Being alone among the elves made Bartlett feel uneasy.
He sat on a circular bench surrounding a rainbow eucalyptus tree, legs crossed, leaning against the backrest, trying his best to appear natural.
The multicolored bark of the eucalyptus tree grew in the middle of a wide, straight road. On either side was a row of jacarandas, full of purple-blue blossoms. The dense jacaranda canopy curved and intertwined, forming a vaulted shade overhead, giving off a serene and mysterious atmosphere.
Graceful male and female elves occasionally passed by, and almost every pedestrian would cast curious glances at him. Bartlett was all too familiar with their gazes, akin to those humans give when watching a dancing bear in a circus - curious, astonished, yet superior.
If someone would throw a few gold coins my way, I wouldn't mind dancing a bit, Bartlett mocked himself. Though I don't dance very well, at least I'm better than the bears in the circus.
