Stupid! That had been terrible.
Kur sank into his favorite chair and sighed. And he couldn't find that paper.
His familiar came santering up to him and jumped into his lap, both tails brushing against his nose in the process. A paper dropped into his lap as the purring cat jumped up onto his shoulders and settled around his neck.
"Thanks Quorpas," Kur scratched his familiar's chin as it smugly rubbed its head against his own.
His familiar was quite useful, as it tended to keep track of when he misplaced something. And would then fetch it when he needed it. Also, it would climb up the bookshelves to fetch him books. Or at least usually – sometimes he would wander off. But after all he was still a cat.
He took the paper to reread it. Of anything he had ever studied this was the hardest. He could learn just about any spell in a few hours, but how to talk to people was a far more difficult ability that eluded him.
And it was the only thing that Serendiah really worried about concerning him. So he had asked his best friend for help. His Tira was good with people skills when she wanted to be. And she wouldn't make fun of him.
As he read it he graded himself on how well he had done.
Smile? Check. Eye Contact? Uh, not quite. Full sentences? Yes, for once he had managed that. Good articulation? ….No. He had messed that one up when he had gotten nervous. Body language that looks like you want to be there? Probably not. So two out of five. He had improved but he was still terrible.
He wondered what Tira would say. She wouldn't laugh at him, no his precious friend would never laugh at him. Even when she teased him it was gentle.
Quorpas's purring suddenly got louder and he chuckled. He forcefully removed the cat from his shoulders and deposited in his arms instead. Burying his face in its fur, he felt happy.
So what if he was a little shy? Okay, crippingly shy was probably closer. He could get better and his closest friends understood. He did feel bad about not being able to talk to the prince of Amriel though. The guy was a guest and he was probably coming across as rude.
Oh, dear.
Well, the prince was staying here a year and there was time to make it better. If the prince had come into the library to read so soon after getting here, there was a good chance he would spend a good amount of time in her. Kur was sure that he could get better at talking to him if that was the case. He did find it easier once he got to know someone to talk to them.
Sitting back up, he folded the paper and put it into his robe pocket. The pocket was really for spell components but there was no rule saying he couldn't use it for slips of paper. Pulling a book over he began to read it.
A while later he heard the two on the other side of the bookshelf get up and leave, the door snapping shut behind them. Kur was slightly proud of the fact that they never squeaked. It might be a waste of magic but Serendiah had always said it was quite useful, practical magic.
He went back to reading his romance book. Soon he was giggling quietly over it as he cheered for the heroine and her struggles at getting the attention of her beloved. The guy was incredibly dense. It was adorable really.
"You're reading those romances again?" The smiling voice broke him out of it and he jumped, feeling a bit embarrassed about being caught.
Looking up he smiled, "Oh, hi Tira." He tried to keep his voice casual but he was aware it squeaked just a little.
She placed her bundle of books down. A smile graced the pretty half-elven girl's face. "You don't need to stop reading on my account."
��I'm the librarian. I should help you." He stood up as his cat jumped down and rubbed against her feet. "Are you getting more books?"
He managed to keep eye contact with her for a few minutes before having to advert his eyes. She had such beautiful eyes. He wished he could look at them longer.
The ranger girl accepted his help to get some more books for her small family.
Kur felt much more at ease with her than he had trying to talk to Prince Heron. Really it was easier to talk to someone he knew. Even if he did happen to have a crush on her, she was so much easier for him to talk to than someone he had only just met.