[SpringsSong]

Lloyd smiled as he nodded.  "They are beautiful.  And that would explain how your things got here so quickly--she probably summoned that Kuhna to bring your things up so that it would at least look like someone was delivering the items." He said.  However, he could tell from her own puzzled with the question as to who the mysterious bellhop-like Kuhna was.

"Do you... know him?" he asked quietly.

[4.1]

[SpringsSong]

"I am certain I have seen him before--or at least, I have heard him before.  I just... can't place the name to the voice right now..." she said, shaking her head to remove the grimace from her face.  "It matters not who he was; if my mother needs anything, she shall send him again... and we shall see who he actually is." She said.  After a moment, she said, "It is getting a little late for lessons today, isn't it, Lloyd?  It is almost as if you had planned on not doing a lesson today, but rather get me acquainted with this simply phenomenal library and getting to know you beforehand."

She smiled before her stomach growled quietly.  Looking at her own watch, she saw that it was 6:30.  Nearly dinnertime back home... she thought.

[17.1]

[SpringsSong]

Llyod nodded as he said, "That was indeed the plan, Alana, when I realized how late your train was.  But, actually, in all honesty, I had not planned on giving you a lesson today in the first place, regardless of when you arrived." He straightened his back and smoothed his coat as he said, "Saying of which, would you like to continue the tour?"

However, when he heard the faint growl of her stomach, he said, "Or... we could always go out to get dinner.  I think it is beneficial for both of us to dine formally from time to time."

[4.2]

[SpringsSong]

Alana nodded as she said, "That would be..." here, she paused to find a word.  "...romantic--I mean, delightful."   She felt herself blush as she quickly corrected herself on this statement.  Okay, THAT was just plain embarrassing. She thought to herself as she smoothed her hair down.  "If you could allow me my privacy, I will change into a more... appropriate dining gown." She said, smiling brightly.

She turned to look over her gowns.  Most of them were fitted, like the one she was wearing, but none of them caught her eyes right off the bat.  Then, her eyes fell onto her silver gown, with white gloves and a chiffon shawl.  She nodded and said to herself.  This will do nicely.

[17.2]

[SpringsSong]

Lloyd pretended not to notice the flub in Alana's sentence, although he felt his own face blush.  But, before he knew it, he felt himself walking out of the room, nodding as he said, "All right.  I will meet you downstairs."  As he walked downstairs, his mind was wandering--the one thing that he never allowed it to do.

She is rather charming... and not all that much younger than me.  Granted, she has twelve kitlings of her own, but I am used to kitlings.  They are the ones that I can teach better.  I cannot stand to teach adults that have already been taught... but she is simply darling, when one thinks about it.  I wonder why that Re'elkiin ever dared to attempt to kill her. He thought.

[4.3]

[SpringsSong]

A few minutes later, Alana emerged from her room with the silver gown and white sleeves on, the chiffon shawl wrapped around her shoulders.  She walked slowly down the stairs as she began to think about the night ahead of her.  He is quite a sweetheart, once you get down to it.  He's so well-rounded, and refined, and he can play so many different instruments... including the oboe... she thought.  Not to mention he's a Rinkuhna... I simply adore the aquatic types... maybe he'll opt for seafood tonight.  I simply love seafood... she said to herself as she reached the foot of the stairs.

"What do you think of this dress?" she asked.

[17.3]

[SpringsSong]

Lloyd looked up as he heard Alana inquire about her dress.  When he saw her, he honestly had to keep his jaw from dropping as he nodded slowly.  "It is very beautiful.  Quite frankly, it makes me look quite plain, like we were just going to some fast food place, when we are, in fact, going to a slightly more... prestigious seafood restaurant." With this, he excused himself and ran upstairs to his own room.

When he came back downstairs, he was wearing a tuxedo and had combed his hair out of his eyes.  It was quite easy to see now, Alana would probably think to herself, why he lived alone in this library.

