Rhadoron and I walked to our village side by side, passing the druids working in the fields. I couldn't deny feeling a smidge of pride, knowing they saw me walking with one of the strongest hunter from our woods. Still, I shot them an apologetic smile in the passing, knowing they were waiting for me to return to work with them. They would never call out to me so long as I was with a hunter, but I would likely receive many questions about it later.

Before we reached the first buildings, Rhadoron took a sharp left and led me to a couple of barns, which used to house animals but had fallen into disuse in recent years. Off-kilter buildings with sagging roofs, surrounded by tall grass and blooming flowers as they were slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Three hunters and Elder Ariste were waiting for us in front of the old cow barn. My breathing already grew more shallow as nerves took over. The Elder's frown lines were deep as the carvings in his hazel shillelagh, his thin lips pressed into a grim line. His dark eyes first flickered to me and then rested on Rhadoron, silently questioning why I was here.

"Farun will speak with the captive first," Rhadoron stated.

My heart skipped a beat at Rhadoron acknowledging me and even saying my name. He didn't offer much of an explanation for my presence, however, and I wasn't surprised Elder Ariste bristled.

"The prisoner has already seen me," I quickly added. "The human liked—"

Elder Ariste raised a finger, promptly silencing me. "If you wish to be useful, Farun, you would be in the fields plucking berries or inside churning butter, so we may eat tonight."

My eyes darted to the ground in shame immediately.

Rhadoron didn't relent. "We wish for the attacks on our people to stop, do we not?" Rhadoron asked. "Give Farun permission to... care for the human. Soften him up."

"And why would we do that?" Ariste asked curtly.

Rhadoron nodded at me. "The prisoner seems to like the way young Farun looks. It will be much easier for him to gain trust."

I internally cringed as smirks appeared on the hunters' faces all over again at Rhadoron's blunt statement. I'd grin and bear anything however, if Rhadoron kept to his word and talked to Ariste about me becoming a hunter. So far, we didn't seem to be getting any closer to this permission. Ariste didn't look any more enthusiastic now Rhadoron had proposed this wild idea.

"This is a chance we can't squander, Elder Ariste," Rhadoron pressed. "You've seen him and his attire. He's from the palace, and affiliated with what the humans call the temple of the thunder god. We can deduce both the temple and the palace will want this individual back. It will be in our favour if the prisoner has formed a certain... attachment to us."

The Elder pursed his lips in distaste. I expected him to flat out reject the plan and send me on my way back to the druids. But after his eyes lingered on Rhadoron for a moment, he curtly nodded. "Very well. I hope you know what you're doing."

With a shake of his head, Ariste stepped down. He waited for what came next with his arms crossed.

It surprised me every time how quickly the village elder gave up whenever Rhadoron wanted something. Then again, Elder Ariste was appointed in a time of peace. He was a master of land cultivation and handling animals, not of interrogating captives or wielding weapons. Hunters were our leaders in times of war.

"Well?" Rhadoron arched a brow at me and gestured at the closed barn door. "Go on then."

I gaped at Rhadoron. "What? Now?" I sputtered. "You want me to go in there right now?"

"Obviously. We're not here to churn butter, Farun. Go on." Rhadoron made another dismissive hand gesture towards the door.

I gulped as the other hunters stepped aside to make way for me. I'd expected... well, I hadn't even expected to be here in the first place. Being told to talk to a human. But I would've liked more instructions about what the hunters expected of me. It seemed I wouldn't get them, however.

"Alright, here I go then," I muttered under my breath. "With everyone watching. Yes, great."

Knowing all eyes were on me, I couldn't stall any longer. I at least tried to look confident as I reached for the door and pushed it open, but I went inside with a pounding heart.

The human was in the centre of the musty barn, unceremoniously dropped in the old hay. He was still bound and blindfolded, but at least it was quiet now. Not for much longer, though.

I suppressed a deep sigh and approached the human.

The human seemed to hear me and stirred, shifting uncomfortably against his many bounds that restricted both his arms and legs. "Hello?" he called out. "Anyone there?"

"Yes..." I replied hesitantly, remembering I was supposed to be friendly. I had to suck it up. Hunters had to do unsavoury things for their village every now and then, after all, so I best get used to it.

With a grimace, I walked even closer.. "Hold still, I will take off the hood."

I reached out and quickly plucked the hood off the human's head with two fingers before retreating a few steps with a wrinkled nose.

