"I am here on a mercy mission. The caravan is carrying another supply of medicine and food to the Village of Lilies. The disease has ravaged several villages along the eastern mountains. We started making trips through the valley as a shortcut. After our success the first time, we were commissioned to continue mercy missions to ease the devastation. The Regalia Kingdom is funding most of the supply. I am leading this particular troop of men." Dax reached for his water jug. He could tell the night was only beginning.

Aura pondered his words. "What other villages are suffering from the disease outbreak?"

"From what I know, there's the Village of Lilies, Village of Little Creek, Rocky Cliff Village, and Stone Creek Village. Those are known afflicted villages. If the death toll keeps rising, the villages might not survive the year." Dax sighed.

Aura sat quietly next to Dax. Little Creek was hit with the disease. Jalen… He went undercover in Little Creek over a month ago. She hadn't heard from him since he left.

"Aura?" Dax called to her as she appeared lost in thought. He put his hand on her shoulder when he saw the tears forming in her golden eyes. "Aura, who is it that you are worried about? A friend? Family? Lover?"

Her mind snapped back to the present when she heard his suggestions. She wiped away her emotions again. Although she was letting him see her reaction, it was benefiting her cause. Or at least that's what she told herself.

Dax moved his hand away as she continued to glare at him. "A lover then."

"Former mentor." She corrected him. "Not so much a lover, childhood crush."

"Never graduated to mutual attraction?" He asked.

"No. As I grew, I surpassed him in combat and archery. He sees me as his star pupil. Nothing more." Aura broke her gaze from the fire to see Dax smiling. He was kind of cute for a human.

"So, you are worried about him?" Dax looked back at the fire trying to hide his curiosity.

"Wouldn't it be odd not worrying for my old teacher? He spent a lot of time working with me on my skills. Although he still tops me in the number of languages he can speak." Aura could tell Dax was hiding his expression from her. Did he think she still had feelings for a childhood crush? "My childhood crush on him ended once I realized he would never see me that way. We have been friends ever since."

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"Combat, archery, and linguistics… you must be the daughter of some elite military leader or your mentor saw what you could be and decided to teach you." He said confidently. "In the process, something went wrong, which brought you here. Am I close?"

"You got all that from what my mentor taught me? Couldn't I have attended school or been a noble's daughter?" She chuckled.

"Not with your confidence and outspoken manner. Nobles and well-educated women are mindful of their words and attire." He gestured to her appearance.

"Well, you obviously like my appearance since you noticed it. You are quite spirited yourself, sir." Aura joked back at him.

"You are refreshing. I spend most of my time with my men either running drills or completing missions. I don't spend much time enjoying conversations like this. Even when I was young, my time was spent training with my family. My parents made it fun when I was young, but they wanted me to join the military like my father. The Knights of the Land was my compromise. I am not tied to countries or politics, but I still protect people." Dax looked back at Aura. The tears had faded from her eyes and she had a slight smile on her face.

"Dax, what did you want to be growing up?" Aura asked.

"Blacksmith. I wanted to create swords and other blades. I thought about creating weapons and training people how to use them." He smiled. "An honest simple living."

"So you just want to be simple?" She fixed the hair falling in her face.

Dax was stunned for a moment by Aura's curiosity. This woman was mysterious, alluring, and beautiful. The glow of the fire and star-filled sky were making this entire situation dangerous for him. He felt her slide a little closer to him. Dax would have to choose whether to fall into this trap or separate himself from her. "Simplicity makes for a happy life. I suppose that simplicity is not in your life right now, huh?"

"Depends on how you look at it. Since I left my life behind, you could say my life is a mess or you could say living in the valley could be simple. It's all about perception." She romanced her situation to draw Dax in even more. "There's no one here. I don't have to impress anyone or conform to anyone's wishes. You are the first people I have run into in days. And you caught me by surprise."

"More like saving your life. So you intend to stay when I leave?" His voice uttered concern for her.

"Maybe. This is the valley of the Lost, and I am trying to be lost. It would make sense." Aura said frankly. "Are you worried?"

"Why would I be worried? A girl that my men just saved from a wolf wants to stay in the same valley as the wolf who attacked her. There's also the valley's reputation of people and beasts going missing in the valley. Bloody dead bodies showing up on the trails leading to the valley." He smirked. He had a genuine interest in this woman he just met in this creepy valley. All of this seemed weird to him.

She took a moment to process the truth and concern hidden his humor. This man cared for a stranger that he saved two hours from a wolf. She stretched forward to shake off the last bit of soreness from her body. She refocused her thoughts back to her objective. She needed to get him out of the valley for good. "Will you keep coming through this scary valley?"

"We have to if this disease continues. This path takes two weeks off the trek to the affected villages. As dangerous as this place is, the situation is dire." He looked around at his men and the medics in the caravan resting. A few guards stood to watch on the seemingly peaceful night. "The lives we save our way the cost we might pay."

She caressed his arm to comfort his anxiety. This was a man out of a fairy tale sitting beside her because of his pure purpose in his heart. Aura could feel herself wanting to help Dax. She thought to herself if such a notion could be possible. She slid her hand into his and gave a gentle squeeze. Dax inched toward her closing the gap between them. Together they sat in silence taking in the beautiful stars above them. Maybe she could help him and her people… but that was a thought for tomorrow.