Keldon froze beneath a ring of arrows. When he shifted his gaze to study the deadly points, every bow pulled tighter, as if daring him to move again. Keldon raised his hands, gesturing his surrender to their silent command. “I’m not looking for a fight.”
“Why are you here?” asked one creature, preparing to release his arrow into Keldon’s chest.
Keldon shifted his body to face the voice’s source. But the moment his leg twitched, an arrow tore through his pant leg and buried into the soil. As Keldon grasped the damaged material, a different voice resounded through the shadowy woods. “Move again, and you won’t get another warning.”
Keldon’s eyes closed as he silently cursed his luck at being dispatched to find the elves. As Keldon studied the collection of glinting arrows arrayed before him, he almost wished he were still on the walls staring down at the bestial horde. “I’m not an enemy,” Keldon said, forcing calm into his words. “I came looking for an ally to help defend my people. An army of monsters is threatening to overwhelm us. Please help us!”
The nearest arrow vanished from view. But Keldon could swear that he heard the bow being drawn. “We previously stated our refusal to associate with you or your adversaries.”
Keldon closed his eyes, releasing his held breath. “Yes, I remember your threat.”
“Then why did you choose to surrender your life by returning to our territory?”
He held his breath, considering the question. After several seconds, he exhaled, opened his eyes, and stared at the gleaming points looming over him. “With the force massed to attack our home, if we don’t get the help we need, we’ll die. As a result, Tarian tasked me with finding a potential ally. We hoped you’d stand with us before the horde tramples every stone of our home into dust. But maybe we were wrong to hope.”
“You risked your life because you were dead either way?” asked another voice.
Keldon shook his head and bellowed. “No, I risked my life on the chance that we might survive this onslaught.”
“You said you feared your people would die,” another elf said.
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