Grohir stood leaning over a wooden table and studying a map. He was an older man, around forty. His short greying hair complimented his gaunt face and his icy-blue eyes gave off a sense of authority. The moment Grohir looked at Tycon as he entered the room, he knew that the man was as serious as they come.

He didn't immediately give Tycon his attention, instead continued studying the map before him. That all changed when Ambre entered the room, he stood straight up and tensed his shoulders as if waiting for her to tell him when he could get back to his duties. Ambre simply sighed and gave Grohir a dismissive wave and he quickly was at ease.

"My lady, welcome," He said in a gruff voice.

Ambre acknowledged him with a nod and joined him at the table.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"We've been hitting their supplies for a few months now, we're almost fully equipped to mount an assault," He replied, pointing toward the map.

Tai, who had been standing by Tycon's side, shot forward, "We still don't have the manpower."

Grohir nodded in agreement, "We still need a substantial amount of troops to launch an effective attack on the capital."

Ambre slowly nodded, a finger on her chin, "If we have the supplies, I think we should shift a good amount of focus on recruitment. The rest of it will be in training."

"It's too risky," Grohir protested, "They already know that there are signs of insurrection and we've been lucky with just guerilla warfare. There are spies within the towns and city, the guards are vigilant."

 "What do you suggest then?" Ambre sighed.

"I mean no disrespect of course," Grohir turned his back to them, facing the wall, "We keep it as it is. The amount of recruits we get is enough for now, even if it'll take longer."

Ambre didn't argue, it was obvious she trusted the man. Tycon, however, wasn't too sure. He had no reason not to trust him but wasn't quite ready to settle on anything for now.

Tai glanced back at Tycon over his shoulder, "Grohir, this is Tycon."

"Yes, I know. The elven mercenary that the princess speaks so highly of," He turned back to face Tai then shifted his gaze over to Tycon, "You'll be paid, don't you worry. Tai, show him to his quarters."

Tycon knew at that moment that he would no longer be able to be close with Ambre. The reality of duty had taken over, Tycon understood that. He knew that she would need to act as a leader, as a fighter and it was something he could only contribute to as a simple mercenary, not as a lover and not as a friend. The gravity of that had cracked his chest like glass, the shards falling down his body, leaving pain wherever they went, a pain he would have to hide.

Tai bowed then stepped past Tycon. He took one last look at Ambre and both their gazes met. Her brow was furrowed and he could tell she felt the same. She watched him longingly as he followed the man out of the room and down the dirty tunnels.

They passed several men and women that sat in hushed conversations as they made their way through the claustrophobic tunnels. Several of them stared as he passed, ignoring it, he kept his gaze at Tai's back until they arrived at a small bedchamber.

The walls were made of dirt, which was as Tycon had expected and the earthly ceiling above them was held up by wooden pillars that were spread throughout the room. It was practically empty with only several bedrolls spread out upon the floor. 

This isn't going to be comfortable at all.

"Here we are, get some rest. Training begins tomorrow," Tai said, gesturing at a long bedroll in the far left corner of the room.

"Training?"

"Everybody does it," He said, his expression, distasteful and his tone sharp, "Even paid mercenaries."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Tai took a step forward, stopping mere inches from his face, " It means, I don't like people that profit from our suffering."

Tycon arched his eyebrows, keeping his tone equally as sharp, "I'm not here for the fucking coin. I have a personal stake in this too."

"And what's that?" He hissed.

Tycon couldn't answer. His love for Ambre had to remain a secret, he knew that and he wasn't about to expose that to a misinformed prick.

"What's the matter? Can't come up with an excuse? You fucking mercenaries are all the same."

Tai spat and shook his head then quickly left the room, leaving Tycon alone with his thoughts.

He was glad to be out of the cold and somewhere warm despite how uncomfortable it was. There wasn't much else he could do as a simple mercenary except wait for their numbers to grow, though his patience was rather thin. For a moment he considered leaving and heading into Winter's Peak to wait for the coming battle. Using it as a distraction to get at the king, instead, he simply lay on the bedroll with his eyes locked to the ceiling, waiting for sleep to overcome him.

Before that could happen, Tycon heard footsteps coming toward the room, the crunch of dirt becoming louder with each stride. Initially, he didn't think much of it and didn't bother glancing over to the doorway but then he heard a hesitant voice call to him.