The human still seemed to be dazed, but his pale blue eyes were a little clearer than before. He squinted at the light bursting into the barn through cracks in the woods and blinked rapidly. "Oh, hey, it's you. From before," he said to me. His eyes travelled up and down my body. "Astoundingly pretty. That's not what we're told."

My cheeks burned with both anger and embarrassment as the human gawked at me, but I bit my tongue. I was supposed to be nice, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything that might be taken as encouragement like 'thank you.'

With a grunt, the human pushed himself in a sitting position. "So was that other elven man? The one with the fists of steel. Rhadoron?"

A flash of anger made me want to lash out and kick the man back down, but I curbed the instinct just in time. "You will not speak that name," I hissed. "For you, his name is Oleander."

The human blinked at me, utterly unimpressed by my anger. "What? Why?"

"You have not earned the right to call him by his elven name, human!"

"Alright, alright. Don't get those pointy ears of yours all in a twist." The human wriggled and looked down at the ropes pressing his arms to his torso. "Do you mind loosening these? They're awfully tight, and where am I going, anyway? We're in the middle of the woods."

I kept my mouth shut, weighing my options. Being nice didn't involve having to touch the human, and I certainly hadn't signed for that, but it seemed it would be part of it today. I could remove a few of the ropes safely to gain the goodwill Rhadoron wanted me to get.

Fighting to keep the distaste out of my expression, I crouched and started undoing the ropes around his wrists.

"Thank you, uh..." the human trailed off.

I let the silence linger.

The human cleared his throat. "This is the part where you say your name."

I focused on the ropes. I didn't want to say my name. It already took everything I had to be nice to the bloodthirsty creature in front of me which invaded our home, cut down our people without ever listening to reason.

The human sighed exaggeratedly. "You might as well tell me, else I'll just call you something ridiculous."

I suppressed a growl as I yanked the ropes off of the human's wrist. He hissed in pain, but wasn't discouraged from annoying me for long.

"Alright, have it your way. How about... tree prancer or maybe you prefer pretty boy?"

I cast my eyes to the ceiling. "Fine. It's Sage."

The human flashed me a misguided, triumphant smile. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it, Sage? I'm Malte. Officially, I suppose it's Helmhold, prince of Wildewall and third child to King Bertram. I'd shake your hand but..."

I glared at Malte, warning him to not even consider trying to touch me. What was wrong with this creature, anyway? He was a captive. He should not be looking so unconcerned about his fate.

The human looked around the barn before his eyes settled on me again. "Why am I still breathing? Do you hope my dear father and mother will pay a ransom for me? Don't hold your breath, they won't. I haven't been in Wildewall for ages. I'm a priest now. Hidden away at a thunder god temple."

I can't imagine why. You're so charming," I deadpanned. "You don't act like a priest."

"And you don't act like a warrior of your kind," Malte quickly retorted. "Your face is an open book."

I narrowed my eyes. "Do you wish to provoke me? I could stab you right now."

"You can't. You need me alive for ransom."

The human's smile widened as if this was all a game to him, and it pissed me off. I knew what Rhadoron wanted me to do, but I couldn't resist lashing out.

I took a threatening step closer to the human. "You just told me they're not coming, so what do we truly need you alive for, I wonder?"

"That is what I wonder about, too," Malte replied, tilting his chin up to keep looking me in the eye. His smile faded. "Why am I not dead already? I should be. How many people have you killed for their blood?"

"Me?" I protested, feeling anger rising again. "I am not the murderer here! It's you humans!"

"That is enough, Sage," Rhadoron curtly ordered from the barn's entrance. He used my human tongue name, which I was grateful for. I had a feeling this human wouldn't respect our customs and would use Farun to annoy me.

I looked up at Rhadoron, unable to stop a sheepish smile from spreading across my face. For a moment, I'd forgotten he and Elder Ariste were there. I'd lost my temper when facing a human so easily, and that was the opposite of what Rhadoron had asked of me.

"Sorry," I immediately said upon stepping out of the barn. "The human angered me. I couldn't stop myself."

"You do not need to point out the obvious, Farun." Rhadoron glanced at Ariste, who stared back at him stone-faced. "But you may just serve a purpose for the hunters yet."

"I—what?" I asked.

Rhadoron nodded at Ariste. The village elder's expression soured, but then turned to me. "You still want a chance to train as a hunter, do you not, Farun?"

I was stunned into silence for a moment at the unexpected question, but then I eagerly nodded. "More than anything. You know that, Elder Ariste."

"Then it will be so." Ariste crossed his arms. "Farun, you will be this prisoner's warden and caretaker. Keep him alive and captive, and you have my permission to become a hunter."