Fer almost chuckled at Cole’s fatherly explanation regarding the woes and dangers of not conforming to social norms when Rivia eagerly stated he would teach the pair of heroes.  Perhaps the Sword was younger than he but in this short time, his partner had seemed to mature into a veritable hero.  In essence Cole was the de facto father  figure. Then again, perhaps the blonde lad had always been this stoic and weight of the world on his shoulders type of guy.  It occurred to him that he knew practically nothing of his fellow hero.  The idea did not sit well with him.  Their whole group was built upon trust and blind faith. 

The shield shook his head to clear it of the dark thoughts that were starting to take roots in his mind.  Cole’s explanation regarding the sensitivity of nobles did not help any.  Here was a young lady basically willing to risk her life in defense of a kingdom which had people that cared only for appearances.  Unconsciously he squeezed the wolf girl’s hand slightly.  He felt a sort of kinship with Rivia.  He had felt the same looks fall upon him merely for being the user of the shield. 

His companion’s smile warmed even his heart.  Not really because he was inspired by his speech but because he knew that Cole believed every word he was saying.  Fer was beginning to believe that his mission was not only to conquer the waves and return home but to ensure that Cole lived up to the expectations he was putting on himself.  After all, a shield is meant to protect.  Be it soft flesh or heroic dreams. 
Speaking of dreams, it seemed that the wolf girl had dreams of her own.  What those dreams could be, Fer did not know but he could guess that they had to do with victory and glory.  The almost innocent smile on her face made him remember his own little brother.  He had been full of dreams.  Again his hand squeezed Rivia’s unconsciously.  Was he perhaps feeling some sort of sadness and fear for the girl’s future?  

He sensed the young wolf girl looking up at him and even his tanned face became red but he did not let go.  The young hero had interlaced his fingers on hers to show solidarity.  It suddenly occurred to him that this was the way lovers held hands while walking round the central town plaza after Sunday service or during a Fair night.  His cheeks felt impossibly hot and he turned away from the tilted questioning head of Rivia. 

Thankfully Cole came to the rescue, ever the hero.  Apparently his speech inspired the demi human who whole heartedly agreed with his blonde companion’s decry of being the protectors of the realm and the victors of the waves to come.  The distraction was enough to allow Fer to let go of the young girl’s hand as smoothly as he could. 

[color=9e0b0f]"Then can Ferr and Cole teach Rivia? Human dances that is. Rivia wants to fit in and not be a nuisance or hassle. It's what Father always wanted." [/color]

It appeared his retreat would not be as so easily attained.  He had hoped to let Cole take lead.  It seemed he was comfortable around girls.  Fer, despite his outward behavior, was not too comfortable around the fairer sex.  In fact, the only reason why he was able to function with Auriel around was because he saw her as an devine being more than a female.  

Rivia had also been a safe bet to be around.  Rough and tomboyish with her cute ears and fluffy tail she seemed more of a pet than a girl.  It was not until he noticed he how his hand holding could be misconstrued and her looking up at him with her big grey eyes and soft face that he acknowledged she was a girl.  The young shield had been all for dancing and cavorting to enjoy the festivities that were supposedly in their honor.  But now, his confidence was slowly deserting him like sand trickling out a sack cloth bag with a tear in it.
 
[color=9e0b0f]"And if we can't dance together...then could we take turns?"[/color]

He gulped.  His throat feeling suddenly dry.  Fer’s eyes turned to once more seek support or rescue from the gleaming Sword Hero.  He almost made a silent plea to his companion.  It was not that he had anything against a demi human.  In fact, he was curious about the unique mix between human and beast.  It was things like this that reminded him he was in a fantasy world.  

Still, a lad could still be shy around demi human lasses just the same.  No amount of magic could change that.  No magic could save him from this awkward situation except maybe Cole’s uncanny heroism and knack for winning hearts over due to his magnanimity and natural gravity or perhaps the sudden appearance of a divine being crashing through the banquet hall doors to draw attention elsewhere. 
Thankfully, Cole, true to his calling managed to diffuse the situation.  Then again, maybe he made it a bit worse.  As the Sword hero explained the intimacies and closeness of the dance he used as an example, it made Fer have to acknowledge that no matter what, he would be in a very personal distance to his partner….whomever it may be.  His own eyes regarded the lords and ladies dancing in the hall.  These, he knew, had trained since childhood for such events.  They glided effortlessly through he dancing floor as if on ice.  

Suddenly, a realization came to mind.  Rivia would not be like one of those ladies thinking they were being courted.  The young wolf girl would more likely than not transpose what Cole was saying into a sort of martial training.  If one looked at it, the dancers were nothing more than trained fighters performing a mock dance like he had witnessed in his own town where dancers swung machetes at each other . 

This realization seemed to strengthened the Shield’s resolve.  Especially because Cole mentioned how some dancers might be adding the romantic element to their shared experience.  The young Shield hero looked in Rivia’s direction trying to see if he could guess what she was thinking.  When his blonde companion mentioned food Fer almost praised him for his ability to divert the young girl’s attention from the awkwardness of the dance as it stood to something that was logical and could be accomplished without any hidden meaning. 

Fer particularly appreciated how Cole had given him the opportunity to break away by agreeing that he was indeed a glutton and that a cart of food might be more interesting than a social dance.  However, he wondered how Rivia might see it.  This appeared to be her first interaction with humans and the young hero did not want her opinion and view, especially of the Legendary Heroes, to sour. 
His baritone voice spoke up easily enough. [color=0054a6] “Honestly, my only aim is to get to know our new companion more.  If that means dancing then so be it.  If it means sharing a meal and breaking bread together, I am up for that too.  So Rivia, it appears that it falls to you to choose and for me and Cole to oblige.”[/color]