The journey to the elves' village wasn't long as Raeran had said. The village was small but cozy. The elves had built the village among trees that were a rare sight in the otherwise bare and vast plains. It was well hidden, in a sheltered spot. If Lianne, Amra, and Faolin wouldn't have followed the elves, they would have surely missed the village.

The elves in the village happily greeted their kin with hugs as they arrived. All of the elves had light hair and bright eyes. They were slim, tall, and moved like water. They were like earthly ghosts, their almost transparent hair flowing in the wind with swaying movements.

The elves had utilized everything they could from their surroundings. They had built small lodges under the trees that sheltered them from sight. Ropes were hanged from the trees, used for drying clothes, leathers, and herbs.

As Lianne, Amra, and Lianne hopped off their horses and tied them to the trees, Raeran walked to them, his expression delighted and calm. "Thank you for coming. This is our little place of paradise," he welcomed them.

"What is the name of your village?" Amra asked curiously while looking around.

"We do not need a name. This is our place, nothing more," Raeran replied with a smile. "Please stay with us for the night. We will host a celebration in our guests' honor later on," he added while waving one of the female elves to come to him.

"That is very kind of you," Lianne smiled and bowed a little.

"This is the least we can do for you," Raeran shook his head, gesturing that thanks were not needed.

"Where can I take the prisoner?" Faolin asked from Raeran, who pointed to a nearby lodge.

"That one is unoccupied," he said before leaning closer to Faolin. "Please, be aware, we do not want any trouble," he added with a meaningful look.

Faolin nodded. "Of course," he said and went to untie the prisoner from his horse. The prisoner was sitting down on the ground, seemingly exhausted, and not putting up resistance at all. He had given up.

Faolin took a good hold of the prisoner's arm and pulled him up before starting to escort him to the lodge Raeran had pointed out.

Raeran turned to Lianne and Amra when Faolin was gone. "If you desire, you can bathe here. We have no river nearby, but enough water to attend to you," he explained, and Lianne and Amra both immediately smiled. They couldn't wait to get into a bath.

"Yes, please!" Lianne said excitedly.

"Sionia will take you there. Do take your time," Raeran said with a smile and pointed at the female elf that had arrived next to him.

"Please, follow me," Sionia said with an alluring smile and a small nod, greeting Lianne and Amra very gracefully before starting to lead them to the bath.

As they were following Sionia, Amra had a peculiar expression on her face as she was glancing bashfully at Sionia walking before them. She carefully focused on Sionia's feet as they softly touched the ground when she moved. Then her eyes scanned upwards along her legs.

Lianne elbowed Amra's arm. "You see something interesting?"

"Shut up," Amra whispered, almost hissing.

"What are you looking for down there?" Lianne continued with a teasing tone before Amra glared at her, trying to keep her silent.

"Here we are," Sionia said with a soft voice as they arrived in one of the lodges. She showed them inside and handed them towels and a new pair of clothing that they could change after the bath.

"Thank you, you're so kind," Amra said to Sionia and smiled flirtatiously, lifting her eyebrows as if she was trying to signal her interest. Lianne rarely saw Amra acting like that, seemingly awkward but trying her best, and that kept on amusing her.

"Thank you," Sionia replied to Amra, averting her light grey eyes as she looked down with a coy smile. Then she left the lodge with a graceful nod.

Lianne waited for Sionia to leave before turning to Amra. "Would you have rather bathed with her than me?"

Amra rolled her eyes while starting to undress. "Yeah, yeah," she just said with an exaggerated sigh.

"I can give her my place if you want," Lianne kept on teasing her while starting to undress too, but Amra was already going into the bath, to get away from her insinuations.

Lianne entered the wooden bath after Amra. The water felt so nice that she let out a satisfied sigh, feeling the warmth dissolving all the tension in her body. It felt like bliss after months of traveling. Lianne just wanted to sink underwater and stay there, to feel the warmth wrapping its gentle waves around her. Moments like those were rare.

"Do you remember when we were kids, bathing in the river? The time we got in trouble with your parents," Amra said with a wide smile while combing her hand through her wet hair, enjoying the sensation.

Lianne remembered. They had been the age of ten, fighting about something when bathing in the river. Most likely Lianne had wanted to braid Amra's hair and she hadn't let her. That was the subject of their fights many times when they were small. It was trivial when looked back now, but it had been something to fight for at that time. After Lianne had gone home with blood flowing from her head, her parents had yelled to her, to Amra, and even to Amra's parents.

