Having been left to her own devices for the past several hours, Velicion stared quietly into the lonely orange flames of the dwindling campfire as the elven sorceress grew ever more impatient with the grizzled human commander that had dared to be late to the impromptu gathering that was to happen between the two respective leaders.

During her time in front of the once blistering hot campfire, an incalculable amount of stars had slowly blinked into existence as the elven sorceress found it increasingly difficult to hold back from falling prey to the seductive pleasure of a much needed rest that forced her head to rock back and forth. Her eyes grew increasingly heavy as sleep called out to her with open arms.

It had been a very long time since she had last stayed up at such a late hour.

‘He did say that he was going to be late, but it’s been nearly three hours!’ Irritated by her counterpart’s complete disregard towards an individual’s patience, Velicion stretched out her arms and legs as she threw back her head and let out a fierce yawn.

“My apologies for keeping you up at such a late hour.” With slumped shoulders and sluggish steps. Captain Boris appeared from the shadows as his harsh, rugged voice echoed across an otherwise quiet night. An exhausted huff of air escaped from his lips as the one-armed man sat at the opposite side of the elven sorceress.

Velicions’ ears twitched as the human commander muttered to himself at the sound of his knees popping and cracking. The sorceress was glad that she had yet to reach an age where her body would turn frail and fall victim to similar things, and she took a quick mental note to take better care of her body once all of this had been said and done with.

“It’s been an extremely busy day, Captain. Especially for you.” Velicion allowed her words to act as a form of acceptance towards the man’s apology as she continued to wait for the older gentleman to settle in.

Captain Boris offered the elven woman a deep grunt as he leaned forward and brought his singular remaining hand closer towards the dwindling fire. The man remained quiet as he opened and closed his fingers into a loose fist.

The two said nothing towards one another for several moments afterwards, keeping their thoughts to themselves as they waited for their counterpart to be the first to speak.

Eventually it was Captain Boris that broke the cold night’s silence. “I’m not sure what else to say so I’ll keep it short.” With sullen eyes, Captain Boris looked towards the Sorceress and stared deeply into her eyes as he waited for her to acknowledge what he had to say.

Seeing as she had no other choice but to listen to what the veteran officer wished to speak to her about, Velicion nodded her head as she gestured for the man to continue with what he had to say. For the sorceress, she had a strong suspicion as to the meaning behind the current topic at hand.

"Due to how recent events have transpired for this expedition. It has become necessary for me to ride back south and report to not only Duke Vesely, but also to the King of Ranislava himself." Captain Boris lowered his head as he spoke towards the sorceress with a soft voice. It was a voice that was far more delicate than it previously had been when the two of them had previously spoken to one another in private. "After a brief tour throughout the encampment's remaining inventory and remaining infrastructure as well as those still able to do their duties, I'll need to find out what will happen next. As far as I'm concerned, Ruined Home is in a state where it needs to be abandoned, but the expedition's fate is still a mystery."

The man looked up and stared deeply into Velicions' pitch-black eyes. Only the sound of the crackling fire was able to push back the midnight sky's icy silence and keep it from overwhelming the solemn mood that the two of them shared.

As a gentle breeze swept through the nearby area, threatening to douse the weak flames and plunge the two into pure darkness, Velicion offered the man a click of her tongue as she knew exactly where the conversation would lead to next.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"And you want me to be in charge of the remnants while you figure out the future of this potentially failed expedition." The sorceress stated as she let out a heavy sigh, none too pleased at the man's unspoken request.

Captain Boris said nothing as he nodded his head, waiting for the lithe elven woman to continue with what she had yet to say next.

"Very well then, I'll do as you ask." Another sigh escaped from the sorceress' lips. "Though I must make it clear to you that I'm not at all happy about this, and I ask that you try and do your best in hurrying the process along."

"May I ask why?" Curious as to why the sorceress was in such a rush for him to come back, Captain Boris pressed for the elven woman to make her thoughts clearer to him. For the career officer, it had never occurred to him that the elven woman had been the sort of individual to despise being in positions of authority. The Ranislavian officer had been more than positive that there were a countless assortment of official duties that the sorceress was responsible for, even if she wasn't the true wife to a foreign ruler. Though he was well aware that there was the distinct possibility that Velicion loathed the idea of doing things that didn't pertain to her magical research.

"To put it simply," Velicion paused in her explanation as she threw back her head and let loose an obnoxious sounding yawn. "Aurelius' little adventure will draw to a close within the next few months. So I would appreciate it if you were to offer up a real replacement within the coming weeks after your departure. If not, then I would have to abandon the remainder of your men to their own devices."

"Then I'll have to do my best in making sure to the individuals within the decision making process are well aware of the time constraints." Captain Boris gave the elven sorceress a harsh stare as he rested his sole remaining hand against his right knee.

"Though do be mindful that I'll make sure that your men are in a position to where they're able to take care of themselves." Velicion offered up her condolences as she attempted to soothe the older human's ire.

"Then you plan on somehow grouping up with those dwarves that Iskra has managed to befriend?"

"If possible. Though I don't see why they would refuse." The sorceress shrugged her shoulders as she answered the man. "Though that brings me to the next subject that we'll need to discuss before you leave."

"Captain Boris, since I'm doing you a favor, I think that it would be appropriate that you do me one as well." Gently placing both of her hands over the top of her right knee; Velicion planted her right leg over the other as she stretched the both of them outwards more closely towards the dwindling fire. She wasted no time in explaining what needed to be said. "For both you and your people, it would be well advised if you were to keep quiet about Prince Aurelius and the rest of us. If word were to get out about the prince, then a whole slew of headaches would arise for your kingdom. Headaches that would bring chaos to your lands."

The sorceress' dire words danced through the air as Captain Boris looked to the ground as his thoughts lingered over the warning given to him. The grizzled veteran of countless years of military service remained quiet for some time as he took the elven concubine's warning to heart.

"What of the dwarves," His words were slow to come out, but they were spoken in a manner that would suggest to those listening to the conversation that the military commander already knew the answer to his inquiry. "I take it that the same can be said about Zharatan and those under his command?"

"If this Zharatan is the one that gifted Argonok to the girl, then yes. It would be well advised if you were to keep quiet about those dwarves as well."

Captain Boris gave a nod of his head to denote that he understood her meaning.

"Fantastic." With that single word, the pair of expeditionary leaders would end their meeting.

Time dragged on for the two of them as an aura of awkward silence surrounded the pair of leaders, and it wasn't until the flames had dwindled into glowing red hot embers did they speak for the last time that night.

"I'll be heading south once I've become well-rested," Grunted Captain Boris as he slowly pushed himself off his feet. The man felt as if his age was finally beginning to get to him. Something that he loathed to admit.

The man was beginning to turn his back on the elven sorceress, but the lithe woman's voice forced him to stop. "Captain Boris,"

Looking back towards the sorceress, he noticed that the woman held a sealed parchment between her fingers.

He was curious as to where the sorceress had hidden it during this whole time, but Captain Boris said nothing as he waited for the elven woman to finish speaking.

"I believe this letter will be sufficient in proving to the Duke's family about their daughter's wellbeing."

Captain Boris opened and closed his mouth as he continued to look down at the letter, speechless at how the lithe woman had managed to get such a bullheaded young girl to even look at a blank parchment.

With a tired smile and a grateful nod of his head, Captain Boris took the letter in his hand, carefully placing it into one of his many chest pockets.