Campfire

“Leader, slow down. Our dead weight is falling behind again.”

Nona stopped on her tracks and turned around. The elf - who had refused to tell them his name - was a few meters behind, struggling to keep up their pace even if they were going half their usual speed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to ride the horse with Adish?” Nona insisted, though by then she correctly guessed what the elf’s reaction was going to be: which was clicking his tongue before throwing an impatient glare at them.

“I’ve told you all countless times already that I do not wish to travel together, so feel free to speed up and leave me alone.”

“Too bad, elf: our leader is determined not to abandon you–” Adish’s resigned reply ended up with a shocked screech when a new thunder boomed.

“It’s going to rain any minute now.” Vesper said, looking up to the sky. “And the sun is setting. We better hurry if we want to reach Crowcrest before nightfall.”

Nona looked around, examining the small glade they had just stopped. She then smiled with satisfaction and surprised everyone by dropping her overstuffed backpack.

“Well, this looks like a nice spot to set up camp.”

“But I thought that the idea was to spend the night at Crowcrest,” Vesper said, confused.

“Yep, but I’ve been thinking, and–”

“Oh, no.”

Nona threw a half-hearted glare at Thorny and continued.

“And as far as I know, the next towns are under the jurisdiction of the Violet Rose Militia, Crowcrest and Sealport included. And since the Order and the Militia are apparently on good terms thanks to the alliance of their respective Governments, probably they are aware of what happened in Hairur, and there will also be wanted posters of my face around. So it will be safer for everyone that I stay here.”

Everyone stared at Nona in an impressed silence.

“I wasn’t expecting that you were so up to date with politics,” Adish commented.

“Oh, and I wasn’t until a few days ago. But I had time to read while you were researching the antidote and The Dawn Rift. I’ve also learned about the Brotherhood of the Yellow Tulip, the Blue Chrysanthemums Society, the Red Peonies Circle, and the Guard of the Green Lilies.” Nona grimaced. “Although for sure in a week I'll start mixing up the names again. I don’t know who had the great idea of picking up such confusing names.”

“Probably it’s the same reason why the gods decided that there should be only ONE language per race.” Thorny snorted. “The leaders’ lack of imagination was proportional to their laziness.”

Eventually, Adish and Vesper agreed to go ahead to check the city - and handle the provisions shopping once again - while Nona got the camp ready. With Thorny’s help, she managed to do so right before the first drops of rain fell, just moments before a violent storm broke.

Nona had just sheltered in the enormous, sturdy tent that she would be sharing with the rest of the team when she noticed the elf standing with his arms crossed under a tree, getting drenched.

A few days had passed since they left Hairur, and so far the elf had refused to join them in the camp. He hadn’t accepted either the food that Nona offered him - actually, he almost attacked her again when she offered him some eggs, forgetting that elves’ eating diet was plant-based.

However, there was something that Nona had learnt about that elf thanks to all the arguments he had with Thorny and Adish - mostly related to elves’ supremacy over humans. So, she decided to sneak her head out of the tent flap and test her theory.

“Hey, let’s make a deal,” she shouted towards the elf, who - predictably - snorted.

“I doubt you have something I’m interested in, human–”

The elf’s high-and-mighty words were interrupted when one of the tree branches suddenly broke down, forcing him to get away from the tree, getting even more drenched.

Thorny burst out laughing calling the elf ‘lame!’, earning a cold stare, but Nona kept talking with a completely serious tone.

“We offer you shelter in the camp for the night, and in exchange you share some of your elven knowledge with us.”

“Pfff, what a shitty deal. He’s obviously the most benefited of the–oomph!”

“So, what do you say?” Nona asked, elbowing Thorny, who snorted before disappearing with a sulking ‘gonna take a pee’. “I think it’s a rather good deal.”

The elf remained quiet, pondering his options. But when a new thunder sounded right at that moment and it started raining even harder, he hastily joined Nona inside the tent.

“Tsk, I guess it won’t hurt to teach you illiterate humans a couple of things,” the elf said, removing his soaked hooded cape. He then joined Nona on the ground, sitting on the opposite side. “So, speak, human. What would you like to know?”

“What’s your name?”

The elf stopped in the middle of wringing his cape to offer Nona a deadpan expression.

“That’s not elven knowledge, but a personal question.”

“I disagree. It’s related to you, and you are an elf. So by logic, that’s elven knowledge.”

The elf exhaled a shocked huff, but this time, Nona would swear that a hint of a smile ghosted the elf’s lips before he reluctantly spoke.

“Lorian. My name is Lorian.”

Nona smiled widely. “Nice to meet you, Lorian. I’m–”

“Nona. I know all your names. You humans talk so loudly that it’s difficult not to eavesdrop.” Lorian put his cape aside and sat with his hands clasped around his flexed knees. “I also heard that you have a bounty on your head.”

“Yep, I have.”

“...”

“...Oh, do you want to know the reason?”

“No. Not particularly.”

“Okay.”

A few seconds passed before Lorian clicked his tongue. “What is the reason?”

By the time Nona finished telling the story, Lorian’s slanted eyes were wide open.