"You pushed me so hard that I hit my head on a rock. I still have that scar," Lianne said while smiling at the memories.

"No, you don't," Amra replied with a burst of laughter.

"Yes, I do!" Lianne said while starting to touch her scalp, finding the small scar she had from that time. It was still there, and she liked it. It was a reminder of their long friendship.

"You can braid my hair now," Amra said, her eyes gentle as she looked at Lianne.

"Nah, I don't want to. You don't have the hair for that anymore," Lianne said with a smile as she lowered her hands and started washing her shoulders and arms, feeling the warmth melting away all her problems.

"Have I said that I miss my parents?" Amra asked, her voice wistful.

"Yes, many times," Lianne answered before she sank herself under the water. She loved those memories above everything, but they also stung. She knew that the past was in a world she had no access to anymore. It was a world she could never get back.

After Lianne and Amra got out of the bath, they dried themselves and put on the light green tunic and trousers that Sionia had given them. The woolen fabric of the clothes was light but warm, and the clothes themselves really comfortable. Both of them already felt at home in the village.

As they left the bath, Amra took all their belongings to a lodge they would be sleeping that night, and Lianne went to see where Faolin had gone.

Lianne arrived at the lodge she had seen Raeran pointing out to Faolin. She walked to the door, ready to step in when she suddenly stopped, hearing Faolin's voice on the other side. His voice sounded strange when he spoke to the prisoner. His usual soft voice was now low and threatening.

Lianne stood there for a moment, wondering what to do. Then she leaned closer to the door, her curiosity getting the better of her. She felt guilty for eavesdropping, but couldn't help herself.

"I know who you belong to, so you would be a fool to hide it. Where is he?" Faolin said to the prisoner with a strict voice.

The prisoner growled at Faolin, cursed, and finally spoke. "I'm not telling you shit!"

Lianne heard movement inside the lodge and then a strange gurgling sound from the prisoner. His breaths turned ragged, almost as if Faolin was strangling him.

"Tell me, or you will never be able to speak anymore. I will cut your tongue. You will not die but it will hurt. I promise you that," Faolin threatened the prisoner.

The prisoner let out a wheezing sound as if he was suffocating. It lasted a few moments before Faolin seemed to let go. The prisoner first coughed violently, and then took in deep uneven breaths, trying to fill his lungs full of air.

"No..." the prisoner was able to say.

"Tell me. Where is he?" Faolin asked again, his voice demanding.

The prisoner still didn't say anything.

"Tell me!" Faolin yelled loudly and Lianne heard movements from inside again.

"Fine! He's with the Shadows!" the prisoner yelled, giving up, his voice breaking. Then he cursed and spit, and straight after that Lianne heard a slap before the prisoner went silent.

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Lianne listened to the sudden silence, her eyes wide. She felt dirty for secretly listening to Faolin's interrogation. She felt like she had intruded on something personal. Faolin was usually calm, but now he seemed like someone else, his yelling making Lianne almost cold.

The prisoner grunted, getting back to his senses. "Do that again, and I'll..." he tried saying when Faolin interrupted him.

"You do not have any say in the matter," he said, and then Lianne heard a muffling sound, the voice of the prisoner turning to a mumble as if his mouth had been gagged.

Lianne didn't want to listen more to it. She walked silently away from the lodge, feeling disturbed. That was not what she had expected to hear, and she realized that she had no idea who Faolin was, or what he was after.

Lianne briskly walked further away. She tried to forget what she had heard, but couldn't stop her thoughts. The tone of Faolin's voice and the threats he had made were hard to forget. The prisoner had also mentioned the Shadows. Why? What did Faolin have to do with them?

Later everyone started gathering at one of the bigger lodges in the village where the celebration was about to take place. Lianne and Amra were already sitting at a large table, in seats that had been reserved especially for the guests. The large tables were filled with candles and plates and the elves were bustling around, getting ready to bring the food.

When Faolin entered the lodge, he sat down next to Lianne and Amra, nodding at them kindly, the same as always. Lianne looked at him carefully, trying to inspect his demeanor, but he was casual and calm, leaning back against the seat as if nothing was the matter.

The elves started bringing food to the large table. Everything smelled so good that it instantly made Lianne hungry, forgetting about everything else. There were full plates of some kind of stew, vegetables, bread, and drinks. A female elf went around the tables, pouring everyone some wine.