"H-hey, you're an elf?" The voice said.

Tycon glanced over to see a young man with long brown hair, the top half tied in a ponytail while the lower hung freely over his shoulders. His hazel eyes were wide as if he had never seen an elf before, though, Tycon wasn't surprised. A stubble was growing on the man's slender face and he looked rugged and weary but gave off an aura of enthusiasm, or was it young naivety. Tycon wasn't one to talk, although, It reminded him of Ambre when they had first met.

"Yeah, I'm an elf. Why do you ask?"

"I heard some of the others speak of you and well... I've never seen an elf before and got a little curious."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Tycon sat up and spread his arms wide, "This what you expected?"

The man raised an eyebrow and studied him, "Not quite," He admitted, "I had the impression that your kind was a little more... Elegant?"

Tycon sighed, "You're not the first person to say that."

"And I doubt I'll be the last," He joked.

The man took a step over and stuck out his hand, "My name is Ren. What's yours?"

Tycon took his hand and shook it firmly, smiling at him, "A pleasure, my name is Tycon."

"You mind if I sit with you?" Ren asked.

"Sure, got nothing better to do."

He sat by Tycon's side with his back against the dirt wall behind him.

 "I'm curious, how old are you, Tycon?"

"Eighty-three."

Ren's eyes widened, "Eighty-three? But you look so young."

"We age the same as humans up until we reach adulthood. Then we begin to age slower."

Ren's mouth was agape as he studied Tycon again, "Amazing," He said in disbelief.

"So what's an elf doing all the way out here? Is the coin really worth joining the cause?"

"Got a lot of questions don't you? I'm here for personal reasons."

Ren shrugged and waited for Tycon to continue. When he didn't, Ren spoke again.

"Do you want to elaborate?"

"I can't"

Ren didn't reply but instead slowly nodded. He cast a glance over at Tycon's daggers that sat snugly in their scabbards by the bedroll.

"Don't tell me you intend to go into battle with those," He said pointing to them.

Tycon raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing, just not my personal taste to be close to the enemy."

"You gotta be with any battle," Tycon replied.

Ren nodded, "True but I'd rather be as far as possible."

"Perhaps you could teach me how to use a singular blade better, then?"

Ren rose to his feet enthusiastically, "Of course but only if you teach me a little of your nimble elven fighting style."

"You seem to know a lot about my kind."

"Studied a lot as a kid, wanted to be a scholar. Didn't quite work out as I had intended though," He paused and brushed some dirt from his white tunic and dark pants, "Anyway, I'll see you at training tomorrow?"

Tycon answered the man with a nod and Ren made his way over to the doorway.

"I look forward to learning from you, Tycon."

"As do I."

With that, Ren left the room and the silence quickly returned. Tycon had gotten himself into something far bigger than both him and coin. He wanted desperately to see Ambre again but he knew he didn't have a chance, at least, not for now. His thoughts, regardless of that sentiment, returned to her.

The way she looked at him with those bright ocean eyes, how the wind, swept through her beautiful blonde hair. He couldn't help but feel the gaping hole the sudden situation had left within him. Tycon did his best not to let it detract from his ability to sleep, though that was quickly proved pointless.

He lay there for hours, gazing toward the ceiling with empty eyes. Completely consumed within his thoughts, waiting for sleep to overcome him and eventually, it did.

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 Tycon woke to Tai shouting at the recruits. Admittedly it was jarring but he told himself to go with it. Having authority looming over him wasn't something he was especially fond of but in this instance, he didn't really have a choice.

Climbing out of the hatch he had entered the night before, he noticed the storm had died down and he could make out the environment around him. Realizing that the rebel headquarters was set up at an abandoned homestead. A lone farmhouse sat not too far from the trapdoor, covered in snow, yet, still lived in by the rebels who squatted there. Surprisingly there was a stable by the left side of the house. He noticed a few farmhands tending to the horses that were stabled there.

Most of them were white and were a breed he was unfamiliar with, though they looked to be strong and hardy, perfect for the terrain and weather they found themselves in. Tycon followed Tai with Ren at his back, among several other recruits. They trudged through the deep snow toward a small gated paddock that had been noticeably shoveled recently. Barely a speck of snow covering it, only the dirt that lay beneath.

"You, elf." Tai began, throwing a wooden sword to him, "I want you against four. Let's see if you're worth the coin."

