[Smithy]

"Toral! Are you back there still!"

"Yes, Uncle!  I'm still back here," Toral replied.

The older man picked his way around the equipment in the smithy as he
made his way toward the small workshop at the back, "Everyone else has
gone home, and I was about to put out the lanterns.  Should I leave some
on?"

"Yes, please, Uncle."

Baylor Smith stood in the doorway of the workshop and put his hands on
his hips, "What's so important that you're burning the midnight oil?"

"Nothing much," Toral replied flatly, "Just a small project I'm working
on."

"It's something for Merry, no doubt.  Probably something very special."

"Uncle," Toral gasped.

"Come now lad, don't even try to fool me.  Your father may be a better
smith, he doesn't know people.  I know people, and I know when a lad is
smitten.  You look like me when I was your age."

Toral blushed slightly, "Is that when you met Aunt Loranna?"

"Hevens no!  There was a young woman who was a beautiful as a sunset in
the mountains.  I was absolutely taken with her.  I followed her around
like a puppy."

"What happened?"

Baylor chuckled as the memories cam back to him, "She may have been
beautiful, but she had the personality of a warthog.  She was always on
edge and took offense at everything anyone would say.  I quickly became
un-smitten and left her to an aspiring merchant.  Last I heard he had
married her and she was enjoying making him miserable."

Toral laughed, "So you got lucky."

"Aye, lad, I did.  I suspect you've been bitten by the bug that makes
men fall in love, as well."

"It certainly seems that way."

"Well, it's lasted longer that that relationship of mine did, so that's
a good sign.  Now what are you making her?"

Toral sighed, "I don't suppose you'll leave me alone until I show you,
will you?"

"Lad, I didn't become a sucessful businessman by leaving when people
asked me to."

"I didn't think so," Toral said stepping aside and letting his uncle see
his work.

Baylor examined his progress, sighed, and said, "Lad, I've got something
that will cost you a couple of day's work.  It's been in the family
quite a while, and I think it'll enhance the finished product."

"Oh?" Toral asked quite interested.

"Stop by the house tomorrow on the way in.  I'll give it to you then."

***
[Traveler's Rest - Two days later]

"Issic, have you seen Toral today?" Merry asked.

"No," Issic replied shaking his head.  He put down the glass he was
drying and said, "In fact, I haven't seen him for a couple of days.  Is
there anything wrong between you two?"

"Not that I know of," Merry replied, "Although he did seem distracted
when I saw him last."

"Why don't you go over and see him now?" Issic suggested, "It's quiet
here now, and I can handle things for a little while."

Merry smiled slightly, "I'll be back shortly."

***
[Smithy]

Baylor Smith held the small tongs very still while Toral heated the
metal carefully with the iron he had removed from the fire moments
before.  "Heat it a little, and carefully bend it into position.  If it
takes two or three passes to get the alignment correct it's OK."

"Slow and gentle.  I've heard that for two days now, Uncle."

"Remember, this is a work of art, not a gear for some machine.  It will
make it easier to take your Uncle's coaching."

"I remember."

"So have you told your father yet?" Baylor asked.

"No," Toral admitted, "The time hasn't seemed right yet."

"It will have to seem right soon."

Toral nodded, then his head jerked up as he heard his name being
called.  He looked at what he was doing, then he looked at his Uncle,
"What am I going to do?"

Baylor smiled and gently handed the tongs to Toral, "Don't move, I'll be
right back."

"Toral!" Merry called again.

Baylor stepped out of the workshop, and said, "He's in there Merry."

"Oh good," she said walking in his direction.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go in to see him."

"Why not?" Merry demanded.

"I really can't explain it.  But he will see you tonight."

"Is that enough time?" Toral's voice drifted out of the workshop.

"It'll have to be," Baylor called over his shoulder.  "What time is good
for you, Merry?"

"9 o'clock.  It's after the dinner hour, and the Rest quiets down,"
Merry replied wondering what was going on.

"Then he'll meet you at the rest at 9.  Now if you'll excuse us, my
nephew and I have work to do," Baylor, turned, dissapeared through the
workshop door, and shut it in Merry's face.

Merry considered knocking on it and yelling, but after a moment she
chose to simply storm out of the smithy.

***
[Traveller's Rest]

"Good evening Merry," Toral said smiling.

"Is it," she asked while wiping down the bar.  She noticed that he had
bathed recently and he smelled particularly nice.

"I think it is," he replied, "I want to apologize for my uncle."

"The only one who could apologize for your uncle is him."

"Then you aren't upset with me over him closing the door on you like
that.  I wanted to apologize right then, but I had my hands full," Toral
said.

"Full with what?" Merry asked.

Toral sighed, "Come walk with me, Merry."

She looked into his eyes and saw something she couldn't identify, "Ok. 
Issic, I'll be back in a little while."

"We won't wait up, Merry," Issic replied with a grin.

She threw her towel at him and offered her hand to Toral.  They left the
Rest and walked along the street enjoying the cool night air.

"Merry, the last few weeks I've felt more wonderful than I've ever
felt.  There were some raised eyebrows, but I decided that I didn't
care.  I still don't."

"People always talk about other people.  After a while you stop
listening."

"I did stop listening to people, but mainly because they were drowned
out by what my heart was saying."

He stopped by the fountain in the center of town, and turned to face
her.  He released her hand and fumbled in the pocket of his coat for a
moment before pulling out a small box.

Merry looked at the box, then at Toral's face, and finally back at the
box.  "What is it?"

Toral lifted the lid off the box, and held it up so the moonlight would
shine on the contents.  Merry saw a finely carved golden ring.  Set at
the top of the ring was an oval emerald.

Merry gasped, and looked back up at Toral.

"Merry," he said, "will you marry me?"

NRPG:
Kris: TAG?!?

To be honest I came up with this on the spur of the moment.  I have no
idea what happens next, and Kris didn't know this was coming.  Kris, fit
this in the time line where you want.

Respectfuly Submitted,
Toral Smith of Ralengarde
Alton Reich
-- 
			Alton & Elizabeth Reich
			  alton.reich@snet.net
"Ani l'dodi, v'dodi li - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine"
--The Song of Songs