Stein is whisked away

Stein choked, “Ana!”

Ana smiled weakly. “Stein.”

It was not that she disliked Stein, but she could not understand why Sophie would so rudely steal Eadwyn away from a conversation with her. Since she had arrived at Nothelm, Sophie had been as friendly as ever. Surely Sophie could not wish her ill. Surely Sophie could have nothing against Eadwyn. Unless it was jealousy?

She did not think Sophie could yet know what had happened at her house the previous afternoon. Sophie had stayed at Nothelm that night, and only Eadwyn and Leofwine knew what had happened. Unless Eadwyn himself had told her? It was true that Eadwyn was Leofwine’s friend… or had been…

“What just happened here?” Stein asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I was talking to Eadwyn, and then, suddenly…”

“Sophie happened!”

Ana smiled. “That’s right.”

“I’m not certain Eadwyn knows what hit him yet, either.”

“I think he does now,” Ana laughed. She pointed behind him, where Sophie and Eadwyn were engaged in a pretend fistfight.

Stein said, “Oh! I see she wasn’t joking about the fight.”

“Sophie is always serious, even when she’s joking.”

“I never know what she’s seriously thinking, though,” Stein said. “She’s too crazy for me.”

“Me too, sometimes.”

“So.” He coughed and straightened his collar. “We haven’t danced or kissed or fought yet tonight. So take your pick.”

Ana laughed. “I don’t even know how to fight,” she admitted. Then she winced as she remembered that she had proven the truth of that statement only the day before.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to kiss or dance. I saw you do both tonight.”

“I’m better at dancing than kissing.”

“That’s too bad, because my talents run the other way: I’m best at fighting, and then kissing, and then dancing.”

“Oh! That’s a problem.”

“Not truly. It sounds like we meet in the middle with the kissing.”

“Oh!” Ana laughed, a little flustered.

“And, you know…” Stein and pointed up at the cluster of mistletoe that hung over their heads.

“And you know what else?” she giggled. She pointed behind his shoulder, whereupon he immediately felt the insistent tapping of a tiny, Lili-​scented finger.