When everyone's cups were filled, Raeran stood up. "Without our guests, we might have never made it back home. Let us thank them for their kindness," he said, raising his voice so that everyone could hear. "Our small village is modest, but eat as much as you want. That is the least we can do for you."

Raeran raised his cup of wine and toasted it to their guests. Lianne, Amra, and Faolin followed and drank the wine. The deep red liquid slid straight down Lianne's throat, warming her up. It was fruity and tasted unbelievable, especially after the bath and the warm welcome.

Everyone started eating with a good appetite, stuffing their plates with everything they could. A younger-looking male elf started playing a song in the corner of the room, filling the room with beautiful notes, the atmosphere instantly becoming tranquil.

As Lianne tasted some of the crunchy vegetables and listened to the beautiful song, she felt as if there was nothing bad in the world. At that moment she felt as if she was back home.

They ate and they drank. The elf sang songs about feasts and beautiful moonlights. He sang slow songs, fast songs, and songs that made everyone silent. He sang songs that made everyone join in, singing along as if it was the best thing anyone could do at the moment.

When the songs ended, Raeran walked to the center of the room. "Our dear guests, let me tell you a story," he started telling of a great elf that once roamed the lands that they lived in. The elf's name was Elred and he was the hero of those lands. He fought beasts, fooled a demon, and even an entire army, conquered the hearts of other elves and men alike. He was beautiful and brave, and once even took out an ancient griffin, all by himself.

Raeran told the story with enthusiasm and joy. It was clear that everyone had heard of the story many times before, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Lianne was entertained. The story had adventure and humor. It was just the kind of thing she always heard in her home village. The name of the hero was different, but it was still the same story. Sometimes the hero was a man, or a woman, and sometimes even a dwarf. The mutual thing in all the stories was that the hero was braver than anyone could ever be.

Soon everyone started being drunk from the wine. The music was playing and people were dancing merrily and having fun. The sun had already set, and most of them were still up, enjoying their evening together. Amra had gone to talk to Sionia on the other side of the lodge. After some wine, she had finally gathered the courage.

Later, Raeran was sitting next to Lianne and Faolin. The wine had been flowing for hours and Raeran was getting heavily drunk.

"Your village is really nice, and all the people are very welcoming," Lianne said to Raeran with a coaxing voice.

"Well, thank you, young lady. It is nice to have guests," Raeran said, answering Lianne's compliment with a smile.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lianne asked, and Raeran immediately nodded. "Have you heard of Clandmere? Where is it?" she asked while leaning closer to Raeran, trying to take advantage of his drunken state, asking questions that might not be answered otherwise.

Raeran thought for a moment as his body swayed a little. "No, I do not think I know where it is."

"But you live this far north? How can you not know? It's supposed to be somewhere here," she still tried asking, but Raeran just shrugged his shoulders.

"I know a town called Griffmore. Would that help?"

Just then a female elf came to take Raeran away, pulled him to dance with her in the middle of the room. Raeran excused himself with joyous laughter as he let her spin him around.

Lianne frowned as she looked at the dancing elves, feeling a pang of homesickness in her heart. It felt just like home, but there she would be dancing with the rest of them. She would be spinning around the room with Amra and her other friends.

"Are you not much of a dancer?" Faolin asked, noticing Lianne's melancholic mood.

Lianne shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Not now?"

Lianne looked down at her half-empty cup of wine. "No, I'm sorry. It's just hard to let loose now. It was different back home."

"I understand," Faolin replied casually before taking a sip from his wine.

Lianne glanced at Faolin, inspecting his features. He seemed as if the interrogation hadn't even happened. Lianne wasn't sure what to think of him, his two sides making her confused. She emptied her cup with a long gulp and put it down on the table. The female elf immediately came to her with a pitcher, offering her some more. Lianne nodded and the elf filled it to the brim.

Lianne watched the dancers again, looking at how the elves laughed with each other, enjoying their shared moments. Then she glanced at the corner of the room and saw Amra gently sliding her hand to Sionia's cheek and then to her neck, feeling the skin. Amra leaned closer to Sionia, and kissed her passionately in the dark corner.

"Oh, look at her," Lianne said, her mood immediately improving.

Amra looked so happy as she pulled away from the kiss and whispered something to Sionia, who nodded with a smile. Amra took a hold of Sionia's hand and started escorting her out of the lodge. They passed Lianne and Faolin as they slipped away from the festivities.

