Heart Over Sword

Standing out with his large form and beard, Axel wanted nothing more than to hide, especially with all the glamourous, striking, elven men and ladies dancing, laughing and chatting like angels. Alright, the men he wasn’t too bothered by. They all looked like slightly manly women, except for Garrett, of course.

Between a few humans and the elves, though, he was an absolute giant. Without his axes, Axel was a little self-conscious. That was until Nariel, who spoke to him earlier, popped up like some sort of daisy. Axel jumped back at her sudden appearance. Nariel was not scared, but his heart raced. Maybe that was the overly sweet wine? Or it might be because Nariel was a little stunner, and that stunner was looking up at him with those big doe-like eyes.

Did he really have a shot with someone like Nariel? If he did, the gods had blessed him fiercely.

"Axel, tell me, have you travelled far?" Nariel asked in that cinnamon-sweet voice of hers. Cinnamon because he loved cinnamon rolls, and this elven lady was someone he was beginning to have a sweet tooth for.

"And do not say Dunhurst!" Nariel slapped his arm in a friendly manner, her smile lighting up her features as she craned her neck to stare up at him. "I know you are from there, but you look as though you are well travelled."

The corners of Axel’s lips twitched up, intrigued by the elf who was taking such an interest in him. "What makes you say that?" Axel asked curiously, leaning slightly forward and unknowingly charming the wits out of Nariel. He was not a smooth talker like Ronan, nor did he have the looks of Ronan or Ger, but his warm rumble of a voice shot straight through Nariel like bait to a fish.

Nariel did not care. She was already utterly smitten with this mountain man. Leaning closer to the giant, lured in like a moth to a flame, Nariel whispered, "*Because your eyes speak of tales that I wish to hear.*"

"I’m sorry I do not understand Muranthian," Axel replied, feeling like a fool and wishing he’d asked Evanna to teach him a few sayings. At least then, he could try to impress Nariel.

Nariel waved her hand. "*In time, I will teach you.*" Axel tilted his head to the side, still unsure about what she said. Her smile was mischievous, and he found himself smiling back at her even though he did not understand her words, but that look behind her eyes kept him captivated. He could not look away. "It is your eyes," she added. "They are full of intelligence."

"Pfft, really?!" Ronan laughed from his seat at a table where two elven ladies sat by his side. Axel glared in his direction. He should have sat down to remain hidden, but he didn’t want to disturb Ronan or speak with one of the ladies who was overly flirtatious. Her goal seemed to be to try to take one of the humans to bed.

Axel was suspicious of that, yet he did not get the same intuition towards Nariel. There was a genuine interest from her. He didn’t understand it, but he wasn’t going to turn her away.

Nariel’s hand caressed the side of Axel’s cheek as she redirected his attention back to her, those dark brown eyes warm as she said, "Really. Tell me, Axel."