Serna giggled, "How about you, Alyson, how does it feel for you to ride your boyfriend?"

Caliaphy's jaw hit the floor metaphorically, "Well snap! That's not how I would of said it but I approve!"

The rage drake growled loud enough for the draconian to start laughing and sidestepped away from the bronze man. While the elementalist just face palmed and sighed.

"Just fine, Serna. You think its funny now but when your hormones kick in, maybe you'll finally get why the adults tell you to go away, or that's
a grown-up thing. Maybe you should ask Willow the same question you asked me?" Alyson shook a finger at the shield maiden.

"It was just a joke, Alyson, it was just a joke," Serna broke out into gales of laughter as she held up her hands to ward the Elementalist off, "Besides I would ask Willow that question, were he riding his girlfriend, which he is not, he's merely riding a horse. And I don't think a horse would make a good girlfriend for him."

"Yeah," Alyson looked skyward shaking her head, "and I wonder how long it would take him to feel embarrassed or vice versa."

Irzen laughed at well as he enjoyed the impromptu humor.

The Shield Maiden again launched into more gales of laughter before she calmed down, turned to The Fairy and asked,"Um, Caliaphy, what are hormones? And why do they kick you?"

The kurori's eyes went wide, "Umm. Umm. I think humans call it woman hood."

"Ever heard of girls coming of age, Serna?" The elementalist asked quietly.

"No, can't say I have," The Shield Maiden admitted openly, "What's that?"

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies," The Swordsman cut in, "But do you REALLY think NOW is a good time for a conversation on the birds and the bees?"

The elementalist burst out laughing this time. "MWHAA! HA! HA! HA!"

"Birds and the bees?" Serna asked no one in particular, "What do they have to do with hormones? And what are hormones anyway? Caliaphy, your answer was as cryptic as any thing Dungeon Master would say."

"Serna, we know you have a crush on Willow. You have feelings for him don't you, more than just friendship? And that deary is just the beginning of you blossoming into womanhood." Alyson smirked.

Serna looked a little sheepish as she responded, "I admit. I do like Willow. A lot. I've always had feelings for him. But if this is how blossoming into womanhood starts I can't wait to see how it ends."

"Oh, it starts when your in your early teens and doesn't end until your late forties, give or take. At least that's how it is for us humans." The elementalist added.

"Are you getting 'twitter-pated,' Serna?" Caliaphy giggled.

"I guess so," The Shield Maiden replied uncertainly, "Whatever that means. I mean, I like Willow. I think he is dreamy. Is that being 'twitter-pated' as you call it, Caliaphy?"

"It ends with the birds and the bees, Serna, the birds and the bees," Irzen replied, "And if you're REALLY lucky it might end with a ring on your finger."

"Meh, ring, schming! Elves don't use rings as a way to bind two people together that I do know, and some of Alyson's friends back on Earth call it hand fasting where a single ribbon usually red, is draped in a criscross pattern over both the man and lady's hands symbolizing to each other a life long commitment, and soon they make babies. Awww! Babies are soooooooooo cute!" The fairy boasted.

"Yeah! They are," Serna agreed with a warm smile at her dimunitive friend.

The elementalist leaned forward on the back of the rage drake that was Lazheros and scratched the sides of his scaled neck.

The cavalry and the party with all the towns folk could now see the city of Westfall in the distance. A fairly large city with its stables and pastures of the greatest horses in the entire kingdom lay just to the east of the natural rock walls. The gates were manned and patrolled on a regularly basis. Many sighs of relief came from the impromptu caravan of refugees seeking protection of the invading horde.

"Not bad," Irzen remarked as he viewed the city before him, "It's defensible. Strong high walls too. If the horde comes here and if your people are adequately provisioned, you should be able to hold out here for quite some time."