The Veil of Night

Groups would sleep in shifts while others patrolled the walls with war horns. If they
saw anything, they would blare the horn and we would rush to battle, so I laid in my cot that night in full armour. The quartermasters had given me a new set as well as
the other captains. Now we all had full helmets and plated pauldrons to go over our surcoats along with our normal chainmail, steel gauntlets and boots. It seemed like a measly reward for almost burning to death at the hands of a wizard, but any
recognition from the humans was appreciated.

I tried my hardest to sleep at all, but to no avail. I laid in my cot in the crowded house with the other elven warriors. How many more would we lose? How many more
would never see their wives or kids again? Would any of us survive? The Karvithians
had barely lost anything during that fight. Some poor sods with no training, and one of their five wizards but that hardly matters compared to their full force. My mind
flashed back to the kid who pleaded for help as he bled out. I shake my head and
stand up, grabbing my new helmet before I walk out.

I wander the streets for a while before going where I feel most comfortable.
Climbing up alley walls and onto the roofs. It brings back memories. It feels like only yesterday when I was stealing food with Ren. Part of me wishes I could go back to
those days, but. I know those days couldn’t last forever. We couldn’t sustain
ourselves on stolen food forever. I wonder how they’re doing. I was able to write to
them, but they couldn’t write back. Only Ren and Ja could even read. My mind
wanders back even further. To the days when my father was still alive. He was the
one who taught me to read. Then I taught Ren and Ja. Ren tried to teach his sisters,
but he really sucks at teaching. Like really bad. He stumbled all over the place and
then even went back on his word, so I ended up teaching his sisters when I was
over. I let out a chuckle into the night sky.

I sighed and laid down on one of the random rooftops gazing back towards the city. This city. I hate this city, but I’m fighting to the death for it. I’m killing kids my age for
it. What would my mother say? “What would dad say about all this?”

A familiar voice fills the silence behind me. “A vague question. When my questions
are too vague, I often try to ask smaller questions that could eventually lead to the
answer to my original, vague question.”

“I think the proper response is ‘Good morning, what are you doing up here’ and act
like you didn’t hear anything.”
I look up so the top of my head is laying on the roof tile. Aroura is standing there, no longer muddy and her hair had been freed, so it flowed in the wind like dancing
shadows glimmering in the fading moonlight. Lords above she’s beautiful. I continue. “Huh. I must have fallen asleep because it looks like Aroura is on some random
rooftop with me.”

She giggles at that, and I feel a strange feeling wash over me. Almost like with Zeale’s flirting but somehow… Different. “We must be sharing a dream then because I found Kar talking to himself on a random building.”
She sits down next to me, so I sit up and ask.

“Why are you up here?”

“I had just awakened from the greatest nap and decided to bathe in the moon’s pale light. Then I noticed an elf crawling up the side of a building like it was normal.”

I laughed. “I haven’t done it for a while. I thought I could use some practice.”

We were silent for a minute before she asked. “How are you feeling?”

“Like an ox. Strong and healthy.”

She shakes her head. “No no no, I meant psychologically.”

That word again. It refers to the mind? I think for a moment, pondering the word
before answering honestly. She deserves the truth at least. For her experiments or
whatever. “Guilty. Why should I survive? I’m the one who led these people here, I
should be the first to fall… Not only that but.”
She patiently waited for me gather my thoughts. My mind flashed to the first person I stabbed. I don’t remember anything about the fight except for the feeling of my
sword running through him. Then to the poor kid who simply tried to escape the
closing wall of spikes and saurians only to have his throat slashed open.
“They sent kids my age at us. I can hardly remember the fights apart from each
killing blow. It’s not right, is it? This isn’t okay. We slaughtered people with almost no training. I shouldn’t feel any sympathy for them, should I?”
I sat there and stared at my hands. There was nothing there, but I could both, feel
and see blood stain my hands.
“I should feel good about killing them. I avenged all those men who joined me in
protecting this worthless city. I’ve slain the humans who took my men’s lives.”
I look over at her. I can’t see any details, but I know she’s looking back at me. Only
then did I remember that she was human.

I shouldn’t have told her all this. “Sorry. You shouldn’t be burdened with this.”

She sits there in the dark for a minute before eventually offering her reply. “It… It
can’t be easy. But if you will. Allow me to tell you what I see. To tell you the truth, I
don’t care for this city. I find it’s unjust and it’s treatment to half our denizens is
simply wrong so I can’t blame you for not being able to see what you’re truly
fighting for.”
She turns her whole body to face me and takes my hand in both of hers as though
she were examining it.
“But you fought anyway to save those you care for and even those that you’ve only
known a few months. And when you were unable to save all of them, you didn’t
blame those that killed them, but rather yourself out of some boundless passion for those around you. And when faced with a being straight out of the legends, instead of ordering the countless solders around you to defeat the enemy, you told them to get back while you charged in and fought alongside the strongest people you know. You cornered a bear with an army, and to make sure the rest of the army was safe,
you charged in alone to finish the hunt.”

She. That wasn’t exactly right, was it? I don’t have the words for this. I did blame the people who killed us. When I didn’t respond immediately, she kept going. “More
often than not when a man becomes a trained killer, they lose their compassion for
life. They see all who oppose them as someone to be disposed of. Forgive me. I
speak of my brothers. What I mean to say, is that it gladdens me to see that you’re
different. That you’ve gained an appreciation for life rather than a complete apathy
for your enemies. But Kar, you must learn the value in your own life as well as the
value in others and the balance between the two.”
She quickly pulls her hands away and turns back towards the city. “Apologies
apologies. I’m certain, I’ve overstepped my bounds.”

“Thank you. Aroura. Truly. I feel a good deal better now so. Thank you.” I wait until
she turns back around so I can bow to her. I watch through the darkness as her eyes go from a heavy expression of shame to surprise then to me where they change to
her normal expression of light-hearted worry when I bow to her.

“Oh! Truly? Well. It fills me with joy that you feel that way. I merely spoke from the
heart so. Well. What to say?”

“You’re welcome. Is what you say when someone thanks you.”

She nods her head eagerly. “Right. I’ll keep that archived for future use.”
I’m not sure I even fully understand that, but I laugh at it anyway. She’s so strange.
She asked why I was laughing and then asked more questions. Normal questions.
Like a conversation I would carry on with Ren when we weren’t stealing food. It was… Nice. To be able to just talk like this. My life for the past few months has been
nothing but strategy meetings, combat, and orders. I almost forgot what it was like
to simply speak with someone. It made me feel guilty to be doing this but it felt nice. Even if the other person happened to be princess Aroura… Actually. Especially since
the other person is Aroura. Before I realize it, dawn breaks.

I stand. “Huh. Dawn is upon us. I should get back to the others.”

She stands and wipes off her trousers which I still find out of place. She almost looks disappointed. “A pity. I was enjoying our talk. Be safe Kar.”

I nod and turn. “I’ll see you later then.”
With that, I jump from rooftop to rooftop back towards the western gate.