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Once that was done, the two of them set off for Estyra. Since he needed the paths and couldn’t just cut through the forest like she could, they had to follow the woodchips back to the lift from his room, then take another path toward Estyra.

The woodchips weren’t quite as ideal for rolling his wheelchair as something like concrete or wood boardwalks, but it was at least better than the moss or grass. Laws in Estyra prevented anything that deviated from traditional elven design and still made such things more difficult to put in. Thanks to all his extra exercise, he could get himself into Estyra without gasping for breath or his arms aching more than a little.

Still, he had to resist swiping his hands on his trousers every few minutes. The woodchip path wasn’t perfectly clean, and his hands were soon gritty.

Swinging her arms loosely at her sides, Adry strolled beside him on the edge of the grass and moss, leaving the path for him. Despite his slower pace rolling over the woodchips, she’d slowed her steps to match.

When he’d imagined going on a date with Adry, he’d pictured strolling with her through Estyra, hand-in-hand.

Instead, they were side-by-side, but both of his hands were occupied with pushing himself in his wheelchair. He couldn’t hold her hand. He couldn’t walk casually at her side.

“What is it?” Adry halted and turned to him, her gaze searching his face.

He sighed and shook his head. “Nothing.”

She crossed her arms and just stared at him.

“When I let myself imagine going on a date with you, I wanted to…to hold your hand.” Merrik’s ears burned, and he had to drop his gaze from hers. “But I cannot while I am pushing my wheelchair.”

“Well, you won’t always be in that wheelchair. You’ll walk again eventually, and then we can stroll hand-in-hand.” Adry’s cheery voice might have grated on him, if she hadn’t at that moment plopped herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “In the meantime, there’s always this option.”

He sputtered, utterly incoherent, his ears on fire. “You…this…I…”

“I know. It’s highly improper, and we’re going to shock the teeth out of the elves in Estyra.” Adry smirked, her face only inches from his in tempting, kissing range.

Since there was no reason to resist, Merrik let go of his chair wheels, quickly rubbed his palms clean on his trousers as best he could, cradled her face, and kissed her.

When he finally brought himself to end the kiss, she smirked at him. “Now isn’t this better than just holding my hand?”

“Yes.” He somehow found the willpower to drop his hands from her face back to the wheels of his chair. “Now get off. You are heavy, and you are cutting off circulation in my legs.”

Rolling her eyes, Adry clambered to her feet. “I don’t think you’re supposed to tell your date that she’s heavy.”

“I know you will not be offended.” Merrik grinned right back at her. There was a distinct advantage to courting someone who was already such a good friend.

“Because I know it’s all muscle.” She held up an arm and flexed her bicep. “Warrior muscles.”

The sight sent his heart fluttering. Trees of Tarenhiel, he had it bad for her.

“And I happen to know you have more than a few muscles of your own.” She smirked as she gave him a light poke in the shoulder.

“Do not mention that morning.” Merrik rolled his eyes and his wheelchair.

They fell silent as they navigated past the cordon of guards and entered the bustling streets of Estyra. Here, the woodchip path joined the wider woodchip road that wound alongside the main moss and grass street between the trees of Estyra.

This woodchip road, however, was used by anything with wheels, not just those who needed a wheelchair. Elves on bicycles whizzed past Merrik, somehow traveling at quite the speed while looking serene. At a few of the crossroads, he barely avoided being run over.

With how popular bicycles had become, the traffic on the woodchips was bustling, and Adry struggled to stay at the edge of the moss designated for pedestrians and stick to Merrik’s side, further impeding any chance they had at conversation.

Navigating the bustle became easier once they turned onto one of the side streets, which had far less traffic of both bicycle and pedestrian variety.

Merrik took the two of them to one of the small restaurants that filled this area of Estyra. It was tucked underneath a tree with a few tables inside the building but most outside beneath the tree’s canopy.

Adry hurried forward to one of the tables on the outer edge and pulled one of the two chairs out of the way. Merrik wheeled himself up to the table while she took the seat across from him.

He was sitting across from her. On an official date. Even after more than a week of courting her, he still couldn’t quite believe it.

A female elf drifted to their table, welcomed them, handed out menus, and glided away again.