"Have fun," Lianne whispered to her with a teasing smile. Amra just winked back with a mischievous grin as they left, probably to spend some alone time in a dark corner outside or another lodge.

Lianne laughed to herself as Amra left. She was happy to see Amra that relaxed. For the last months they had been traveling, she had been taking care of her. Amra always had to worry or try to think ahead. She hadn't really had time to unwind while they had been on the road.

Lianne realized that Faolin was looking at her, inspecting her mood. "It's good that she's enjoying herself. She's always looking out for me. She deserves everything," Lianne quickly said, trying to explain her sudden mood change.

"You do not think you deserve anything?" Faolin asked back.

Lianne immediately quietened down, feeling uncomfortable. Faolin's question had hit the sore spot, a subject Lianne wouldn't want to discuss.

"I guess I don't," she replied silently and drank some wine.

"Why are you trying to find Clandmere then?" Faolin asked.

Lianne turned to look at him with a frown on her face. "What do you mean?"

"If you do not think you deserve anything, why do you still try to help yourself?"

Lianne looked at Faolin for a moment baffled. "I don't know. I guess I want to be free, even if I don't deserve it," she said with a silent voice as she averted her gaze.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you. I am just curious," Faolin said, but Lianne wasn't looking at him anymore. She was too focused on her cup of wine and all the emotions that started to stir inside her. She wanted to get rid of that darkness, but what then? Could she ever forget about everything she had done and live her life normally?

After a moment of silence, Faolin spoke again, his voice soft. "Amra said that you are really good at magic."

Lianne still wasn't looking at Faolin. "She's always exaggerating. I'm just alright."

"Do you know how to seal yourself?" Faolin asked, and that's when Lianne finally turned to look at him.

"No."

"It might help you out when you feel as the darkness is taking over. It is similar to my arrows, the Qesser," Faolin explained.

"You mean I could seal a part of me if I ever feel the need?" Lianne asked, getting curious.

"Complete sealing takes time to master, but you could try to seal a small part of yourself," Faolin said and looked at Lianne expectantly. "Do you want to learn how?"

Lianne nodded enthusiastically. The thought of learning something helpful immediately improved her mood.

Faolin turned towards Lianne and moved a bit closer. "It is like any other magic. You need to focus your energy," he said as he held out his hand and opened up his palm. His skin started to glow with his energy, bright and strong, as he concentrated on the seal.

Lianne lifted her hand on top of Faolin's palm. She slowly traced it with her fingers, feeling Faolin's energy flicker beneath his skin. It felt different than hers, tingling and warm. Lianne's fingers felt as if they were drowned in a soft cloud. It made her heart beat faster.

"You got it?" Faolin asked and Lianne nodded.

Faolin closed his palm and then took a hold of Lianne's arm.

"Let your energy flow," Faolin said as he traced his finger from across Lianne's collarbone, down to her arm. "Imagine what you felt, how the energy feels to you. You have to know that it is meant to seal. It is not meant to harm."

Lianne closed her eyes, feeling Faolin's fingers tracing along her arm. All the sounds in the lodge disappeared to the background, the present fading away. She solely focused on the feel of Faolin's energy that she had touched, and the trail he made in her arm as she gathered energy.

"Concentrate on gathering the energy to your hand. Remember that it is supposed to seal," Faolin whispered next to her, not to interrupt her focus.

Lianne felt as if something started to feel hot inside her palm. It was the same kind of warmth that she usually experienced, but it still felt different. It was comforting and soothing. It was small, but it was still there.

"There you go," Foalin whispered and Lianne opened her eyes. Her hand was slightly glowing in a light she had never seen before. It was faint and probably would not seal anything, but it was still there, and it made Lianne surprisingly happy.

"It seems that Amra was right after all. You are good at this," Faolin said to Lianne, who immediately glanced at him and smiled, the faint glow of energy disappearing from her hand.

As Faolin let go of her arm, the warm trace of that energy still clung to her palm, tingling with small sparks. She squeezed her hand into a fist and tried to conserve the last trails of that small flame of magic as if it was her lifeline.

Lianne looked at the dancing people and took a sip from her wine, letting it warm her from inside. Amra was somewhere with Sionia. Faolin was sitting next to her. Raeran was drunkenly spinning around the lodge. She was feeling surprisingly peaceful. Even if doubt for Faolin and uncertainty for her future haunted her thoughts, she still hoped that life would always be like that.