Chapter 7.

On their way back to the elf hideout, they all felt like failures because of what the dwarves said to them, and it made their journey slow. They didn't know how to face Calaudra, how to tell him what the dwarves said about the fight, which was opposing his vision.

Their journey was very quiet, that Marc had to start up a conversation, trying to put all Taldak words behind them. "Kilin, why don't you tell us a story."

"I don't know any."

"Come on, that's not true. Tell us about your giant heritage. How a giant came to marry a dwarf." Marc specified.

"Why don't you tell us how come you share an elfish heritage." Kilin asked back, avoiding to share his story with them.

"Well, I don't really know. My mother never talked about it, nor did I know until the last two weeks."

"That's not true," Kilin doubted.

"Of course it is, Berilan can attest to this." Marc was finally achieving this purpose of lighting their moods with a conversation.

"Is that so?" Kilin was now interested to know, so he asked Berilan.

"Yes," Berilan answered, still looking disappointed.

"Halt," Unae shouted, "Shhhh."

"What is it?" Berilan asked her.

"We have company." Unae drew an arrow, and the others got ready to defend themselves too as they looked around.

Merethyl then released her arrow as he saw movement at her right.

"Don't shoot," the being following them shouted because it was almost hit by Merethyl's arrow. With her hands in the air she came forward, showing herself to them.

Due to its greenish skin and prominent teeth, Unae tagged it to be an enemy, as such released her own arrow, but she was fast enough to not only dodge the arrow, but also catch it. "I mean no harm."

"Then why have you been following us?" Berilan asked.

"I've been alone and considering your company, we can be friends."

"What makes you think orcs are welcomed in the company of elves?" Merethyl asked.

She looked around before answering, "I'm a half-orc, and you are not entirely a company of elves. I can see a giant dwarf and a half-elf in your midst, that makes it two hybrids just like myself."

"A half-orc, you say?" Berilan wanted to be sure he heard correctly.

"Yes, my mother is a human. I was abandoned after birth to die, the orcs took me, but I didn't blend in so I was cast out. Ever since, I've been alone, helped a few humans but they'll never accept me no matter how hard I try."

"What is your name?" Marc asked as he saw her story to be true.

"Urzad Peckgray," she answered.

Then Marc looked at Berilan, Merethyl and Unae because they were the ones that had major problems with her joining their company.

"No way Marc," Merethyl said after realizing what his look meant. "We don't trust you."

"I know and I'm not asking you to trust me, only let me join your company, and probably the course that has brought you all together. I am tired of staying alone." Urzad begged, after seeing Merethyl as the leader figure of the group.

"Let's tie her up." Berilan suggested without considering how Urzad had caught a flying arrow.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Marc considered what it already did.

"Yes, listen to your brother." Urzad added.

Now that response made them afraid, because they haven't told her anything about themselves, yet she was saying it as though she was told.

"What are you really?" Unae asked.

"I already told you, I'm a half-orc. The orcs took me in because they believed I had magic and would use it in their favor."

"That means you are a magician?" Unae said as their hopes seemed to be revived again.

"Perhaps, I am not. That is why I was casted out."

Irrespective of her response, Unae and Berilan felt it was a good idea to have her in their midst, so they convinced Merethyl with some eye gesture.

"Fine, but I won't be responsible if she turns against us."

"I promise not to." Urzad assured even though it meant nothing to her.

As they continued the journey, Unae asked the new fellow, "So, tell me, what spell can you cast? How good are you with your magic?"

"I told you already, I'm not sure I have magic." Urzad was very honest with her, so she won't raise her hope too high. Her ability to know things by mere observation was more of a gift to her than magic as she knew that was the reason Unae was insisting about her having magical powers.

*****

When they arrived back at the cave, it was deserted. The whole place was in ruin and they could tell exactly what happened there.

"No, this can't be," Marc cried, he couldn't believe that he had lost his sister, he turned to Unae, "Tell me she's alive. Tell me they didn't get them."

Unae could not give him a response, she was also in pain because her brother Ruven was missing too and it was beyond her powers to see what happened there.

It's been fourteen days since they left that cave, only to return and realize that it was no longer hidden from the drows as they were the ones desperate about finding that place, knowing the surviving elves would be hiding there.

The four of them that journeyed from that place all lost someone dear to them and was ready to make a drastic and stupid decision.

"They must pay." Marc appeared to be in more pain than the others and he had the right to. He was willing to walk into the castle of Brendal alone and kill as many drows while trying to find his sister.

"Come back," Kilin went after Marc immediately he left the cave in bitterness, full of rage.

Berilan, Merethyl and Unae stayed still, trying to control their emotions because going after the drows desperate for revenge would amount to nothing but their death, and since Kilin had gone after Marc, they believed he stopped him from doing anything stupid.

"Let go of me." Marc scolded Kilin who held him by the wrist.

"You are going to get yourself killed. Think." Kilin advised him, still holding him tight.

"Let me go," Marc showed no sign of cooperation, as he kept struggling to break free from Kilin's grip.

A lot of thoughts began to fly across Kilin's mind on how to make Marc calm and one unreasonable but favorable one came across his mind. So he said. "Forgive me, Marc, but I have to this." He punched Marc very hard, that he blackout at once. Then he was carried back into the cave.

"What happened?" Urzad asked even though she already had a clue. The other three were not even concerned nor did they notice that Marc was brought in unconscious.

"He'll be fine," Kilin assured Urzad, placing Marc on the rock, he allowed the others enough time they needed to stop crying, and start thinking on what to do next.