You're Welcome

Esvor raised his hand, signaling his men to stop. He then lowered his palm, gesturing for them to set up camp. They had to use the other side of the city entrance, as there were so many of them, and the guards of Redhaven wouldn't allow direct entry. If the weather held, they could reach their destination in about half an hour. It was a short distance, but the dense trees and bad terrain kept holding them back.

As the men settled into their makeshift camp, Esvor approached the fire where his second-in-command, Captain Roderick, was sharpening his sword. Roderick was a grizzled veteran, his face full of scars from countless battles. He looked up as Esvor approached.

"True-King," Roderick greeted, wiping sweat from his brow. "We've come far, but Redhaven won't fall easily. The city walls are formidable, and the guards – well, they're no ordinary soldiers."

Esvor nodded. "True, my friend. But we have something they lack: motivation. We fight for our people, for justice. That gives us strength."

"I heard there was a blood mage among the citizens, King. Is that true?" Roderick asked.

"Yes, I saw them with my own eyes. He controlled the blood, and the blood obeyed him. There might be two, though."

The soldiers around them stopped what they were doing and listened intently to their king.

"What a bother. First, the damned curses have lifted, and now this! Bah!" the commander said, spitting on the ground. "We should take this city and purge it."

"We will. But I need to see which side the blood mage is on," Esvor said. "If he sides with us, it'll be easy. But if he's an elf dog – I'm not sure."

He patted his captain on the shoulder and returned to the high elf sitting far away. He never got her name, and he had no plans to get it now, knowing they were destined to be enemies.

"We'll wait here," he explained. "We'll enter the city at night, probably when the guards change shifts."

"O-okay," said the little girl. "Will I be safe?"

"Yes, I gave you my word."

A man with two missing fingers approached and handed Esvor a cup of hot soup. The man had another cup but didn't offer it to the little girl. Instead, he placed it behind the log near the elf, nodded to Esvor, and left.

The girl took the hot cup and blew on it to cool it down. She held her head up for a second and saw some men staring at her with hateful eyes. She quickly dropped her gaze, nearly spilling the cup.

"They hate me."

"They hate high elves. Not you," Esvor replied.

"But I'm a high elf…"

"Yeah – what I'm trying to say is, it's not personal."

"Then they shouldn't hate me…" she murmured. "I didn't do anything wrong… that woman you – you k-killed in Quarry. That high elf. Do you remember her?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you kill her? She was a sweet lady. Gave me candy once."

"Because I had to. Either your kind will wipe us out, or we will wipe your kind off Gum'n. There's no other way, little one. Trust me, I was naive once, believing elves and humans could live together." He looked at his reflection in the soup. "Oh, how wrong I was. I saw madness… pure madness…"

"Will you kill me, too, like that one day?" Her lower lip trembled, and she was on the verge of crying.

Esvor stared at the ground, silent for a moment. When he looked up, he placed the cup on the ground and walked off into the distance. He needed to clear his mind and get some alone time.

Esvor had barely disappeared into the forest when a scout came running back into camp, breathless and wide-eyed. He skidded to a halt in front of Captain Roderick, his face pale.

"Captain! Two trolls are heading this way! We need to defend ourselves!" the scout panted.

Roderick immediately turned to the soldiers around him. "Prepare for battle!"

The men scrambled to their feet, grabbing weapons and forming a defensive line. Esvor heard the commotion and rushed back to the camp, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Trolls?" he asked, catching Roderick's eye.

"Two of them, heading straight for us," Roderick confirmed.

"We'll hold them off here." Esvor ordered. "Everyone, stay sharp!"

The ground began to tremble as the trolls approached. Trees snapped and crashed to the ground as the enormous creatures pushed their way through the forest. The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, their eyes fixed on the tree line.

The first troll burst into the clearing, its massive frame towering over the men. It was a nasty creature, with mottled gray skin and big, mean eyes. It roared, and the sound shook the ground and sent birds fleeing from the trees.

"Archers, ready!" Roderick shouted.

The archers took aim, their bows creaking as they drew back their arrows. At Roderick's signal, they let loose a volley of arrows. The shafts struck the troll, some bouncing off its thick hide, others sinking into its flesh. The creature roared in pain and fury, swatting at the arrows like they were pesky insects.

The second troll appeared, equally massive and terrifying. It swung a giant club, smashing a tree into splinters. Esvor drew his sword, got ready.

"Charge!" he commanded, leading the men forward.

The soldiers surged toward the trolls, their battle cries filling the air. Esvor dodged the swing of a troll's massive fist, his sword slashing out to cut a deep gash in the creature's leg. The troll howled, staggering back.

Roderick and a group of soldiers attacked the second troll, their swords and spears striking in a coordinated assault. The troll swung its club wildly, catching one soldier in the chest and sending him flying. Another soldier ducked under the swing and thrust his spear into the troll's side.

Esvor moved around the first troll, trying not to get hit. He struck again and again, each blow weakening the beast. The troll roared in frustration, its massive hands trying to swat him away. But Esvor was quick unlike the creature.

"Careful, men!" Esvor yelled. "They are slow! Don't get hit!"

The second troll was being overwhelmed by Roderick and his men. They struck at its legs, forcing it to its knees. Roderick climbed onto its back, his sword plunging into the troll's neck. The creature gurgled, its blood spilling onto the ground.

The first troll went into a frenzy. It swung its arms wildly, catching several soldiers and sending them sprawling. One soldier, a young man barely out of his teens, stood frozen in the troll's path with terror on his face. The troll's massive fist came down at a deadly speed, aiming to crush the young soldier.

Without a second thought, Esvor leapt forward, shoving the soldier out of the way. The troll's hand caught him instead, striking him hard. Esvor flew through the air, crashing into a tree with a sickening thud.

"Esvor!" Roderick shouted, but he couldn't break away from the fight.

The men rallied, their attacks becoming even more desperate. They finally managed to bring the first troll to its knees. A soldier thrust his spear into the troll's heart, and the creature let out one final roar before collapsing.

Roderick rushed to Esvor's side, he was clearly concerned. Esvor lay on the ground, struggling to breathe, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"We need healing over here!" Roderick shouted. "Right now!"

The little high elf girl hurried over. She knelt beside Esvor and placed her hands on his chest. Her eyes glowed a soft blue as she chanted in a language only she knew. A warm, soothing green light spread from her hands.

Esvor gasped as the pain began to ebb away. The girl's magic worked quickly, mending his broken ribs and healing his internal injuries. Within moments, he felt strong enough to sit up.

"Thank you," he murmured, looking into the elf's eyes. "That was close."

She nodded, her face still pale but smiling. "You're welcome."