Deep Green Shadows.

For what seemed like hours the trio trekked through the dark green woods of Oriel, following Elariel's trained elven eyes and ears they ducked under branch and climbed over massive roots, forging deeper and deeper into the rich green sea. Birds chirped high above them, and the once still forest now seemed to shift and move around them, blowing gently in the breeze filtering the sunlight in dull rays through many layers of leaves.

The two young men followed behind their elven companion dutifully, their hands never leaving the handles of their blades as they scanned the forest with wary eyes, and for once Gawain was uncharacteristically quiet, which had not gone unnoticed by both Elariel, and the nervous Peter. His nervousness however not born from cowardice, but over the unknown that this forest represented, and the potential danger it posed to his lord, and the lovely elf that had joined them.

More than once the lads believed they saw something staring at them from the darkness of the undergrowth, freezing and staring off into the distance before Elariel repeatedly urged them to continue on.

Soon, hours turned into days as they forged through, camped, then forged through again. It felt like weeks had passed by in the darkness of the woods before suddenly, a vast grove opened up before them.

Soft green grass and flower beds stretched out around them as the light of the stars shone brightly down upon them, the crescent moon bathing them in its silvery glow. A thin band of trees and heavy bushes surrounded a small freshwater pond at the far side of the grove, backing itself onto a stone cliff face, the water running down it looking like the tears of the night sky as it fed the pond below.

"The tracks lead to this grove. I can see the evidence of their camp even from here" Elariel pointed just next to the pond, and sure enough even Gawain and Peter could see the buried fire pit, and the flattened grass where the Goblins had made their camp, "That they haven't bothered to try and hide their presence means we must be close to their actual encampment, they would not be so bold otherwise" Elariel explained as she led them out into the grove, scanning the tree line as she went.

Gawain and Peter looked at each other, gently easing their blades out of their sheathes just a touch, readying themselves in case of an ambush before they followed her on into the middle.

"We should set up camp here, the Goblins are clever, but they are not clever enough to think someone would dare to camp where they have been before. It should be safe for the night." She continued as they neared the edge of the pool, looking over it closely before crouching down, her chestnut locks shimmering in the moonlight as she ran her gentle fingers through the waters, "Hm, it's even warm" she smiled to herself, quietly marvelling at the natural magic from the Faeland that bled into this wood, affecting everything, even the very water.

"Are you sure we'll be safe, Lady Elariel?" Peter asks, as he stops and turns around, looking left and right for any sign of threats.

"Yes, I am sure. And to be on the safe side I will take the last watch as well" She offers, standing up and planting her hands on her hips as she turned back to her companions.

"Why last?" Gawain asked curiously as he fully sheathed his sword again, running a hand through his blonde hair.

"If an enemy is going to attack, they are more likely to do it at first light, the light of the morning sun is the brightest and more likely to blind their target if they attack from the East" she explained casually as she plopped her pack down on the ground and began unpacking her tent and bedroll, tucking her hair behind her pointed ears. Her thighs squeezing together deliciously as she sat on her calves.

Gawain glanced down, before averting his eyes, auburn hair filling his mind as he turned to Peter and caught him staring. Gawain playfully swatted the boy across the back of the head and laughed, "Stop staring Peter" he teased, making the boy jump and flush red with embarrassment as his hands shot up defensively,

"I wasn't I swear!" he exclaimed as he backed away nervously, Elariel sighed as she looked up at them both.

"Enough, both of you. Get to work setting up camp and you can have your fun later." She chastised the young men, frowning up at them.

"Oh, why of course my lady, apologies" Gawain retorted sarcastically as he offered her a comical bow.

Elariel only rolled her eyes, it hadn't taken long for Gawain to return to a semblance of his old self. Granted she had noticed that he wasn't as teasing as he was before, no he was much more reserved with it since entering the Forest. It seemed to her like he had something on his mind, even when he was scanning the treeline for danger, but she thought better than to pry.

"Tease all you want, jester knight. But we should remain here for a day to gather our strength before pressing on, if we are to fight these Goblins we must be ready." She seethed, her movements becoming shorter and more aggressive as he successfully hit her buttons. He made her even angrier with his teasing now than before Erlau, truthfully she didn't know what had made her angrier at him, yes he had slept with that Tavern Girl, but was that truly why she was angry, perhaps it was his uncanny resemblance to the Dragon Slayer she met as a child. Elariel suddenly sighed angrily, shaking her head to banish her vagrant thoughts, focusing on the task at hand.

