Steel and Rez walked along the edge of Warren Forrest, along with staring deep into it.
They paused at the spot they had been at before already. Looking at each other then at the forest once more.
"We should only be in there for five minutes and get back out."
Rez looked at Steel and said, with a face full of concern, for the fears they may very well encounter on there way to patrol the inside of the forest this time, instead of just spotting the beast from outside of the forest.
"That's what I planned for us. If we don't find anything we can turn back and just tell the next patrol to make sure they are on the look out."
Rez nodded.
"And if we find the Cliques? They won't be able to beat me, but if they end up becoming to much, we may need to send back and ask for assistance from the capital, Virvanum."
Rex nods, unsheathing his sword and swings it to chop a branch in their way and begins to lead Steel into Warren Forest.
~~~
The smell of stew reverberating throughout the whole house as Marcilene cooked in a pot in he kitchen.
She did her usual, cooking some food.
She was the oldest ten year old ever, feeding me a four year old like I'm her son, or well her younger brother.
"So, you're telling me that… Dad, took you out this morning to train you, and in the process of that so called training you heard clicking sounds like when we were at the…"
She paused as if not wanting to finish the sentence.
"…slavers camp place?"
I nod.
"But before I could say anything. He told me to follow him home."
I paused as well, my face was kinda disappointed by my reaction to his.
"He also had this face that was full of fear, same with Rez."
Marcilene looked at me confused.
"Who's Rez?"
"Elsa and Wes's dad."
"Who's Elsa and Wes?"
"My friends."
"YOU HAVE FRIENDS?!"
She jumps the table and grabs me.
"Don't replace me! I don't have other people to play with."
She began to shake me.
Begging with fake tears in her eyes.
"Stoooop… shaaaaakiiiiing… meeeee…"
She stops and we separated with a chuckle as she slowly got off of the table to the other side that she was back on.
"It's good to know that you have other friends besides me Lazi."
I shake my head.
"Their really just more of Steel's.."
She looks at me with disapproval, but doesn't speak up.
"…friend, but since I don't have anything better to call them, so their my friends."
She lets out a huff of air.
"Do you ever wanna play with them?"
Marcilene asks me, her voice genuinely curious as she turn back around toward the stew, grabbing the spoon, and stirring the pot of stew.
The smell really is amazing as it reverberates through the house.
"Not really, or, I don't know…"
"Not really? You don't know?"
She asks.
"Don't you ever wanna explore without me?"
Marcilene says turn back around after blowing out the flames of the fire magic she had used to ignite it in the first place.
"I mean, like I'm not fully sure yet, I mean…"
I pause, not really sure what to say, then like a lightbulb moment.
"Why not, both of us go and play with them?"
Marcilene looks at me with a dumb look.
"I'm an elf Lazi."
I shrug my shoulder:
"And what? I play with you, I think you're cool."
"No, it doesn't matter what you think because you're my brother you don't understand the half of what'll happen if I..!"
The door opens as Steel walks into the house.
His face full of sweat as he rips off the leather armor and walks over with it toward the armor stand.
"Was it busy today?"
I asked as he placed the gauntlets onto the ground as it slammed.
"Busy? That's the exact opposite, both me and Rez went in there expecting a battle, just to find out that we didn't need to, because…"
He paused and looked at me.
"There was nothing."
I look back to Marcilene, she shrugs not even understanding what happened.
"Oh, okay, then why are you sweating so bad?"
"Because the trees, took in the heat along with my leather, and it grew hot."
Marcilene clears her throat making me look at her as Steel continues with putting the armor on its stand.
She tilts her head in Steel's direction.
"What..?"
I say quietly.
"Ask him about the people that click."
"Oh."
We whisper to each other.
I turn my body to Steel.
"Steel…"
Marcilene grumbled faintly behind me.
"… what's the reason for your discomfort with the people that click."
Steel looks at me and he sighs.
"Which one of you is asking?"
We look between each other, Marcilene and I.
"Both of us."
We say at the same time, after looking back at Steel.
He sighs again.
Before walking over to us, and sitting in one of the seats on the kitchen table.
"Their dangerous elves during the Centennial War."
Marcilene grabbed bowls for all of us and poured a scoop for me and her, giving Steel two scoops of stew, along with getting us a spoon, before getting seated on the table as well.
"It took out many soldiers those guys. It also caused paranoia amongst the troops I'd protect, if they heard the slightest creaking sound during our Nightwatch or during their nap, people would freak out."
"Why though, they seemed to be friendly to us?"
I asked.
"I'm not sure why they were friendly to you, but I do know that they are so dangerous they even managed to wound me."
Marcilene and I look between each other surprised at the fact that someone or something could wound the man that was our father figure.
He took up his spoon and took a scoop of his stew.
"I'd show you the place where they were able to cut me but we're eating and I don't want anyone to lose their appetite."
We nod in agreement both Marcilene and I.
"But why were you surprised when I said there was a clicking sound in Warren Forest? Didn't the elves go into that place to get away from human and beast man civilization?"
Steel nods as he swallows his food.
"Yes, but the thing is, they don't come out this far, they don't even attack anyone that's not in the forest."
"Meaning what?"
Steel shrugs.
"I don't know what it means. I'll just be thankful that they didn't decide to attack right here, especially with you there Lazuli. If anything were to happen to you, I'd lose it."
"Why did they put so much fear in you Steel."
Steel shakes his head.
"No, they don't scare me Lazuli, they make me worried about the people around me, they couldn't kill me even if those guys tried to."
He paused after letting out a small laughter.
"But I'll have to make sure that there really isn't anyone in the edges of the forest, because the fact of the matter is… they can kill."
I take a scoop of my stew, as I bring it to my mouth I remember the look of Wolfe. The blood spilling out of him at the time, the stew drops liquid and meat off my spoon, making me slowly put the spoon back down.
"Those guys have the most dangerous ability. It's the clicking. It makes it so they know their entire environment with a single click."
'Wait, so that girl and the man were trying to give their location to each other back in that dark tent.'
"How do you know that?"
Marcilene asked.
Steel paused, like he was choosing his words carefully.
"Well, let's say that, it involved a very, difficult job of convincing a soldier to tell us what they were doing."
'They tortured someone?!'
I go wide eyed at that.
"How'd you convince the person?"
Marcilene asked, ever so innocently.
"We asked him."
Steel took another scoop and ate it.
I shake my head a little.
Marcilene looks at me with a sad look on her face.
I've been scooping my food and dropping it back into my bowl.
"Do you not like the food?"
She asks with a sad expression.
"No, I'm just not very hungry right now."
I say with a smile, to mask my discomfort.
A knock comes from the door. After I say that.
Steel like a dog, looked there instantly, like the conversation in itself gave him a little bit of a jump.
I scotch my chair away from the table, stand up and go to the door.
I grab the handle and pull it slightly to myself.
Two blonde haired kids on the other side, both with smiles on their faces.
"Hey! Lazuli?! Wanna play with us?"
I look at both Marcilene and Steel, as I peek my head back inside.