[4.4]

[SpringsSong]

Alana smiled as she stood up and moved to the door of the library, her eyes bright and glistening.  "You look... quite handsome." She said, feeling herself blush as she said this.  She reprimanded herself mentally, saying, Alana, for the love of Zu'hai, you've known him for all of a half an hour.  You can't say you already have a crush on him!

As she moved to the door, she turned to look back at him, her cheeks ever so slightly pink.

[17.4]

[SpringsSong]

Lloyd offered a tiny smile as he, too, walked to the door and offered his arm for Alana to take.  "I suppose I should ask if you like seafood, but judging from the fact that you did not object to this when I mentioned it before, I am guessing that you do not mind it?"

All the while, his head was in a frenzied state, trying to figure out what the heck was going on.  Here he was, a professor of musical theory, an accomplished musician in all rights, and he was unsure of even the simplest things to say to this simply beautiful Kuhna woman that he was going to mentor to become his assistant.

What was wrong with him?!

[5.0]

[SpringsSong]

Alana smiled as she took his arm, trying not to blush.  "Actually, it is a preference of mine." She said.  "I'll almost always take seafood over anything else every day." Here, she smiled as she looked out the open door to the outside of Craiss Caverns.  Surprisingly to her, the place was even prettier by night than by day; the crystals were glowing, serving as streetlamps.

"Wow..." she said in awe.

[18.0]

[SpringsSong]

"That was my exact reaction when I first saw this place by night," Lloyd said as he took a step forward, waving for the carriage-boy to come with the carriage now.  "It is truly a sight to behold, Alana.  Just wait till you see the Caverns themselves by night.  It is truly amazing." By now, the carriage-boy had brought a carriage and opened the door for them.

"Ladies first," Lloyd said, helping Alana into the carriage.

[5.1]

[SpringsSong]

Alana smiled as she took Lloyd's hand and stepped up into the carriage, trying her best to hide the blush coming onto her face as she sat facing him.  "You sure do know how to travel in style, Lloyd." Alana said.  "There's nothing more romant--I mean, different and delightful--than riding in a Cavallion-carriage.  People don't... do that nowadays."

She smiled as she said, "But... I was also wondering something, Professor.  Could I... maybe talk you into teaching me how to play an instrument?  It seems that I should mention that I am rather into instrumental music, and have wanted to learn."

[18.1]

[SpringsSong]

"Teach you how to play an instrument?  Dear Alana, that is one of the basis for theory!  I always try to get my students to at least do a little piano.  However, if you wish to be taught how to play a different instrument, I can.  So long as it is not a stringed one.  I... had a horrid time with those." Lloyd said as he said across from Alana in the carriage, smiling as he caught sight of the red tint on her cheeks.

"Which... which instrument interests you the most, dear Alana?" he asked.

[5.2]

[SpringsSong]

Alana thought for a moment before she answered.  "The oboe has interested me for what has seemed like forever, to be quite honest.  Its ability to be a dual-faced instrument in the orchestra or in the band, its equally sonorous cousin, the English horn, its sound in general... it is simply astounding." She said at last.

She sat still as she looked out of the window of the carriage at the scenery outside.  "Where is this restaurant anyhow, Lloyd?" she asked curiously.  It certainly looked like they were heading for the Caverns themselves...

[18.2]

[SpringsSong]

Lloyd chuckled as he said, "Oboe is a very difficult instrument, dear Alana.  In fact, I think people say that it is the hardest instrument to play, aside from its bass cousin, the bassoon.  I am not discouraging you, mind you;" he said, chuckling, "I am merely letting you know that, unlike piano, it is something that takes much time and effort.  Almost as much as the actual music theory I shall be teaching you along with this."

When she inquired about the restaurant, Lloyd said, "Most everything is in the Caverns themselves, if they truly wish to draw in more business.  It was fine to have restaurants outside the Caverns before Craiss was discovered during the war.  Do not worry, the place has been searched many times for Akail... there are none around that area."

[5.3]