Noira's POV

Not again! – I laughed mentally.

I turned back slowly with a strange calmness in my heart. I've always loved irony.

Really.

For now, I didn't have enough energy, magic, power, whatever to save myself from another horde, but if I had to die here and now, I would play with my precious blades a little before, just for fun.

Strange. The thing in front of me didn't have an orcish body composition, but pointed ears and a quite handsome face. And a new arrow, what now met the tip of my nose.

'State your business, trespasser!' came his serious voice, while I was still just studying him. Whoa, he was at least two meter tall, with long black hair and so light blue eyes... they seemed almost white!

'Where I'm from, we just say good afternoon instead of arrows...' I answered finally. Of course, it wasn't true.

The ellon just stared at me like I was something extraterrestrial. Well, actually I was.

'State. Your. Business.'

He looked into my eyes deeply, but I didn't know what he was searching for there. Should I say something about my business to him? I had to speak with somebody here, but it was not a good idea looking like a dangerous madman, when the other was holding a bow like this one. But unfortunately, I was sure, he wouldn't understand a single word from my story. Staying silent will do now...

My gaze didn't leave him. He was an ellon, that was clear, so finally, I found somebody from my own race. It was fast. Oh, and that turned out, my race existed in this world too!

But something was strange on him. Something... Oh God.

I lifted my hand and touched his ear with a frightened face. 'Have you been punished? They've just cut your ears?' as I said, he suddenly pushed my hand away with his elbow.

But... his ears were half of mine!

'DO YOU WISH TO DIE, ELLETH?! – he roared. That sentence took me back to reality. I was alone with another elf in a lonely forest. Against him and not an army... of course, I didn't want to die.

I grabbed my swords and with a sudden movement cut his bow in two pieces. He started to move for his knife, but my other blade touched his neck for then. I was sure, this ellon was a great warrior, as I was, and I knew, if we fought, that would be until death. My other option was trying to use my mind freezing – as I called it -, as I'd done on the orcs earlier. That would have slowed him down and I could hide. My eyes blocked his and I gently touched his cheek. I knew, by using this little spell, my power would be over.

Well, Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore...

A little freezing sensation left my fingertips and after a second, his gaze softened. He was standing there, but his mind was resting for some minutes.

Let's go!

Before I could take my first step, I noticed moving leaves around us. The green patches in the near were changing their places slowly and then, I realised, we weren't alone. Four other ellons appeared from their hidden places. I opened my mouth to say I came in peace when they attacked me.

Well, the last thing I wanted to do was killing my kin. Why the hell couldn't we just speak as other normal... creatures?

I started to run to the left and right and did REALLY DAMN COMPLICATED – and comic - acrobatic movements to keep myself off from the elven arrows. Until they run out. When they stormed to me with knives, I knew I had to end this fight quickly.

And peacefully.

°°

Some minutes later, the four peacefully knocked out ellons were lying on the soft grass.

I needed a meeting with somebody, who probably didn't try to kill me, and could turn me to the right direction. A lady, a landlord, or somebody with a little more knowledge, than soldiers or orcs... I was here, I had to socialize once somehow, find a new home, somebody to talk to.

I turned to the black haired guy, who were still standing on the same place. I looked up at his blank eyes and stroked his shoulders. He blinked and shook his head, clearing his mind.

Seemed like, ellons were more sensitive for my spells, than those brainless orc bastards.

'Hey handsome! I need to speak with your lord, so take me to him... please' I smiled '...if the others are ready.'

His face went from totally confused to dark red in a second, as noticed the ellons, trying to sat up and find their weapons.

'Captain...' started one of them shamefully.

'Captain?' I blinked ' What kind of captain are you?'

After a deep sigh he answered '... of the guard. My name is Fräynn.' and made a little frustrated smile. I could admit, he was even more beautiful while smiling.

'And your name, trespasser? Why are you here at our borders? Where have you come from exactly?' bombed me with questions, but I didn't even open my mouth to response. His smile finally died.

'Introduce me to your lord, please. I promise, I'll behave.' and I reached my fists forward.

Fräynn's POV

'Captain!' one of my guards run to me panting as we made our daily checking in the forest. 'We discovered a new camp, a big one! More than... a hundred orcs were there!'

I shivered. So close to the gates? It sounded like the war was nearer than we thought. We needed prepare for that. 'Thank you, Ryndes. The others?' I asked as stormed back to the direction of the palace. I had to warn the king immediately.

'They stayed to burn the dead.'

My foot stopped in the air 'The what?'

'All of their bodies were lifeless, captain' reported to me and when I nodded, he started his way back to his group.

I was thinking. They didn't die suddenly from exhaustion, yes, but I couldn't imagine, the spiders alone killed a bigger horde. It was just not possible. I wrinkled my forhead, as usual, when I was nervous. There was something else in the woods.

I was so lost in my thoughts, I nearly missed noticing a moving figure not so far from me. I grabbed my bow and followed him without a sound. Just when I was right behind him realised...

An elleth?

I almost addressed her when I looked at the two huge swords in her hands. Usually, our elleths didn't wear armor – I can admit, the lady didn't wear so much clothes - and use so... deadly weapons. She could be violent. Instead of my first idea, I sent her a welcoming arrow. Of course, just next to her.

She immediately stopped, but didn't turn back toward me. Then I stepped to her and raised the bow to the head. I heard something.

Is she laughing?

With a turn, her nose met my arrow and I could study that face finally. Not familiar... well, nor usual.

'State your business, trespasser' I said, hiding my astonishment from her appearance.

'Where I'm from, we just say good afternoon instead of arrows...' sounded the unexpected answer. Are you insane?

I was just staring at her 'State. Your. Business.' I repeated, still holding my weapon at her face. Actually, she was still holding her blades too...

She didn't say a word, so this discussion was more difficult, than I thought. Her pretty face suddenly frightened and she touched my ear. She said something, but I couldn't hear from the adrenalin, as pushed her hand away from me. Please, she was flailing near my head with a damn butcher knife!

'DO YOU WISH TO DIE, ELLETH?! – I yelled, and something gleamed in her dark eyes. The next thing I saw was my bow in two pieces. I nearly grabbed my knife when felt a cold blade on the bare skin of my neck. Not so lucky situation, when my mates were far from us.

Who the hell is this female? Not a tailor, I'm sure.

I felt her fingers on my cheek, and that moment felt something cold entering my skin. I couldn't hear a sound anymore, my sight was blurry. At the end I noticed, I dropped my knife and the time stopped passing, it was like watching the very same picture again and again.

Later, what seemed only a moment, I felt a pressure on my shoulders, and I saw something was different. My soldiers were on the ground. I just blinked, and thought, if this elleth wished to kill me, I had little chance to win. I also remembered the dead orcs, but was afraid to ask her about them. And what had she just done to me? I just didn't want to hear the answers.

Instead, I asked her about herself, but she refused to answer me.

But she didn't kill us.

I finally exhaled, when she asked me to... so... capture her. The Valar doesn't have a lack of irony.