"You're joking right?" Tycon argued.

"Did I stutter?" He spat.

Tycon sighed and reluctantly entered the makeshift fighting ring then waited for Tai to speak again.

"Any volunteers?" Tai called.

All hands were raised, including Ren. Tycon couldn't help but sigh, he knew the men and women here had a distaste for him because he was a mercenary and he didn't blame them despite the fact that they were on the same side. If he thought someone was profiting from their suffering, he'd feel the same too.

Tai picked four randomly and they climbed into the ring with him, wooden swords brandished and ready to fight.

Tai hadn't told them to start before one of them came in swinging, not faltering for a moment. The others followed quickly after. Tycon blocked the initial swing from the man who charged in first and quickly ducked under the swing from another. He kicked at the first man's knee and as he dropped the ground, Tycon spun around him and hit him on the neck. 

"You're out," Tai called and the man he'd hit climbed to his feet with a groan and left the ring.

The other three were now spread around him, pacing with their wooden swords before them. Tycon dropped down and swept his legs at their feet, knocking one to the ground. Tycon quickly spun to his feet, swing his sword in a slashing motion, blocking two incoming strikes. Amidst the fight, Tai said nothing, only watching. Tycon caught a glimpse of Ren leaned over the railing, watching intently.

The man on the ground hadn't yet gotten to his feet before Tycon swung his weapon into the man's bicep. he let out a cry and Tycon heard Tai call him out. That left only two, luckily for Tycon, he had been in this situation before many months ago and the experience left quite an impression.

Again the two danced around him. It was clear the men weren't very experienced, he should have had trouble in the duel. He felt bad for them, they were in no condition to fight against well-trained soldiers. They wouldn't stand a chance.

One of the men lunged at him with his sword raised high, Tycon grabbed his wooden blade with his left hand and blocked the incoming strike. Feeling the other man coming in for a swing, Tycon hit the blocked man with the pommel of his sword and in one swift motion, quickly turned to block the incoming attack with his blade.

"Time" Tai called suddenly.

All three of them stopped, facing Tai as he climbed into the ring and snatched a wooden sword from one of the men.

"You impress me, elf. Let's see how you do against me?"

Tai motioned the others to leave the ring and raised his sword in front of him. 

"You move quickly, I'm impressed. Good to see the coin isn't going to waste."

"As I said, I'm not here for the coin," Tycon sighed.

Tai shrugged, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Tai put one hand behind his back and extended his left leg forward in a dueling stance.

"Didn't realize we were going all proper with this duel," Tycon said. 

"Shut up and fight," Tai hissed, sneering.

Tai quickly danced forward, stabbing with the blunt tip of the blade, Tycon slashed at the blade sideways, knocking it away and opening a chance for a counter-attack but Tai spun away, kicking up dirt as he did. Tycon decided to push on the offense, slashing at the blade and knocking it as Tai blocked his attacks.

Suddenly, an arrow landed between them and they stopped and then a hail of them rained down upon the homestead.

What the?

"Take cover!" A voice called.

"Attac-" Another voice shouted but was quickly silenced.

That's when he heard it, the brush and thumping of horses galloping through the snow. Not just a singular horse, but several. Judging by Tai's reaction, he knew that it was serious. They had been discovered, that was the first thing that sprang into his mind. He had to get to Ambre, quick! 

Tycon sprung over the fence and grabbed Ren, who already had his sword drawn. The whisps of arrows suddenly fell upon the homestead, falling silently into the snow.

"Get the archers up high and a blockade on the trapdoor," Tai shouted.

The rest of the recruits brandished their weapons and the archers quickly climbed onto the house roof. The trapdoor opened and several other soldiers began climbing out, ready to fight. Tycon couldn't get inside, there were too many. He had no choice but to stay topside and fight the incoming raid.

"Eastside, a raid party, coming in fast," An archer called.

Tai jogged over to Tycon and gave him a sword, "Not a time for daggers," He said quickly. 

Tycon could tell by his eyes that he was serious and putting their differences aside, he graciously accepted the weapon and stood firm. Half of the recruits didn't even get a swing in before they were cut down by the cavalry as they charged through the homestead. Tycon, Ren, and Tai were not going to let the homestead fall, not while they were still breathing.

He had to protect Ambre at all costs.