Chapter 119 - 118: When Soldiers Watch Elves
Three days later - Edge of the Elves’ Encampment
Morning mist wove between the trunks like pale smoke, clinging low to the forest floor. Lumberling stepped quietly toward the secluded edge of the goblin village, where the trees grew denser, shaped subtly by elven magic. A hush hung in the air, thick and reverent, an unspoken boundary no one crossed lightly.
He halted beneath a makeshift arch of woven branches, then moved forward without hesitation.
In the clearing ahead, Aurelya stood among a few elves, her golden hair catching the diffused light. She was the first to notice him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she crossed her arms, amused.
"Well, well. The strange human returns," she said, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "You always show up near trees. Is that a habit of yours, or just part of your charm?"
Lumberling exhaled through his nose, unfazed. "Lady Vaenyra," he called, ignoring Aurelya’s jab.
From within the shaded folds of a tent, the elven leader emerged, tall, composed, flanked by Sylra and Thessalia. The moment Vaenyra stepped into the clearing, the air shifted. The light itself seemed to hesitate. The forest held its breath.
"I came to remind you," Lumberling said, calm and direct. "My subordinates have returned. We’ll be striking at Earl Cedric’s territory soon. If you still intend to come, be ready."
At the name, the silence deepened. Even the wind stilled.
Vaenyra’s expression tightened, barely, but enough to see the crack beneath her poise. Her gaze sharpened, icy and unreadable.
"Thank you. Of course we’ll come," Vaenyra said at last, her voice sharp as a blade drawn through frost. "I still owe him pain."
Without breaking eye contact, she stepped forward, elegant, deliberate, unflinching.