Dragoncrest Cliffs [m] to everyone, for helen

Merlin did not stay long afterwards. He stayed as long as he thought it to be polite and appropriate, then excused himself and slunk away in the woods to ruminate on, what had taken place, and feel relieved that this was over and that he would never have to do it again. And only later would he realize that something else would have changed. He no longer felt crippling embarrassment in front of Erzulie. It was as if he had been admiring a beautiful painting from afar for a very long time and then had taken a second, more detailed look and seen the lines that age had drawn there, the cracks on the facade. Beautiful - yes, but worn and faded around the edges. Knowing now, what the culmination was of an extreme infatuation, and how it dwindled soon after, he would become a little cynical about the whole deal. Love was fleeting and inconsistent, gave more trouble than it was actually worth.