Separated

The orc patrol commander starts to get closer to where Caleldes is, and reaches out for her. Knowing that she's been found out, she quickly creates her light swords, and slashes out at him, easily cutting his hand off, then lunges at him, stabbing into him with both swords, her invisibility releasing as she does so, and other orcs in the area quickly noticing her start to rush her as well.

The loud and aggressive fighting next to the cart also ends up spooking the horses pulling it, and they take off, though the other orcs around it just seem to ignore it for now, not seeming to realize that anyone else is on it. And Caleldes takes this chance to try and keep the orcs distracted for long enough so that the cart can safely pass the border.

She easily fends off the orcs surrounding her, and even kills a few as well, all the while keeping a discreet eye on the cart, seeming relieved once it's safely across the border. She then starts to fight more seriously now, killing off some more of the orcs surrounding her, now.

Though soon, a more female orc voice can be heard, even above all the fighting. "Enough!" All the orcs soon make way, now revealing Ghorsha. "She's mine." She pulls out her large battle axe, walking towards Caleldes. The other orcs then create a large circle around the two, making sure that Caleldes can't run away so easily.

Ghorsha then starts to charge up her fire magic into her axe, quickly swinging it and sending a wave of fire towards Caleldes, which she in turn attempts to block by putting up a barrier of light. The fire does get blocked, but it also envelops the barrier, in turn blocking her view at the same time. Ghorsha then uses this to her advantage, charging towards Caleldes, and swinging her battle axe, easily managing to shatter the already weakened barrier, and actually manages to put a good sized gash along Caleldes' chest.

Caleldes holds the gash her chest, quickly attempting to heal herself, though she's almost immediately stopped by Ghorsha, as she creates a small and localized quake, just for Caleldes. She then starts to approach her, as Caleldes attempts to get back up, kicking her back down. She just smirks, "The king will love to meet you. And there's no need to worry, you're too important to kill. For now, at least." She then turns to the Orc soldiers, and asks "Where's the other EIf?"

At hearing this, the other Orcs start to get nervous. "Other EIf...?"

"You absolute buffoons just let the Elven Prince get away?! You all should consider yourselves lucky that I don't behead each and every one of you, right here and right now! Such gross incompetence! But I cannot guarantee the same generosity from the king. Now, get her bandaged up! It won't look good, for any of us, if she dies before the king gets to question her." She yells at all of them, p*ssed off, while all the other Orcs are just now scared p*ssless. "Now!" And they then scramble off to do as ordered. "What would these dumb*sses have done, if I hadn't stopped by to check up on them? Gods, why do I have to be surrounded by idiots..."

-------

Duvainion appears distressed at Caleldes having jumped off and been left behind, the invisibility spell having worn off shortly after crossing the border, but knows that if he were to reveal himself back then, that her jumping off as she had would've been in vain, knowing that he's too weak to be of any actual significant difference. He tries to figure out if he should stay on the cart, or go off in his own direction, but eventually decides to just stay on, continuing to stay within his original hiding spot.

The cart eventually starts to slow down once it's in a fairly large town, quite a good distance away from the border. Duvainion then starts to get a bit nervous, not sure how others would react to finding him stowing away, so he leaves his hiding place while it's going fairly slow now, and he carefully jumps off of the back of the cart and takes off while no one is looking. He pulls the hood on his hooded cloak up a bit farther, not wanting anyone to see his ears, just in case, and heads off through the town.

Though he doesn't have very much money on him, Caleldes being the one to carry most of their money, with him being too young, and all. So he tries to think of how he can possibly earn some more, at least knowing that having a lot of money is usually a good thing, since he knows that it'd be hard for someone around his age to make any proper money. As he's also aware that it'd be nearly impossible for him to be able to rescue Caleldes, especially on his own, and with how weak and inexperienced he is, right now. Of course, being so young, his own personal thoughts weren't nearly as complicated or eloquent as what was expressed previously, but that is the summary of what was being thought of by the desperate young Elven prince.

He eventually figures out that he should probably go and see the human king, hoping that he'd be able to help. So, he sets off, despite not even knowing where he should even be going to, with only himself, Buddy, and what few provisions he has in his bag, with him. Though despite how little he has, he is still very determined as he sets off.

-------

Caleldes, after her wounds are tended to, and after she's been bound and gagged, is now being carted off to meet with the Orc King. Though instead of heading for the Orc lands, Maldragned, like she had initially assumed they would be doing, they're instead heading back towards the former Elven capital. Once they get within the walls, she can see that it looks as if the Orcs are attempting to rebuild the damage, seeming to be intending to use the former Elven capital as their new capital, with it being closer to the humans country, and all. This just seems to upset CaleIdes, as she looks about and even sees some of the Orcs making themselves at home, within what used to be former Elven homes. The Orcish repairs looking fairly brutish when compared to the formerly elegant Elven architecture.

Caleldes is soon within the palace once again, and is brought to the throne room. As the large doors open, she's roughly escorted up to the thrones, where the Orc King, Truagrog, is sitting on the large throne, the head of the former Elven king sitting atop a large pike on the wall behind the thrones. Seeing the head of the former Elven king being displayed like a trophy just seems to anger her.

Seeing this, Truagrog, the Orc King, just seems delighted. "Like it? It's one of my personal favorite decorations. And it's even been preserved using magic, so it won't decay for a long time to come."

"You bastard! You will not succeed in whatever your d*mned twisted plans are!" Caleldes rages at Truagrog.

"Take her and lock her up! I'll be along later in order to...interrogate her, properly." He then gives her a wicked smile full of maliciousness.

Caleldes just struggles as the Orcs holding her take her away. "I'll never cooperate with you, you *sshole!" She yells out to him.

"I'm looking forward to it!" He yells back, then just laughs evilly, in his deep booming voice.