“Here you go miss,” the silversmith beamed as he passed his handiwork to her.
Gwenyth marveled at the engraved heartwood staff. With spiked metal cuffs at each end, cast in steel with silver filigree scrolls, it was nothing short of a masterpiece. Dannil would love it.
“Thank you, Frank!” Her gleeful reply was full of anticipation. She dug into her belt purse and counted out some coins for him. “Just a little extra for you. You know how much I appreciate it!”
He nodded appreciatively. “Anything for an elf in love!”
Her heart was so full it felt near to bursting. She waved to him and hurried out to her horse, taking a moment to carefully wrap it in spidersilk. Warm morning sun flashed off the crimson ribbon she tied at both ends. Dannil loved crimson. Maybe he would wrap it into his marriage braids. She grinned thinking about it. Her love would look good in anything.
The showy dun pranced as she strapped it to Dancer’s saddlebags. Did he know where they were headed too? There was one final thing to do.
The elf fished around in the saddle bags for a moment to pull out the map. The journey to her love’s cottage was a long way to go, but it would afford her time to practice her speech. She studied the map for one final recitation of her route and swung up onto Dancer. Time to go make the most important speech of her life!
Her trek into the woods and through The Misty Pass meant she had plenty of time to think of what she would say… but what to say?! If only love were as simple as choosing a good marriage weapon!
The sun was high in the sky by the time she decided on her speech. It was good timing, since her love’s cottage was coming into view. She urged Dancer forward to close the distance even more. So much anticipation! She couldn’t wait!!
At the sound of hoofbeats a figure poked their head through the window of the straw thatched house. It was him. The head vanished and then reappeared in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.
“Hey Sugarplum, what brings you here?” His voice was all butter and amusement. She could have swooned. He was as suave as the day they’d met.
“Dannil!” Keep cool, Gwenyth, remember your speech! But she was too excited.
“I got you this!” She blurted, launching off Dancer and pushing the wrapped staff out to him.
“What is it?” He plucked at the ribbons tentatively. The ends of his tufted eyebrows twitched in curiosity.
Gwenyth gulped. Way to stay cool. Ok, try this again. Be. Cool. Deep breaths. He eyed her with a cheeky smile.
“Dannil, as you know, I hold a deep love for you. I felt the thunderclap of feelings for you since our first skirmish defending The Misty Pass from Ice Spiders years ago.” His warm smile at the memory made her nearly forget her point again. “The— the day we met, when we were both enlisting at Summit Castle, you said it was your dream to have a staff as beautiful as me.” She giggled. “You were very sweet.”
He looked down at the staff. With reverent hands he unfurled the crimson bows on each end. His eyes widened as the spidersilk fell away to reveal the quarterstaff Gwenyth had scrimped and saved for.
“Dannil, I present this bowstaff as a sign of my love.”
“Gwenyth!” He breathed. With an expert flick of his wrist he made several swooping motions with the gift. It was a blur of flashing silver and oak, singing against the breeze. “This is a treasure!”
“Not as much of a treasure as you are to me.” She opened her mouth to continue her speech but couldn’t remember it. Not when the debonaire wood elf stood before her, grinning from ear to ear and twirling his new quarterstaff. Heat rose in her cheeks and it wasn’t just because of the midday sun. “I want to marry you. If you’ll have me.”
The twirling stopped. His eyes were amber gemstones filling her vision as he stepped closer to her. “Do you mean it?”
His earnestness threw her off guard, and she snorted. “Of course! Do you know how much a good quarterstaff costs these days?”
“Alright, alright. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
Her heart leapt and so did she. “Eeeeee! Oh Dannil, you’ve made me the happiest elf in all the land!”
His chuckle grew louder as he fumbled to keep the staff upright and also catch her. Gwenyth sighed happily. Despite all of her practice being left at the wayside and her speech forgotten, she realized it no longer mattered.
Her present was perfect, and so was Dannil.