Two days later.
The three of them, accompanied by several shaken children, traveled quickly along a forest path.
As the sky grew dark, an elven village appeared in the twilight, nestled against ancient oak trees and surrounded by low fences.
Figures seemed to be moving at the village entrance.
A young girl’s eyes lit up, and she broke free from Celia’s hand, stumbling toward the entrance while shouting, “Sister!”
A tall Wood Elf with an anxious expression turned around abruptly.
When she saw her sister running toward her, a look of joyful surprise erupted on her face.
She opened her arms and tightly embraced the girl, their cries and excited words intertwining.
The other elves in the village were also alerted, gathering around to welcome the few children who had gone missing.
The elder sister held her younger sibling, carefully checking her for any injuries as tears continued to fall.
Only then did she look up, filled with gratitude toward the benefactors who had returned her sister.
However, when her gaze landed on Celia and she saw those distinctive features, a trace of obvious shock appeared on her face…
She released her sister and slowly stood up, her gaze still fixed on Celia.
She spoke hesitantly in a heavily accented but fluent Common Language, “Was it you… who saved my sister? A… Dark Elf? This is… so rare.”
Celia met her gaze calmly and gave a slight nod, offering no further explanation.
Perhaps realizing that her words might be misunderstood, the elf quickly waved her hands with an embarrassed expression.
“Please don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… we almost never see your people here. The last time I saw a Dark Elf was 100 years ago, when a distant sister from our tribe followed her lover — she was also a Dark Elf — and left this place. So, seeing you so suddenly was a bit of a… surprise.”
Celia’s eyes shifted slightly.
Wood Elves were the most numerous among the Elven Kingdom, spread across its entire territory.
This resulted in many Dark Elves having Wood Elf wives.
The story the woman mentioned piqued Celia’s curiosity.
“What was the name of the sister who left with the Dark Elf?” Celia asked casually.
The woman had not expected Celia to ask this.
She thought for a moment and replied, “Her name was Lani. She was a sister who loved to laugh and was very good at archery.”
Her tone carried a hint of nostalgia.
“When she left, everyone was reluctant to see her go, but seeing how happy she was, we all gave her our blessings. It’s just that we gradually lost contact after that.”
“Lilaniel?”
“Yes, that’s the name! Do you know her?”
“Yes, Sister Lilaniel… I am indeed very familiar with her. I only visited her home last month… Her partner is a friend of my tribe whom I have known since childhood.”
Celia’s words naturally carried a sense of familiarity that required no pretense.
For the relatively sparsely populated and close-knit Dark Elves, being well-acquainted with one another was the norm.
Celia could honestly say she knew everyone in her tribe.
The Wood Elf’s eyes brightened even more, and she asked with concern, “Is Sister Lani… doing well now?”
“Yes, she is doing very well.”
Celia then shifted the conversation to more practical matters.
“We are currently traveling. I heard that caravans often pass through this area. Are there any heading toward the border recently?”
“Oh, you’ve asked at just the right time.”
The Wood Elf’s face lit up with a pleased expression.
“It just so happens that early tomorrow morning, a caravan that frequently travels to the border will depart from the west side of the village. Their leader is very reliable.”
She offered a warm invitation, “It is already late, and traveling through the forest at night is not safe. Why don’t you benefactors stay at my house tonight? It’s simple, but it’s better than sleeping in the open. You saved this girl,” she said, stroking the hair of her younger sister, who was clinging tightly to her side, “and we truly don’t know how to thank you enough.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the other Wood Elf villagers gathered around also nodded in agreement, their faces filled with sincere gratitude.
A male elf, who appeared to be an elder of the village, nodded to Arian and then spoke to Celia and the others in somewhat stiff Common Language, “Arian is right. Please, allow us to show our gratitude.
The village is modest, but there is always food to entertain friends.”
This seemed to remind her that she had not yet officially introduced herself.
She smiled sheepishly.
“Look at me, I forgot to say. My name is Arian. Please, you must let me host you.”
“Then we shall trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble at all. It’s what we should do.”
Before long, Arian led them to her home.
It was a warm and tidy house with a wooden structure that emitted a faint scent of pine.
After they were briefly settled, she warmly invited the three of them to sit at a dining table covered with a plain linen cloth and began preparing a simple dinner.
By then, Arian’s younger sister had washed the dirt from her face and changed into a clean dress.
She sat cautiously directly across from Celia.
Her large eyes were still full of gratitude, and she could hardly look away from Celia.
Arian’s gaze also frequently drifted toward Celia, her curiosity written clearly on her face.
While setting out wooden bowls and spoons, Arian finally couldn’t help but ask with admiration, “Miss Celia, are all Dark Elves as… powerful as you? I heard from my sister that when you saved them, your movements were so fast they couldn’t even see you.”
“It is merely necessary training.”
“Then what is the place where you live like?”
Arian’s interest was fully ignited.
While ladling hot stew into the bowls, she continued her questions, “Is it deep underground with glowing mushrooms and waterfalls? Or do you live in ancient trees in a vast, dark forest like in the legends? I’ve heard so many stories about Dark Elves since I was a child, but this is the first time I’ve actually met one…”
“Arian,” Onyxia interjected at that moment, “you seem particularly interested in my Celia?”
Arian blinked, suddenly realizing she might have been overly enthusiastic.
She looked at Onyxia’s hand resting on the back of Celia’s chair and those eyes that were looking over with a smile.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she waved her hands frantically.
“Oh, sorry! I didn’t… I was just so curious. After all, Dark Elves are very rare… I-I’ll go get the bread!”
She hurried toward the kitchen.
Ilyas’s gaze shifted quietly between Celia’s reddening ears and the slight curl of Onyxia’s lips, and then she lowered her head.
Her fingers hesitated at the edge of the tablecloth before she finally seemed to make up her mind.
Using the cloth as cover, she reached out and gently stroked Celia’s thigh.
Almost at the same time, Onyxia’s foot tangled with hers under the table.
A warm instep pressed against Celia’s calf, rubbing with an undeniable intimacy before audaciously hooking her ankle.
Celia’s body suddenly tensed.
She looked up at the two sitting beside her and warned them.
“… Behave yourselves, there are others at the table.”