Gawain looked at her curiously, eyebrows raised in interest at her sudden and quick rise to anger, Peter for his part merely looked between the two, wishing his lordship wasn't so hard on his Lady Elariel.

***

They soon had their camp set up by the pond, a ring of trees and bushes separating them from the wider grove and the pond itself. Elariel had dug a shallow hole in the ground in the centre of their lean-to tents and bedrolls, in which she placed a handful of smooth dwarven runestones that glowed with amber heat akin to a fire but giving off none of the smoke so as to hide their presence.

The trio sat in a triangle each facing the other as they eat their simple stew that Peter had put together for them, some chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, and celery in a thick broth.

"So, what do you plan on doing with the Goblins?" Elariel asked between spoonful's, having doffed her cloak and boots as she relaxed by the warmth of the stones.

"What do you mean?" Gawain asked curiously, setting down his empty bowl and rubbing his mouth.

"Didn't you say the Goblins haven't killed anyone yet, my lord?" Peter asked as he looked over, eyebrow quirked up much akin to a puppy.

"Yes, but why should that change anything? They remain monsters still, the edge of my blade is all I plan on giving them should they fail to run" Gawain shrugged nonchalantly, as if this was a foregone conclusion.

"So bloodshed is all they deserve for simply existing?" Elariel probed him further, Peter staring down into his bowl, deep in thought,

"What are you implying? That I should just let them go?" Gawain snorted, shaking his head, "They are monsters. Just because they have yet to kill someone does not mean they have no intention of doing so. For all we know they are just building strength before they wipe out the village!"

"The village has little in the way of-" Elariel began before Peter suddenly interjected.

"I think we should talk to them. They haven't hurt anyone that we know of, so they might be different to other monsters, I mean... has anyone ever tried to talk to Goblins in the first place? Or have we just always killed them for being different" Peter spoke softly, his voice carrying a weight of sadness as he idly nudged a lump of beef around the edge of his nearly empty bowl.

Elariel smiled at the boy, she couldn't help it, his heart was so pure compared to other humans she had met, so much so that she wondered why he wanted to be a Knight in the first place, he seemed out of place on the battlefield to her.

"Peter, sometimes we want to change the world but it isn't meant to be changed. Things are the way they are for a reason." Gawain chastised him softly, making Elariels smile fade as she stared at Gawain blankly.

"I'm not sure I agree, my lord"

"Neither am I, but we what choice would you say we have?"

"We could try to convince them to go away, to leave the village be"

"And what could we offer to convince them to do that?" Gawain quickly added, his eyes fixed on Peter as he clasped his hands in front of himself, a stern look on his face.

"I... what do you mean?" Peter asked, confusion flashing across his face.

"You can not just walk into a negotiation and ask them to do what you want. You have to either **** them into agreement, or offer something worth their while to agree. Even then you must convince them to come to the table in the first place." Gawain sighed as he explained, for his part, Peter dutifully took in all the information, doing his best to understand.

"Do you have something to offer them?" Gawain pressed, leaning forward as Peter looked up at his lord.

"Well... no bu-" Peter began before being cut off

"Then do not give yourself false hope. Neither of us are in a position to give them something to leave, and neither of us are in a position to do anything except offer them our blades. You'll live a happier life if you don't try and combat the foundations of our world Peter." Gawain said flatly, as he stood, stretching his arms.

"I think... I think I'll go to bed..." Peter said in a small voice, disappointment on his face as he retreated to his tent, pulling down the roll to hide the inside of his lean-to from the rest of the camp.

"You are quite the hypocrite, Gawain." Elariel snapped at the young man quietly, not bothering to look him in the eye.

"What are you on about now" Gawain rolled his eyes, growing tired of this back and forth. In his eyes it was simple, kill the goblins and go home. Why did these two have to make everything so complicated.

"You made a promise to break the foundation of your world for a some farm girl working in a tavern. And yet you can not bring yourself to consider a peaceful resolution for these Goblins." Elariel suddenly stood, flattening tugging at the bottom of her armour so it didn't ride up her chest. "Take a long look at yourself, young Lord, before you go preaching to others."

Gawain wasn't given a chance to respond, she turned quickly on her heel and retreated to her own tent, anger filling her. Frustration filling him, in a sudden flash of his own anger he dashed his bowl into the bit, watching as it crackled and split under the heat of the stones before catching fire.

He watched the embers rise high into the sky, lost in his own thoughts as he prepared to set in for first watch.