder while glancing at his face from the corner of her eye, Hinfane said, “Well, Zhallad, you’re keeping me awake tonight, but not spending any money.”
When she had finished, Zhallad stood up rather clumsily, for the burns on his chest were still giving him pain, and said, “Hinfane, I realise it’s not very long since your husband died. But this business with the elf-mage caused me to start thinking differently about everything. We only have one life, Hinfane. We only get one chance at getting things right, and for all we know this adventure could end at any moment, like it did for Huch. And, then, well, I’d been thinking about things, you see, to do with you and I, and…”
Hinfane said, “Come on, Zhallad, spit it out! My bed is calling to me.” Yet, even so, there was nowhere else she would rather be than staring at his handsome features, as she watched him stumbling to find the words for whatever it was he was trying to say.
“Well, you see, Hinfane, that’s just it. You’re on your own now, I’m all alone as well. We sleep alone in our beds.” Zhallad looked directly at her in a way that she found immediately quite disconcerting, yet the moment their eyes met her heart leapt, as well, and in that moment she knew, even though she feared to believe that something so wonderful could be true.
Hinfane turned away and began tidying up the medicine cabinet and putting things away, trying not to hope that what she had seen in his eyes was true - he felt the same - and she said, “What on earth are you talking about, Zhallad? What are you trying to get at? I’m beginning to have the idea that you’re propositioning me, and while it’s not entirely... unwelcome, the thought that anyone might be interested in me, at this late stage in life is…” Completely incredible. A wonderful thought. Too good to be true.
“You don’t have a husband any more. I don’t have a wife. I always admired – really, loved you, your strength… Hinfane, would you ever consider… someone else? Would you ever think of me in that special way?” Zhallad’s hand was on hers, and she realised that she liked the feeling of his strong fingers resting on hers.
But Hinfane gazed at him with such a puzzled, surprised expression that he turned away and said, “No, that’s alright, forget it. It doesn’t matter. I understand - my attentions are unwanted.”
But she took his hand in hers and said, “Zhallad, wait. I never considered that anyone would want me in… that way, ever again…” Then with great warmth and affection she said, “If anyone was to be… belong to me again, I mean – I would be... very glad if it was you… Very, very glad.” Still unsure whether her answer was merely hypothetical, he helped Hinfane close up the tavern for the night, and they said no more of it then. But when he was standing at the door she reached forward and kissed him, sensually and passionately, and then he knew.