A HANDOUT FOR HER

"I guess it's time to get married," High Elf Archer said, as if it hardly mattered to her. Her long ears jumped as she spoke.

The sunlight pouring through the window brought with it an oppressive afternoon heat.

It was summer.

This was not adventuring weather by anyone's standards. If there wasn't a pressing need to earn enough money to eat, nobody would have willingly gone out in the scorching heat.

Being in the tavern, however, wasn't much better. Several dozen people were still wearing their gear, something they felt compelled to do given their status as adventurers. The collective body heat was stifling, hot enough to give the sunlight a run for its money.

The lingering humidity left drinks tepid; people took dainty sips to make them last. No one in their right mind had any interest in moving.

That was when one adventurer came bursting in, sweat dripping down her forehead and a bag at her side.

"Hello, everyone! Postal delivery!"

This was not unusual. The delivery of urgent letters was a common form

of employment for adventurers. From her place at the front desk, Guild Girl

signaled several of the tavern's occupants, who came rushing up. Each letter carried its own tidings.

"Ugh! They're foreclosing... Gimme a break already!"

"That's because you went into debt just to buy your equipment, idiot." "Hah! My little sister had a kid! I'll have to go see her after one more

adventure."

"Whoa, take that back! You know saying a line like that is a sure way to die, right?"

"Huh, a personal summons from the capital. Awesome. This is a good

Sign."

"So, another...date. A trip. It's...been a while."

Demands for repayment, letters from home, urgent quests, and so on. Perhaps it was the heat that made everyone overlook High Elf Archer's words in the midst of all this chatting and trading of information.

A single piece of paper is sometimes called a leaf, but the letter High Elf Archer had received was literally written on an actual leaf. It was covered in a beautiful, flowing script in the elf language; High Elf Archer looked it over and then nodded to herself.

"I guess it's time to get married," High Elf Archer said, as if it hardly mattered to her. Her long ears twitched as she spoke.

There was a moment of silence where all the occupants of the room. looked at everyone else, trying to comprehend what they'd just heard.

The chatter in the Adventurers Guild exploded with the force of a bomb. Dwarf Shaman spat out his wine; Lizard Priest stuck out his long tongue and hissed, "Oh-ho!"

"Say again?" Guild Girl asked, while beside her, Inspector's eyes were

agleam. "Time for what?!" Female Knight demanded, rising to her feet. "Hey," Heavy Warrior said, a look of resignation on his face as he pulled on her sleeve.

Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric pretended to pay no attention, but it was obvious they were listening.

"Wha Wha" Priestess kept repeating, her hand to her mouth and her face growing red-and her eyes sparkling.

In all of this commotion, three words could be heard:

"Is that so?"

Goblin Slayer spoke with his usual indifference.

"To whom?"

"An older male cousin of mine," High Elf Archer responded, still completely calm. She waved her hand and smiled. "Talk about a shock. 1 never would've imagined it'd be with someone as straitlaced as him!"

"Hmm," Goblin Slayer said, nodding. "So-"

"Congratulations!" Priestess, her voice full of emotion and her face wreathed in a smile, leaned out toward High Elf Archer. She grasped the elf's hands, speaking from the bottom of her heart. "Um, do elves have wedding

ceremonies like we do? If it's all right-" "Of course! And it's for a member of the chieftain's family, so this is gonna be a big one. By all means, come!"

"Sheesh," Dwarf Shaman said, shooting a sidelong glance at the gabbing girls. He had finally managed to mop up the wine he'd spit out, wring out his beard, and pour himself a new cup. "And here I thought the twilight of the

elves had come early, what with her being the chieftain's daughter."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Lizard Priest slapped his tail happily against the floor. "Thus have the elder ever thought of the younger."

"Bah! I'm sure I'm actually younger than she is."

So...was getting married at two thousand years old considered early or late for the elves? Ignoring the dwarf's perplexed expression, Lizard Priest took a regretful

bite of his cheese. "I suppose this means bidding farewell to our mistress ranger. Ah, a lonely day that shall be..."

"? Why would you bid me farewell?"

"Mm. Will you not become rather busy?"

"There won't be any kids coming along for at least another two or three hundred years." Who gets pregnant during their first couple of decades? High Elf Archer looked a little pouty.

"Gracious, elves do measure time on a grand scale, don't they?" Lizard Priest muttered when he heard her speak of spans almost beyond his

imagining. "Well, we're practically immortal. What, aren't lizardmen?"

"Princes, in fact, are allowed only one egg, but for us the pattern is beborn, multiply, live, kill, then die."

"The cycle's important, isn't it?" Spin, spin. High Elf Archer drew a circle in the air with a slender finger. In this respect, the elves and the lizards, who both abided strictly by nature, had something in common. One might love battle and the other not, and one might be immortal and the other mortal, but life and death came to them just the same.

"Huh..." Priestess made a noise, apparently still a bit confused. Souls went up to heaven, where the gods resided, and where they received many comforts. Once in a while, such a soul might return to the board, but this was somewhat outside the cycle of nature.

"But," Priestess asked, tilting her head, "do elf husbands normally let their wives go all over and do dangerous things after they get married?"

"Uh-uh! No way my cousin would permit that." High Elf Archer laughed and waved her hand. "He was in love at first sight, I'm sure. Even though he's so serious and hardheaded... Actually, maybe that's exactly the reason."

"Er... Come again?" Priestess put a finger to her lip. "Hmm." Something about this conversation wasn't making sense.

It feels a little...off. Like we're talking past one another.

"So," Goblin Slayer said, coming back into the discussion so suddenly that High Elf Archer found herself blinking. "Who is getting married?"

"Oh, my older sister."

"Coulda said that a li'l sooner, ya Anvil!" Dwarf Shaman gave her a

scolding slap on the behind. "Wha?!" High Elf Archer went from flummoxed to angry, her ears pointing straight back. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Just what do you think

you're doing?!"

"What's this? First I've ever heard of an anvil that can't stand being hit!"

"You're the worst!" By this point, she had completely abandoned anything resembling the dignity normally associated with a high elf. "This is why I hate dwarves! You... You beer barrel!"

"I thought I told you it's called being full-bodied, and we appreciate it!" And they were off. Priestess was used to these sudden explosions of

bickering by now. She held her mug in both hands, taking little sips of her

lemon water, which was practically a tepid drink by now.

"If we're going to be guests...we'll have to get her a gift or something."

"Is that so?" Goblin Slayer nodded. He crossed his arms and fell silent for