Emberwood branch-waving

lestan was not sure what had come over him, only that it was not often something he experienced, or ever. since the return to the shoreline, since his frenzied search for blossom and shardik's disappearance, lestan had never again registered attraction, let alone felt it move upon him.
"a d-deal th-then, winter's wake," lestan murmured with a smile that managed at last to be more dashing than shy. "i'll l-look for you."
no rejection! had he made himself ill for nothing? as this was the natural end of this discourse, lestan made a leggy bow, offered a flash of teeth in a confident grin he hardly felt, and moved away from the forest in the direction of the creek.
madly, madly, the beat of his heart.