Return to Jorgaldur Volume I: the battle mage

Meeting at night

After stopping the caravan, one group went to explore, while the rest interrogated Eldi or, rather, Silverwolf. He only recognized that he possessed a skill that could warn him of danger, something unusual but not exceptional. While there were certain doubts, they waited for the scouts to return, with their weapons ready, and forming a defensive line around the carts.

"A pack of velociraptors. Their level isn't too high, but they are more than fifty. They are in the middle of the road, devouring a wild woolly boar. Jali and Jelo have stayed to keep watching them".

Firodol, a level 52 veteran adventurer and the group leader, nodded, frowning. Those animals, which could reach almost two meters high, were very dangerous, because they can coordinate well in groups. If they had reached the crossroads, they would have had to fight a tough battle.

"We'll wait here. Set traps, just in case they attack. They'll surely leave when they finish eating."

Everyone nodded and went to work. They dug some holes in the sides, which Eldi could have done much faster if he had been willing to show his magic. On the road, they placed logs to block them if they came, in addition to leaving a black liquid next to them. If necessary, they would impregnate the wood with the liquid and let it burn.

After a while, a couple of those animals appeared, surprising Eldi. In the game, they had no feathers.

They cast a couple of spells, trying to scare them, so the animals just drove away, keeping a distance and watching their possible enemies or preys, in addition to emitting some squeals, and receiving others as responses.

They spent a couple of hours of tense waiting, keeping watch of each other, until the velociraptors left. Shortly after, the scouts returned.

"They've left," said Jali, an elf with greenish hair.

"Good job," Firodol sighed in relief, also giving a soft friendly pat on Eldi's shoulders, a soft pat that could have dislocated a normal person's shoulder.

Eldi also sighed, relieved, while massaging his own shoulder. If they had attacked, not only would they have put them in danger, but he would have been forced to show his skills. He wouldn't be able to see them die due to him hiding them.

Soon, they picked up and resumed the march, passing by the remains of a huge wild boar that had been almost three meters high, and of which only a few bones remained. They had devoured it, swallowing even more than they could digest, so they would spend several days without hunting, processing the meat they had stored inside themselves.

However, they were dangerous, so they needed to inform the Guild that they had found a pack of that size. Measures had to be taken before it got worse. In the past, they were kept at bay by a kind of earth dragons, but the visitor had decided to hunt them as a trophy, breaking the balance, and forcing periodic raids to avoid greater damage.

Luckily, some young specimens of those dragons had been immigrating from inside the forest. Although they were still not enough and their development slow, there was hope that the balance would be restored in the future.

That night, Svarlfa was watching Silverwolf while he was guarding. His determined attitude when he had perceived the danger had made him even more attractive to her eyes, so she refused to let him escape.

Thus, when the next guard duty arrived, she secretly followed him to his tent. Before entering, the silver-haired adventurer turned and walked in her direction. She thought that she would now know what he had been doing the day before. She was hidden behind one of the carriages, waiting for him to pass her hideout, but it was not.

"Come, let's talk in a quieter place," he surprised the woman, appearing in front of her.

She followed him obediently, with the secret hope that he would pounce on her. She didn't know how he had discovered her, but she thought that someone capable of perceiving danger from a distance, perhaps was also able to perceive if someone was following him. Obviously, it was impossible for her to know the difference between Sharpening Senses and Bat's Hearing.

When they finally reached a quiet place a little farther, his silver eyes looked at her as they hadn't done before. There was no sign of the indifference, resignation or surprise from other occasions. Instead, there was determination, and a strange trace of loneliness.

"There is another person in my heart. There can be nothing between us," he said softly.

Eldi had expected her to give up, but since it didn't seem like it would be like that, he had decided to be clear. Being in that situation was stressful, and it didn't seem fair that she had some hopes that didn't exist.

"Why? Am I not pretty enough? I don't care if there's another one, I'm not asking you to marry me. Why don't we just share some warm during the trip?" she insisted, approaching him.

"I do care," Eldi replied coldly.

He had tried to be clear and kind, but the merchant's attitude was beginning to annoy him. She had hit a nerve, letting him feel that others wanted to control his life, decide for him, not respect his freedom to choose his own path. Having had a brief relationship with a liar, manipulative and possessive woman in the past had marked him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to...," she got scared about the change in mood.

There was no one there, they were alone. If something happened to her, there would be no witnesses, and she also didn't know that adventurer well enough to be sure he wasn't dangerous. For a moment, she cursed herself for being so reckless

Eldi sighed. He hadn't wanted to scare her. He had overreacted, but he hadn't been able to help it. Now, he felt somewhat guilty about it.

"You are beautiful. And if there was no one else, I would be more than tempted. But there is," he replied again, trying to soften the situation, even with a smile.

She looked at him, calming down at what was clearly no longer a hostile attitude. And finally, she nodded, giving up.

"It's better that we have some rest, there is still a long journey ahead. Come, I'll accompany you."

Svarlfa followed him in silence, except for a "Good night." She had been attracted to him, but she only has thought of an affair of one night, or a few days, never a serious relationship. Maybe a silver-haired son, if she decided she wanted to get pregnant and released the seal, but not a stable partner.

But when she saw him walking away, looking at his back, she realized that her feelings had changed. For the first time, the idea of getting married didn't seem so far-fetched. For the first time, she had found a handsome man she knew she could trust, a man capable of dealing with problems. Unfortunately, that made him inaccessible, in addition to its handsome appearance wasn't real. Although that was something she didn't know.