"No, Athgar, I'm a Water Mage. I shall fill it myself."

"Wait," he said in disbelief, "you mean you're going to traipse up and down stairs with buckets?"

"No, of course not. I can create water using my magic."

"You can?"

"Don't look so surprised," she said, "you can create fire, can't you? Why is it so surprising that I can create water?"

"To be honest, I never thought about it."

"It was one of the first spells I was taught," she said. "After all, what is an ice shard if not simply frozen water."

"That makes a lot of sense," he agreed. "Can you create enough to fill a tub?"

"Yes, though admittedly it will take several castings. Ideally, I'd like to warm it up, but you can't have everything."

"I can heat water," he said with a smile.

"You can?"

"Yes, of course. It's really just an application of fire."

Her face betrayed her joy. "I think I love you," she said, then blushed furiously. "That is to say, I love that you can warm water."

Now it was his time to blush. "Well, I'd best take a stroll and give you your privacy if you're going to bathe."

"The bath isn't even up here yet," she said, "and once I've filled it, I'll need you to warm it up."

"Of course," he agreed, "but when I've done that I'll take a walk. I can't very well be here while you're bathing."

"Why not?" she asked

"You'll be naked," he said, his face crimson.

"So?" she asked. "Am I so frightening?"

"No, but..." his voice trailed off.

"But what? Are you afraid of the female form?"

"No," he defended, "but I thought you'd want your privacy. Surely you don't want a strange man watching you bathe?"

"No, of course not," she said. "Why? Are you strange?"

"No, but..." once again he was left at a loss for words.

"But nothing," she said. "You'll remain, I insist on it. It will allow us to talk about things."

"I don't understand you," he said. "Earlier you indicated you didn't want to bathe in front of others, and now you're going to strip naked and climb into a tub right before my eyes?"

"Of course," she said. "I may need you to warm up the water. You can't do that if you're wandering off through the town."

"Trust me," he responded, "the water will remain warm for some time."

"It's not just that," she said, "I must admit to feeling safer when you're around."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"No, it's much more than that," she confessed. "I've never felt this way about someone before. The truth is, I want you near me."