“It’s the first time since I started my trip that I have met a human so keen to help monsters.” Lorian’s tone was studiedly calm, but his eyes were digging on Nona with intensity. “As far as I’ve seen, your race merely sees those creatures as a source of making easy money with their remains.”

“Oh, we don’t do that either.”

“...You don’t?”

“Nope. My big sister Bonnie is a hunter, and she taught me when I was little that I should only exploit a monster’s remains in order to survive, be it to eat or avoid freezing to death. But aside from that, we should respect their right to live.” Nona chuckled. “To be fair it drives Thorny crazy. He often tells us that we would have twice the money we have now if it weren’t for such a code.”

“Twice is falling short. That albino cockatrice that the druid documented from afar a couple of days ago could surely be sold for five times the money you have.”

“Oof, please, promise me that you won’t tell Thorny about that, or he will be angry for the rest of the trip.”

This time Nona noted herself a win, because the soft snort Lorian let out could clearly be considered an almost chuckle.

“Worry not. We elves know how to keep a secret.” Lorian seemed to realize then that he still had his boots on, and proceeded to remove them.

“What’s wrong?” Nona inquired when Lorian muttered something under his breath. She didn’t know elven, but that had sounded like a curse.

“My boots are in a deplorable state. They were supposed to be good for long journeys, but it seems like the merchant who sold them for an exorbitant price scammed me.”

Nona hummed right before her face lit up. “Wait a second, I think I still have a spare pair that we found in a rather concealed chest on our way to Hairur’s Fence.”

After a few seconds rummaging her bag, Nona extracted a pair of boots that, though old, were in a pretty decent state.

“Here. They are yours if you want.”

Lorian stared in disbelief at the boots that Nona was offering him.

“Are you aware that these boots are way better than the ones you are wearing?”

“Oh, really?” Nona examined hers with curiosity before shrugging. “Well, I like mine. They are very comfy. So you can have these.”

Instead of accepting them, Lorian half-closed his eyes.

“Are you trying to lie with me?”

Nona blinked, confused. “Uhm, sorry, I don’t understand what you–”

“Are you trying to have sex with me?”

Nona blushed violently.

“W-What?! Of course not! I get that every person is free to do whatever they feel like but at least in my case, my parents taught me that I need to know my partner a bit better a-and go on some dates before–”

“Alright, alright, it seems like I was under a wrong assumption, my apologies,” Lorian said, raising his hand, but the suspicion in his eyes didn’t fade. “I just find it very difficult to believe that you do not harbor ulterior motives with such excess of kindness.”

Nona chuckled, shrugging. “I mean, I don’t have a reason not to be kind with you.”

“...Are you serious?”

Nona frowned, perplexed until Lorian pointed at her cheek.

“Ahh, you meant this little scratch? Bah, that was nothing. It didn’t hurt and it’s mostly gone by now.”

Lorian looked at her for a few seconds in silence and shook his head.

“Definitely you are the weirdest human I have come across.” Lorian averted his eyes before pronouncing the next words. “And I say that as a compliment.”

“Jeez, sorry for leaving you alone with this dead weight, leader. It seems like the bestiary girl was right and those berries were not as edible as I thought–” Thorny shut up before looking at Nona and Lorian alternatively. “O - kay, what the hell happened while I was gone?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“I mean that this dude’s affinity was extra low when I left, and now it’s almost as high as four-eyes!”

“Really? Well, we didn’t do anything in particular. We just talked for a bit and I just gave him some boots.”

“Pffft, I guess we shouldn’t underestimate the power of gifts to make people like you.”

“Wait, can this dark fairy see people’s ‘affinity’?” Lorian inquired.

“Yep, and also people’s potential or stats, as he calls it.”

Lorian regarded Nona with a raised eyebrow.

“I had no knowledge that these creatures had such skills.”

Thorny snorted. “Well, that’s because I’m the coolest imp around, pointy-ears.”

Before Lorian could keep expressing his skepticism, the door of the tent opened, revealing their drenched, remaining companions.

“You were right,” Vesper said once she entered the tent. “There were several posters around, and we passed by a couple of Knights of the Violet Rose that were looking for someone.”

“So goodbye to the chance of spending the night in a comfy bed,” Adish complained, tensing as his eyes stopped in Lorian. “So the superior elf has decided to finally honor us with his presence? What a privilege.”

“His name is Lorian,” Nona rapidly said, seeing that the elf was about to fall under Adish’s provocation.

“Wait, did he finally agree to tell you his name?” Vesper asked in disbelief.

“What the hell happened while we were gone?” Adish snapped, looking at Nona and Lorian alternatively with suspicion.

“Wow, my reaction exactly, four-eyes!” Thorny exclaimed, sitting on the mage’s head. “It looks like we are on our way to becoming besties too.”

“Over my dead body. And stop sitting on my head, you are heavy!”

As usual, Vesper’s diplomatic skills allowed her to mediate so that the argument didn’t last long.

But it lasted just enough so that Nona noticed the corners of Lorian’s mouth slightly curved up in a subtle smile. The first of many, Nona hoped with optimism.